Tag Archives: Norman Granz

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

Count Basie Orchestra: Dance Session

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In January 1954, “Clef” label released “Dance Session”, the 20th Count Basie Orchestra album. It was recorded August – December 1953, in Los Angeles, and “Fine Sound” in New York City, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Count Basie – piano, organ
  • Marshall Royal – alto saxophone, clarinet
  • Ernie Wilkins – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, arranger
  • Frank Wess – tenor saxophone, arranger
  • Frank Foster – tenor saxophone
  • Charlie Fowlkes – baritone saxophone
  • Paul Campbell, Wendell Culley, Reunald Jones, Joe Newman, Joe Wilder – trumpet
  • Johnny Mandel – bass trumpet, arrangements
  • Henderson Chambers, Henry Coker, Benny Powell – trombone
  • Freddie Green – guitar, arrangements
  • Eddie Jones- bass
  • Gus Johnson – drums
  • Neal Hefti – arrangements

Track listing:

  1. Straight Life – Johnny Mandel
  2. Basie Goes Wess – Frank Wess
  3. Softly, With Feeling – Neal Hefti
  4. Peace Pipe – Ernie Wilkins
  5. Blues Go Away! – Ernie Wilkins
  6. Cherry Point – Neal Hefti
  7. Bubbles – Neal Hefti
  8. Right On – Freddie Green
  9. The Blues Done Come Back – Ernie Wilkins
  10. Plymouth Rock – Neal Hefti

Oscar Peterson Quartet: If You Could See Me Now

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In December 1986, “Pablo” label released “If You Could See Me Now”, album by Oscar Peterson Quartet. It was recorded in November 1983, and was produced by Norman Granz. In 1987, the album won “Juno Award” for “Best Jazz Album”.

Personnel:

  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Joe Pass – guitar
  • Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen – double bass
  • Martin Drew – drums

Track listing:

  1. Weird Blues – Miles Davis
  2. If I Should Lose You – Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin
  3. On Danish Shore – Oscar Peterson, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
  4. L’ Impossible – Oscar Peterson
  5. If You Could See Me Now – Tadd Dameron, Carl Sigman
  6. Limehouse Blues – Philip Braham, Douglas Furber

Buddy DeFranco And The Oscar Peterson Trio: Buddy DeFranco And Oscar Peterson Plays George Gershwin

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In December 1954, “Clef” label released “Buddy DeFranco and Oscar Peterson Play George Gershwin”, album by Buddy DeFranco and the Oscar Peterson Trio. It was recorded in December 1954, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Buddy DeFranco – clarinet
  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Herb Ellis – guitar
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • Bobby White – drums

Track listing:

All lyrics by Ira Gershwin, all music by George Gershwin, except where noted.

  1. I Wants to Stay Here – lyrics by DuBose Heyward
  2. I Was Doing All Right
  3. ‘S Wonderful
  4. Bess, You Is My Woman Now – DuBose Heyward
  5. Strike Up the Band
  6. They Can’t Take That Away from Me
  7. The Man I Love
  8. I Got Rhythm
  9. Someone to Watch over Me
  10. It Ain’t Necessarily So

Ella Fitzgerald And Duke Ellington: Ella At Duke’s Place

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In December 1965, “Verve” label released “Ella at Duke’s Place”, album by Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. It was recorded in October 1965, at “United Recorders” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Ella Fitzgerald – vocals
  • Duke Ellington – piano, conductor, arrangements
  • Jimmy Jones – arrangements
  • Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone
  • Russell Procope – alto saxophone
  • Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone
  • Jimmy Hamilton – tenor saxophone, clarinet
  • Harry Carney – baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
  • Cat Anderson – trumpet
  • Mercer Ellington – trumpet
  • Herb Jones – trumpet
  • Cootie Williams – trumpet
  • Lawrence Brown – trombone
  • Buster Cooper – trombone
  • Chuck Connors – bass trombone
  • John Lamb – bass
  • Louis Bellson – drums
  • Val Valentin – engineer

Track listing:

All tracks by Duke Ellington, except where noted.

