Tag Archives: Norman Granz

Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Swings Lightly

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In December 1958, “Verve” label released “Ella Swings Lightly”, album by Ella Fitzgerald. It was recorded in November 1958, at “Radio Recorders” in Hollywood, and was produced by Norman Granz. This album won Ella Fitzgerald the 1960 Grammy award for the Best Improvised Jazz Solo.

Personnel:

  • Ella Fitzgerald – vocal
  • Marty Paich’s Dek-Tette: Bud Shank – alto saxophone 
  • Bill Holman – tenor saxophone
  • Med Flory – baritone saxophone 
  • Don Fagerquist, Al Porcino – trumpet
  • Bob Enevoldsen – valve trombone, tenor saxophone 
  • Vincent DeRosa – French horn
  • Lou Levy  – piano
  • Joe Mondragon – bass 
  • Mel Lewis – drums 

Track listing:

  1. Little White Lies – Walter Donaldson
  2. You Hit the Spot – Mack Gordon, Harry Revel
  3. What’s Your Story, Morning Glory? – Jack Lawrence, Paul Francis Webster, Mary Lou Williams
  4. Just You, Just Me – Jesse Greer, Raymond Klages
  5. As Long as I Live – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
  6. Teardrops from My Eyes – Rudy Toombs
  7. Gotta Be This or That – Sunny Skylar
  8. Moonlight on the Ganges – Sherman Myers, Chester Wallace
  9. My Kinda Love – Louis Alter, Jo Trent
  10. Blues in the Night – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  11. If I Were a Bell – Frank Loesser
  12. You’re an Old Smoothie – Nacio Herb Brown, Buddy DeSylva, Richard A. Whiting
  13. Little Jazz – Roy Eldridge, Buster Harding
  14. You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me – Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal, Peter Norman
  15. Knock Me a Kiss – Mike Jackson
  16. 720 in the Books – Harold Adamson, Jan Savitt, Leo Watson

Sonny Stitt: Only The Blues

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In November 1957, “Verve” label released “Only the Blues”, the 14th Sonny Stitt album. It was recorded in October 1957, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Sonny Stitt – alto saxophone
  • Roy Eldridge – trumpet
  • Herb Ellis – guitar
  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • Stan Levey – drums

Track listing:

  1. The String (The Eternal Triangle) – Sonny Stitt
  2. Cleveland Blues – Sonny Stitt
  3. B.W. Blues (Boogie Woogie Blues) – Sonny Stitt
  4. Blues for Bags – Sonny Stitt

Ben Webster: Soulville

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In November 1957, “Verve” label released “Soulville”, the sixth Ben Webster album. It was recorded in October 1957, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Ben Webster – tenor saxophone
  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Herb Ellis – guitar
  • Ray Brown – bass
  • Stan Levey – drums
  • Nat Hentoff – liner notes
  • Ellie Hughes – design
  • Tom Hughes – design
  • Phil Stern – photography

Track listing:

  1. Soulville – Ben Webster
  2. Late Date – Ben Webster
  3. Time on My Hands – Harold Adamson, Mack Gordon, Vincent Youmans
  4. Lover, Come Back to Me – Oscar Hammerstein II, Sigmund Romberg
  5. Where Are You? – Lew Pollack, Lou Davis
  6. Makin’ Whoopee – Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn
  7. Ill Wind – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler

Harry Edison And His Orchestra: Sweets

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In November 1956, “Clef” label released “Sweets”, album by Harry Edison and His Orchestra (the third Harry Edison album overall). It was recorded in September 1956, is Los Angeles, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Harry Edison – trumpet
  • Ben Webster – tenor saxophone
  • Jimmy Rowles – piano
  • Barney Kessel – guitar
  • Joe Mondragon – bass
  • Alvin Stoller – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Harry Edison except where noted.

  1. Hollering at the Watkins
  2. Used to Be Basie
  3. How Deep Is the Ocean? – Irving Berlin
  4. Studio Call
  5. Willow Weep for Me – Ann Ronell
  6. Opus 711
  7. Love Is Here to Stay – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  8. K.M. Blues
  9. Walkin’ with Sweets

Roy Eldridge: Swingin’ On The Town

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In August 1960, “Verve” label released “Swingin’ on the Town”, the 18th Roy Eldridge album. It was recorded in June 1960, in New York City, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Roy Eldridge – trumpet
  • Ronnie Ball – piano
  • Benny Moten – bass
  • Eddie Locke – drums

Track listing:

  1. Bossa Nova – Roy Eldridge
  2. The Way You Look Tonight – Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields
  3. Sweet Sue, Just You – Victor Young, Will J. Harris
  4. I’ve Got a Crush on You – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  5. When I Grow Too Old to Dream – Sigmund Romberg, Oscar Hammerstein II
  6. Crème de Menthe – Erroll Garner
  7. Honeysuckle Rose – Fats Waller, Andy Razaf
  8. All the Things You Are – Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II
  9. Easy Living – Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin
  10. But Not for Me – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  11. Song of the Islands – Charles E. King
  12. Misty – Eroll Garner, Johnny Burke

