Tag Archives: Randy Weston

The Three Sounds: Black Orchid

In April 1964, “Blue Note” label released “Black Orchid”, the eleventh Three Sounds (The) album. It was recorded February – June 1962, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Gene Harris – piano
  • Andrew Simpkins – bass
  • Bill Dowdy – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording

Track listing:

All tracks by Gene Harris, except where noted

  1. Black Orchid – Cal Tjader, Neal Hefti
  2. A Foggy Day – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  3. For All We Know – John Coots, Sam M. Lewis
  4. Oh Well, Oh Well
  5. At Last – Mack Gordon, Harry Warren
  6. Secret Love – Sammy Fain, Paul Francis Webster
  7. Don’t Go, Don’t Go
  8. Saucer Eyes – Randy Weston

Booker Ervin: The Freedom Book

In March 1964, “Prestige” label released “The Freedom Book”, the sixth Booker Ervin album. It was recorded in December 1963, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Don Schlitten.

Personnel:

  • Booker Ervin – tenor saxophone
  • Jaki Byard – piano
  • Richard Davis – bass
  • Alan Dawson – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording
  • Don Schlitten – design photography
  • David Himmelstein – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Booker Ervin, except where noted.

  1. A Lunar Tune
  2. Cry Me Not – Randy Weston
  3. Grant’s Stand
  4. A Day to Mourn
  5. Al’s In

Freddie Hubard: Hub Cap

In October 1961, “Blue Note” label released “Hub Cap”, is the third Freddie Hubbard album. It was recorded in April 1961, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Freddie Hubbard – trumpet
  • Jimmy Heath – tenor saxophone
  • Julian Priester – trombone
  • Cedar Walton – piano
  • Larry Ridley – bass
  • Philly Joe Jones – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording
  • Reid Miles – design
  • Francis Wolff – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Freddie Hubbard, except where noted.

  1. Hub Cap
  2. Cry Me Not – Randy Weston
  3. Luana
  4. Osie Mae
  5. Plexus – Cedar Walton
  6. Earmon Jr.

Randy Weston: Get Happy with Randy Weston Trio

In February 1956, “Riverside” label released “Get Happy with the Randy Weston Trio”, the third Randy Weston album. It was recorded in 1955, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer.

Personnel:

  • Randy Weston – piano
  • Sam Gill – bass
  • Wilbert Hogan – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Randy Weston, except where noted.

  1. Get Happy – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
  2. Fire Down There – traditional
  3. Where Are You? – Harold Adamson, Jimmy McHugh
  4. Under Blunder
  5. Dark Eyes – Florian Hermann
  6. Summertime – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward
  7. Bass Knows
  8. C Jam Blues – Barney Bigard, Duke Ellington
  9. A Ballad – Sam Gill
  10. Twelfth Street Rag – Euday L. Bowman

Pharoah Sanders

On September 24, 2022, Farrell Sanders aka Pharoah Sanders died aged 81, He was musician (tenor saxophone), played a important role in the development of free jazz and spiritual jazz through his work as a member of John Coltrane’s groups in the mid-1960s, and later through his solo work. He recorded and performed with Leon Thomas, Alice Coltrane, Don Cherry, Kenny Garrett, Norman Connors, Tisziji Munoz, McCoy Tyner, Randy Weston, Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman, Michael Mantler, Fary Bartz, Larry Young, Ed Kelly, Hilton Ruiz, Idris Muhammad, Benny Golson, Art Davis, Sonny Sharrock, New York Unite, Franklin Kiermyer, Bheki Mseleku, Jah Wobble, Wallace Roney, Terry Callier, Alex Blake, Kahil El’Zabar, David Murray, Will Clhoun and Joey DeFrancesco. As leader Sanders released 37 albums.

Randy Weston: Uhuru Afrika

In April 1961, “Roulette” label released “Uhuru Afrika”, the thirteenth Randy Weston album. It was recorded in November 1960, at “Bell Sound Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Teddy Reig. The album features lyrics and liner notes by the poet Langston Hughes and was banned in South Africa in 1964.

