Tag Archives: November 1954

Duke Ellington: Dance To The Duke!

In November 1954, “Capitol” label released “Dance to the Duke!”, the eleventh Duke Ellington album. It was recorded 1953 in “Capitol Studios” in Los Angeles, 1954, in San Francisco and Chicago.

Personnel:

  • Duke Ellington – piano
  • Russell Procope – alto saxophone, clarinet
  • Rick Henderson – alto saxophone
  • Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone
  • Jimmy Hamilton – tenor saxophone, clarinet
  • Harry Carney – baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
  • Cat Anderson, Willie Cook, Ray Nance, Clark Terry, Gerald Wilson  
  • Quentin Jackson, George Jean, Juan Tizol, Britt Woodman – trombone
  • John Sanders – valve trombone
  • Wendell Marshall, Oscar Pettiford – bass
  • Butch Ballard, Dave Black – drums
  • Ralph Collier – congas
  • Frank Rollo – bongos

Track listing:

All tracks by Duke Ellington except where noted.

  1. C Jam Blues
  2. Orson – Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn
  3. Caravan – Juan Tizol
  4. Kinda Dukish
  5. Bakiff
  6. Frivolous Banta – Rick Henderson
  7. Things Ain’t What They Used To Be – Mercer Ellington
  8. Montevideo

J.J. Johnson: The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Vol. 2

In November 1954, “Blue Note” label released “The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Vol. 2”, the tenth J. J. Johnson album. It was recorded in September 1954, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion, and was released as 10” LP.

Personnel:

  • J. J. Johnson – trombone
  • Wynton Kelly – piano
  • Charles Mingus – bass
  • Kenny Clarke – drums
  • Sabu Martinez – congas
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording

Track listing:

All tracks by J. J. Johnson, except where noted.

  1. Jay
  2. Time After Time – Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne
  3. Old Devil Moon – E.Y. Harburg, Burton Lane
  4. Too Marvelous for Words – Johnny Mercer, Richard A. Whiting
  5. It’s You or No One – Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne
  6. Coffee Pot

Thelonious MonkQuartet featuring Sonny Rollins: Sonny Rollins And Thelonious Monk Quartet

In November 1954, “Prestige” label released “Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk Quartet”, album by Thelonious Monk Quartet featuring Sonny Rollins (the seventh Thelonious Monk album). It was recorded in October 1954, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was released as 10” LP.

Personnel:

  • Thelonious Monk – piano
  • Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
  • Tommy Potter – bass
  • Art Taylor – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer

Track listing:

  1. The Way You Look Tonight (As The Way You Blow Tonight) – Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern
  2. I Want to Be Happy – Irving Caesar, Vincent Youmans
  3. More Than You Know – Edward Eliscu, Billy Rose, Vincent Youmans

Dizzy Gillespie: Afro

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