The Oscar Peterson Trio: A Jazz Portrait Of Frank Sinatra

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In June 1959, “Verve” label released “A Jazz Portrait of Frank Sinatra”, album by The Oscar Peterson Trio. It was recorded in May 1959, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • Ed Thigpen – drums

Track listing:

  1. You Make Me Feel So Young – Mack Gordon, Josef Myrow
  2. Come Dance with Me – Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen
  3. Learnin’ the Blues – Dolores Vicki Silvers
  4. Witchcraft – Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh
  5. (Love Is) The Tender Trap – Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen
  6. Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week) – Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne
  7. Just in Time – Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Jule Styne
  8. It Happened in Monterey – Billy Rose, Mabel Wayne
  9. I Get a Kick Out of You – Cole Porter
  10. All of Me – Seymour Simons, Gerald Marks
  11. The Birth of the Blues – Ray Henderson, Buddy DeSylva, Lew Brown
  12. How About You? – Ralph Freed, Burton Lane

Sonny Stitt: Personal Appearance

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In June 1957, “Verve” label released “Personal Appearance”, the twelve Sonny Stitt album. It was recorded in May 1957, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Sonny Stitt – alto and tenor saxophone
  • Bobby Timmons – piano
  • Edgar Willis – bass
  • Kenny Dennis – drums

Track listing:

  1. You’d Be So Easy to Love – Cole Porter
  2. Easy Living – Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin
  3. Autumn in New York – Vernon Duke
  4. You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To – Cole Porter
  5. For Some Friends – Sonny Stitt
  6. I Never Knew – Ted Fio Rito, Gus Kahn
  7. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
  8. East of the Sun (and West of the Moon) – Brooks Bowman
  9. Original? – Sonny Stitt
  10. Avalon – Buddy DeSylva, Al Jolson, Vincent Rose
  11. Blues Greasy – Sonny Stitt

Johnny Hodges: Blues A – Plenty

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In May 1958, “Verve” label released “Blues A-Plenty”, the 14th Johnny Hodges album. It was recorded in April 1958, in New York City, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone
  • Ben Webster – tenor saxophone
  • Roy Eldridge – trumpet
  • Vic Dickenson – trombone
  • Billy Strayhorn – piano
  • Jimmy Woode – bass
  • Sam Woodyard – drums

Track listing:

 All tracks by Johnny Hodges, except where noted.

  1. I Didn’t Know About You – Duke Ellington, Bob Russell
  2. Cool Your Motor
  3. Gone With the Wind – Allie Wrubel, Herb Magidson
  4. Honey Hill
  5. Blues-a-Plenty
  6. Don’t Take Your Love from Me – Henry Nemo
  7. Saturday Afternoon Blues
  8. Satin Doll – Duke Ellington
  9. Reeling and Rocking

Blossom Dearie: Same

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In April 1957, “Verve” label released the self-titled, second Blossom Dearie studio album. It was recorded in September 1956, and was produced by Norman Granz and Blossom Dearie.

Personnel:

  • Blossom Dearie – vocals, piano
  • Herb Ellis – guitar
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • Jo Jones – drums

Track listing:

  1. Deed I Do – Walter Hirsch, Fred Rose
  2. Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?) – Jimmy Davis, Ram Ramirez, Jimmy Sherman
  3. Ev’rything I’ve Got – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  4. Comment allez-vous – Murray Grand
  5. More Than You Know – Edward Eliscu, Rose, Vincent Youmans
  6. Thou Swell – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  7. It Might as Well Be Spring – Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II
  8. Tout doucement – Emile Jean Mercadier, Rene Albert Clausier
  9. You for Me – Bob Haymes
  10. Now at Last – Bob Haymes
  11. I Hear Music – Burton Lane, Frank Loesser
  12. Wait Till You See Her – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  13. I Won’t Dance – Dorothy Fields, Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern, Jimmy McHugh
  14. A Fine Spring Morning – Bob Haymes

Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins: Sonny Side Up

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In January 1959, “Verve” label released “Sonny Side Up”, album by Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins. It was recorded in December 1957, at “Nola Recording Studio” in New York City, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Dizzy Gillespie – vocal, trumpet
  • Sonny Stitt – tenor saxophone
  • Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
  • Ray Bryant – piano
  • Tommy Bryant – double bass
  • Charlie Persip – drums
  • Burt Goldblatt – cover photography
  • Nat Hentoff – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. On the Sunny Side of the Street – Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields
  2. The Eternal Triangle – Sonny Stit
  3. After Hours – Avery Parrish
  4. I Know That You Know – Vincent Youmans, Anne Caldwell