Tag Archives: Norman Granz

Johnny Hodges: The Blues

In October 1956, “Norgran” label released “The Blues”, the fifth Johnny Hodges album. It was recorded July 1952 – September 1953 – July 1954, at “Radio Recorders” in Los Angeles, in San Francisco and New York City, and was produced by Norman Granz.  

Personnel:

  • Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone
  • Emmett Berry, Shorty Baker – trumpet
  • Lawrence Brown – trombone
  • Arthur Clarke, John Coltrane, Ben Webster, Rudy Williams – tenor saxophone
  • Ted Brannon, Call Cobbs, Leroy Lovett – piano
  • Ray Brown, Red Callender, Barney Richmond, John Williams – bass
  • Louis Bellson, J. C. Heard, Al Walker – drums
  • Alex De Paola – cover photography
  • Phil Stern – photography
  • Norman Granz – supervision

Track listing:

All tracks by Johnny Hodges, except where noted.

  1. Rosanne – Glenn Osser, Edna Osser, Dick Manning
  2. Hodge-Podge – Johnny Hodges, Duke Ellington
  3. Jappa
  4. Through for the Night – Trummy Young
  5. The Sheik of Araby – Ted Snyder, Harry B. Smith, Francis Wheeler
  6. Latino
  7. Johnny’s Blues – Edith Cue Hodges
  8. Indiana – Ballard MacDonald, James F. Hanley
  9. Easy Going Bounce – Leroy Lovett
  10. Burgundy Walk

Johnny Hodges: Used To Be Duke

In October 1956, “Norgan” label released “Used to Be Duke”, the eight Johnny Hodges album. It was recorded July – August 1954, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone
  • Jimmy Hamilton – tenor saxophone, clarinet
  • John Coltrane – tenor saxophone
  • Harry Carney – baritone saxophone
  • Shorty Baker – trumpet
  • Lawrence Brown – trombone
  • Call Cobbs Jr., Richie Powell – piano
  • John “Buddy” Williams – double bass
  • Louie Bellson – drums
  • Herman Leonard – photography
  • Norman Granz – supervision

Track listing:

  1. Used to Be Duke – Johnny Hodges
  2. On the Sunny Side of the Street – Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
  3. Sweet as Bear Meat – Johnny Hodges
  4. Madam Butterfly – Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges
  5. Warm Valley – Duke Ellington
  6. Ballad medley: Autumn In New York / Sweet Lorraine / Time On My Hands / Smoke Gets in Your Eyes / If You Were Mine / Poor Butterfly – Vernon Duke / Cliff Burwell, Mitchell Parish / Vincent Youmans, Harold Adamson, Mack Gordon / Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach / Matty Malneck, Johnny Mercer / Raymond Hubbell, John Golden

Billie Holiday: Music For Torching

In October 1955, “Clef Records” label released “Music for Torching”, the fourth Billie Holiday album. It was recorded in August 1955, in Los Angeles, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Billie Holiday – vocals
  • Barney Kessel – guitar
  • Jimmy Rowles – piano
  • Benny Carter – alto saxophone
  • Harry “Sweets” Edison – trumpet
  • John Simmons – bass
  • Larry Bunker – drums
  • David Stone Martin – artwork

Track listing:

  1. It Had to Be You – Isham Jones, Gus Kahn
  2. Come Rain or Come Shine – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  3. I Don’t Want to Cry Anymore – Victor Schertzinger
  4. I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You – Victor Young, Ned Washington, Bing Crosby
  5. A Fine Romance – Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields
  6. Gone with the Wind – Allie Wrubel, Herb Magidson
  7. I Get a Kick Out of You – Cole Porter
  8. Isn’t This a Lovely Day? – Irving Berlin

Yusef Lateef: Before Dawn: The Music of Yusef Lateef

In February 1958, “Verve” label released “Before Dawn: The Music of Yusef Lateef”, the fourth Yusef Lateef album. It was recorded in April 1957, at “WOR Recording Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Yusef Lateef – tenor saxophone, flute, arghul, percussion
  • Curtis Fuller – trombone
  • Hugh Lawson – piano, celesta
  • Ernie Farrow – bass, rebab
  • Louis Hayes – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Yusef Lateef except where noted.

  1. Passion
  2. Love Is Eternal
  3. Pike’s Peak
  4. Open Strings
  5. Before Dawn
  6. Twenty-Five Minute Blues
  7. Chang, Chang, Chang
  8. Constellation – Charlie Parker

Oscar Peterson & Joe Pass & Ray Brown: The Giants

In December 1974, “Pablo” label released “The Giants” an album by Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, and Ray Brown. It was recorded on December 7, 1974, at “MGM Studios” and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Oscar Peterson – piano, organ
  • Joe Pass – guitar
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • Norman Granz – layout, design
  • Phil Stern – photography

Track listing:

  1. Riff Blues – Oscar Peterson
  2. Who Cares? – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  3. Jobim – Joe Pass, Oscar Peterson
  4. Blues for Dennis – Oscar Peterson
  5. Sunny – Bobby Hebb
  6. I’m Getting Sentimental Over You – George Bassman, Ned Washington
  7. Caravan – Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Juan Tizol
  8. Eyes of Love – Quincy Jones, Bob Russell