Personnel:

  • Randy Weston – piano
  • Clark Terry – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Benny Bailey, Richard Williams, Freddie Hubbard – trumpet
  • Slide Hampton, Jimmy Cleveland, Quentin Jackson – trombone
  • Julius Watkins – French horn
  • Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone, flute
  • Yusef Lateef – tenor saxophone, flute, oboe
  • Sahib Shihab – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
  • Budd Johnson – tenor saxophone, clarinet
  • Jerome Richardson – baritone saxophone, piccolo
  • Cecil Payne – baritone saxophone
  • Les Spann – guitar, flute
  • Kenny Burrell – guitar
  • George Duvivier, Ron Carter – bass
  • Max Roach, Charlie Persip – drums, percussion
  • Wilbert Hogan – drums
  • Babatunde Olatunji – percussion
  • Armando Peraza – bongos
  • Candido Camero – congas
  • Martha Flowers, Brock Peters – vocals
  • Tuntemeke Sanga – narrator
  • Melba Liston – arranger

Track listing:

All tracks by Randy Weston, except where noted.

  1. Introduction: Uhuru Kwanza – Langston Hughes
  2. First Movement: Uhuru Kwanza
  3. Second Movement: African Lady – Randy Weston, Langston Hughes
  4. Third Movement: Bantu
  5. Fourth Movement: Kucheza Blues

Rebop Kwaku Baah

On January 12, 1983, Anthony “Rebop” Kwaku Baah died aged 38. He was musician (percussion), recorded and performed with Can, Wynder K. Frog, Randy Weston, Jim Capaldi, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Free, Third World, Vivian Stanshall, Billy Cobham, Steve Winwood, The Unknown Cases, and Wally Badarou, but was best known as a member of the band Traffic. As a leader he released four albums.

Armando Peraza

On April 14, 2014, Armando Peraza died aged 79. He was musician (percussion, congas, bongos, timbales), recorded and performed with Machito’s Big Band, Charlie Parker, Slim Gaillard, Perez Prado, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Mingus, Dexter Gordon, Tony Martinez, Gato Barbieri, Cal Tjader, George Shearing, Randy Weston, Peggy Lee, Mongo Santamaria, Shelly Manne, Judy Garland, Victor Feldman, Stan Kenton Band, Harvey Mandel and Santana. As leader, Peraza recorded one album.

Dizzy Gillespie

On January 6, 1993, John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie died aged 75. He was musician (trumpet), singer, composer and bandleader, trumpet virtuoso and improviser,  regarded as one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time. Together with Charlie Parker, Gillespie was major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz. He has recorded and performed with some of the most important musicians in the jazz history, including Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus, Max Roach, Stan Getz, Sonny Stit,Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins,Benny Golson, Bobby Hackett, Mary Lou Williams, Willie Ruff, Dwike Mitchell, Art Blakey, Al McKibbon, Thelonious Monk, Kai Winding, Joe Turner, Roy Eldridge, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Clark Terry, Oscar Peterson, John Lewis, Hank Jones, Percy Heath, Roy Eldridge,  Machito, Benny Carter, Lalo Schifrin, Count Basie, Freddie Hubbard,  Arturo Sandoval, Phil Woods, Moe Koffman, United Nation Orchestra, Jackie McLean, Percy Heath, Ron Holloway, Ed Cherry, John Lee, Ignacio Berroa, Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones, Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Mike Longo, Manhattan Transfer,  Carmen McRae, Katie Bell Nubin,  Mongo Santamaria, Woody Shaw, Lillian Terry and Randy Weston.

Freddie Hubbard

On December 29, 2008, Frederick Dewayne “Freddie” Hubbard died aged 70. He was musician (trumpet) and composer, known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles. He has performed and recorded with many famous musicians including George Benson, Walter Benton, Art Blakey, Tina Brooks, Kenny Burrell, George Cables, Betty Carter, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Richard Davis, Eric Dolphy, Kenny Drew, Charles Earland, Bill Evan,  Joe Farrell, Curtis Fuller, Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Oscar Peterson, Benny Golson, Dexter Gordon, Slide Hampton, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Heath, Joe Henderson, Andrew Hill, Bobby Hutcherson, Milt Jackson, Billy Joel, Elton John, J.J. Johnson, Quincy Jones, John Lewis, Kirk Lightsey, Ronnie Mathews, Jackie McLean, The Modern Jazz Quartet, Wes Montgomery, Hank Mobley, Alphonse Mouzon, Oliver Nelson, Duke Pearson, Sam Rivers, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Rufus, Poncho Sanchez, Don Sebesky, Wayne Shorter, Leon Thomas, Stanley Turrentine, McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton and Randy Weston.