  1. Something to Live For – Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn
  2. A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing – Billy Strayhorn
  3. Passion Flower – Billy Strayhorn
  4. I Like the Sunrise
  5. Azure – Irving Mills
  6. Imagine My Frustration – Billy Strayhorn, Gerald Stanley Wilson
  7. Duke’s Place – Bill Katz, Ruth Roberts, Bob Thiele
  8. Brown-skin Gal (in the Calico Gown) – Paul Francis Webster
  9. What Am I Here For? – Frankie Laine
  10. Cotton Tail

Oscar Peterson Trio: Swinging Brass With The Oscar Peterson Trio

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In November 1960, “Verve” label released “Swinging Brass with the Oscar Peterson Trio”, album by Oscar Peterson Trio (the 86th Oscar Peterson album overal). It was recorded in November 1959, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • Ed Thigpen – drums
  • Russell Garcia – arrangements, conductor

Track listing:

  1. Con Alma – Dizzy Gillespie
  2. Blues for Big Scotia – Oscar Peterson
  3. The Spirit-Feel – Milt Jackson
  4. Stockholm Sweetnin’ – Quincy Jones
  5. Cubano Chant – Ray Bryant
  6. Little Pea’s Blues – Oscar Peterson
  7. Close Your Eyes – Bernice Petkere
  8. O.P. – Russell Garcia, Oscar Peterson

Stan Getz And J. J. Johnson: Stan Gets And J. J. Johnson At The Opera House

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In November 1957, “Verve” label released “Stan Getz and J.J. Johnson at the Opera House”, album by Stan Getz and J. J. Johnson. It was recorded September – October 1957, in Chicago and Los Angeles, and was produced by Norman Granz. “Verve” released two different versions of the same material, recorded by the same musicians, one recording was mono and the other was stereo.

Personnel:

  • Stan Getz – tenor saxophone
  • J.J. Johnson – trombone
  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Herb Ellis – guitar
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • Connie Kay – drums

Track listing:

Mono recording

  1. Billie’s Bounce – Charlie Parker
  2. My Funny Valentine – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  3. Crazy Rhythm – Irving Caesar, Joseph Meyer, Roger Wolfe Kahn
  4. Yesterdays – Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach
  5. It Never Entered My Mind – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  6. Blues In the Closet – Oscar Pettiford

Stereo recording

  1. Billie’s Bounce – Charlie Parker
  2. My Funny Valentine – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  3. Crazy Rhythm – Irving Caesar, Joseph Meyer, Wolfe Kahn
  4. It Never Entered My Mind – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  5. Blues In the Closet – Oscar Pettiford

Dizzy Gillespie: Afro

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In November 1954, “Norgran” label released “Afro”, the eleventh Dizzy Gillespie album. It was recorded May – June 1954, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Dizzy Gillespie – trumpet
  • George Dorsey, Hilton Jefferson – alto saxophone
  • Hank Mobley, Lucky Thompson – tenor saxophone 
  • Danny Bank – baritone saxophone 
  • Leon Comegys, J. J. Johnson, George Matthews – trombone 
  • Gilbert Valdez – flute 
  • Quincy Jones, Jimmy Nottingham, Ernie Royal – trumpet
  • Réne Hernandez, Wade Legge – piano
  • Lou Hackney, Roberto Rodríguez – bass
  • Charlie Persip – drums
  • Cándido Camero – congas, percussion
  • Mongo Santamaria – congas
  • José Mangual – bongos
  • Ubaldo Nieto – timbales
  • Ralph Miranda – percussion
  • Chico O’Farrill – arrangements

Track listing:

  1. Manteca Theme – Gil Fuller, Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo
  2. Contraste – Dizzy Gillespie, Chico O’Farrill, Chano Pozo
  3. Jungla – Dizzy Gillespie, Chico O’Farrill, Chano Pozo
  4. Rhumba Finale – Dizzy Gillespie, Chico O’Farrill, Chano Pozo
  5. A Night in Tunisia – Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli
  6. Con Alma – Dizzy Gillespie
  7. Caravan – Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Juan Tizol