Dizzy Gillespie: Gillespiana

In December 1960, “Verve” label released “Gillespiana”, the 32nd Dizzy Gillespie album. It was recorded in November 1960, in New York City, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Dizzy Gillespie, John Frosk, Ernie Royal, Clark Terry, Joe Wilder – trumpet
  • Urbie Green, Frank Rehak, Britt Woodman – trombone
  • Paul Faulise – bass trombone
  • Jim Buffington, William Lister, Al Richman, Gunther Schuller, Morris Secon, Julius Watkins – French horn
  • Don Butterfield – tuba
  • Leo Wright – alto saxophone, flute
  • Lalo Schifrin – piano, arranger
  • Willie Rodriguez – timpani
  • Art Davis – bass
  • Chuck Lampkin – drums
  • Candido Camero – conga
  • Jack Del Rio – bongos

Track listing:

All tracks by Lalo Schifrin

  1. Prelude
  2. Blues
  3. Panamericana
  4. Africana
  5. Toccata

Leseter Young and Harry Edison: Pres and Sweets

In December 1955, “Norgran” label released “Pres and Sweets”, an album by Lester Young and Harry Edison, It was recorded in November 1955, at “Radio Recorders” in Hollywood, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Lester Young – tenor saxophone
  • Harry Edison – trumpet
  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Herb Ellis – guitar
  • Ray Brown – bass
  • Buddy Rich – drums

Track listing:

  1.  Mean to Me – Fred E. Ahlert, Roy Turk
  2. Red Boy Blues – Lester Young
  3. Pennies from Heaven – Arthur Johnston, Johnny Burke
  4. That’s All – Alan Brandt, Bob Haymes
  5. One O’Clock Jump – Count Basie
  6. She’s Funny That Way – Neil Moret, Richard A. Whiting

Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong: Ella and Louis

In October 1956, “Verve” label released “Ella and Louis”, a studio album by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, accompanied by the Oscar Peterson Quartet. It was recorded in August 1956, at “Capitol Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Ella Fitzgerald– vocals
  • Louis Armstrong– vocals, trumpet
  • Oscar Peterson– piano
  • Herb Ellis– guitar
  • Ray Brown– bass
  • Buddy Rich– drums
  • Val Valentin – engineer
  • Phil Stern – photography

Track listing:

  1. Can’t We Be Friends? – Paul James, Kay Swift
  2. Isn’t This a Lovely Day? – Irving Berlin
  3. Moonlight in Vermont – John Blackburn, Karl Suessdorf
  4. They Can’t Take That Away from Me – Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
  5. Under a Blanket of Blue – Jerry Livingston, Al J. Neiburg, Marty Symes
  6. Tenderly – Walter Gross, Jack Lawrence
  7. A Foggy Day – Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
  8. Stars Fell on Alabama – Mitchell Parish, Frank Perkins
  9. Cheek to Cheek – Irving Berlin
  10. The Nearness of You – Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington
  11. April in Paris – Vernon Duke, Yip Harburg

Bud Powell: The Lonely One…

On September 3, 1955, “Verve” label released “The Lonely One…”, the tenth Bud Powell studio album. It was recorded January – April 1955, at “Fine Sound Studios” in New York and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Bud Powell– piano
  • George Duvivier– bass
  • Art Taylor– drums
  • Percy Heath– bass
  • Kenny Clarke– drums
  • Sheldon Marks – art director
  • Howard Morehead – cover photography

Track listing:

  1. Confirmation – Charlie Parker
  2. Star Eyes – Gene De Paul, Don Raye
  3. Lullaby in Rhythm – Clarence Profit, Edgar Sampson, Benny Goodman, Walter Hirsch
  4. Willow Weep for Me – Ann Ronnell
  5. Mediocre
  6. All the Things You Are – Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II
  7. Epistrophy – Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke
  8. Dance of the Infidels
  9. Salt Peanuts – Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Clarke
  10. Hey George (Sweet Georgia Brown) – Maceo Pinkard, Kenneth Casey

Mel Tormé: Tormé

In August 1958, “Verve” label released “Tormé”, the ninth Mel Tormé album. It was recorded in June 1958 and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Mel Tormé- vocals
  • Marty Paich- arranger, conductor

Track listing:

  1. That Old Feeling – Lew Brown, Sammy Fain
  2. Gloomy Sunday – Sam M. Lewis, Rezso Seress
  3. Body and Soul – Frank Eyton, Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour
  4. Nobody’s Heart – Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
  5. I Should Care – Sammy Cahn, Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston
  6. The House Is Haunted (by the Echo of Your Last Goodbye) – Basil Adlam, Billy Rose
  7. Blues in the Night – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  8. I Don’t Want to Cry Anymore – Victor Schertzinger
  9. Where Can I Go Without You? – Peggy Lee, Victor Young
  10. How Did She Look? – Gladys Shelley, Abner Silver
  11. ‘Round Midnight – Bernie Hanighen, Thelonious Monk, Cootie Williams
  12. I’m Gonna Laugh You Right out of My Life – Cy Coleman, Joseph McCarthy