Tag Archives: Richard Sortomme

Bob James: Touchdown

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On July 20, 1978, “Tappan Zee” label released “Touchdown”, the sixth Bob James album. It was recorded in 1978, at “CBS Studios”, “Sound Mixers” and “A&R Recording” in New York, and was produced by Bob James.

Personnel:

  • Bob James – acoustic piano, Yamaha electric grand piano, Fender Rhodes, Oberheim Polyphonic synthesizer, arrangements, conductor
  • Eric Gale – electric guitar
  • Hiram Bullock – vocals, electric guitar
  • Earl Klugh – acoustic guitar
  • Richard Resnicoff – rhythm acoustic guita
  • Gary King – electric bass
  • Ron Carter – acoustic bass, piccolo bass
  • Idris Muhammad – drums
  • Steve Gadd – drums
  • Ralph MacDonald – percussion
  • Mongo Santamaria – percussion
  • Phil Bodner – alto saxophone, flute, oboe
  • Jerry Dodgion – alto saxophone, flute
  • David Sanborn – alto saxophone solo
  • Harvey Estrin – tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute
  • George Marge – tenor saxophone, English horn, flute, oboe, recorder
  • Howard Johnson – baritone saxophone, contrabass clarinet
  • Randy Brecker – trumpet
  • Jon Faddis – trumpet
  • Mike Lawrence – trumpet
  • Ron Tooley – trumpet
  • Wayne Andre – trombone
  • Dave Bargeron – trombone
  • Alan Raph – trombone
  • Hubert Laws – flute
  • David Nadien – concertmaster
  • Harry Cykman, Lewis Eley, Max Ellen, Louis Gabowitz, Diana Halprin, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, John Pintavalle, Matthew Raimondi, Herbert Sorkin, Richard Sortomme – violin
  • Jean Dane, Theodore Israel, Sue Pray and Emanuel Vardi – viola
  • Jonathan Abramowitz, Seymour Barab, Richard Locker, Charles McCracken – cello
  • Joe Jorgensen – engineer, associate producer
  • Tim Bomba – engineer assistant
  • Ted Bronson – engineer assistant
  • Lou Jannone – engineer assistant
  • Harold Tarowsky – engineer assistant
  • Vlado Meller – mastering
  • Paula Scher – art direction, design
  • Buddy Endress – photography
  • Jay Chattaway – associate producer
  • Marion Orr – production coordinator

Track listing:

All tracks by Bob James.

  1. Angela (Theme from Taxi)
  2. Touchdown
  3. I Want to Thank You (Very Much)
  4. Sun Runner
  5. Caribbean Nights

Aretha Franklin: Get It Right

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On July 14, 1983, “Arista” label released “Get It Right”, the twenty-ninth Aretha Franklin studio album. It was recorded in 1983, and was produced by Luther Vandross.

Personnel:

  • Aretha Franklin – lead and backing vocals, vocal arrangements
  • Doc Powell – guitar
  • Georg Wadenius – guitar
  • Teddy F. White – guitar
  • Nat Adderley Jr. – keyboards, rhythm arrangements
  • Marcus Miller – synthesizers, bass guitar, rhythm arrangements
  • Yogi Horton – drums
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion, congas, bongos
  • Steve Kroon – congas, triangle
  • Dave Friedman – vibraphone
  • David Carey – timpani
  • George Young – soprano saxophone
  • Alan Rubin, George Young, Gregory Williams, Jim Pugh, John Clark, Jon Faddis, Lew Soloff, Lou Marini, Peter Gordon, Ronnie Cuber, Tom Malone – horns
  • Alfred Brown, Barry Finclair, Elena Barere, Emanuel Vardi, Guy Lumia, Harold Kohon, Harry Zaratzian, Homer Mensch, Jan Mullen, Jean R. Dane, Jesse Levy, John Beal, John Pintavalle, Jonathan Abramowitz, Joseph Rabushka, Judy Geist, Julien Barber, Kathryn Kienke, Kermit Moore, Lamar Alsop, Lewis Eley, Margaret Ross, Marilyn Wright, Regis Landiorio, Richard Sortomme, Richard Young, Sanford Allen, Sue Pray, Winterton Garvey – strings
  • Rob Mounsey – string arrangements, horn arrangements
  • Paul Riser – string and horn arrangements
  • Luther Vandross – vocal arrangements, backing vocals
  • Michael Love Smith – vocal arrangements, backing vocals
  • Brenda White – backing vocals
  • Fonzi Thornton – backing vocals
  • Michelle Cobbs – backing vocals
  • Phillip Ballou – backing vocals
  • Tawatha Agee – backing vocals
  • Yvonne Lewis – backing vocals
  • Cissy Houston – backing vocals
  • Darlene Love – backing vocals
  • Paulette McWilliams – backing vocals
  • Brenda Corbett – backing vocals
  • Margaret Branch – backing vocals
  • Sandra Richardson – backing vocals
  • Aaron T. Smith – backing vocals
  • Danny Dedusual Smith – backing vocals
  • Myrna Smith – backing vocals
  • Don Cuminale – engineer
  • Paul Brocek, Michael Christopher – additional engineering, engineer assistant
  • Mark Cobrin – engineer assistant
  • Michael H. Brauer – mixing
  • Donn Davenport – art direction
  • Howard Fritzson – design

Track listing:

All tracks written by Luther Vandross and Marcus Miller, except where noted.

  1. Get It Right
  2. Pretender
  3. Every Girl (Wants My Guy)
  4. When You Love Me Like That
  5. I Wish It Would Rain – Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield, Roger Penzabene
  6. Better Friends Than Lovers – Michael Lovesmith
  7. I Got Your Love – Luther Vandross
  8. Giving In – Clarence Franklin

Spyro Gyro: Catching the Sun

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In February 1980, “MCA” label released “Catching the Sun”, the third Spyro Gyra studio album. It was recorded in 1979, at “Secret Sound Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Jay Beckenstein and Richard Calandra.

Personnel:

  • Jay Beckenstein – soprano, alto and tenor saxophone, Fender Rhodes, percussion
  • Tom Schuman – acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, synthesizers, synthesizers programming, effects
  • Jeremy Wall – synthesizers, synthesizer programming, percussion, effects, horn arrangements, assistant producer
  • Hiram Bullock – acoustic and electric guitars
  • Chet Catallo – electric guitar
  • John Tropea – acoustic and electric rhythm guitar
  • Will Lee – bass
  • Jim Kurzdorfer – bass guitar
  • Eli Konikoff – drums
  • Gerardo Velez – percussion, bongos
  • Richard Calandra – tambourine, percussion
  • Dave Samuels – marimba, vibraphone, steel drums
  • Rubens Bassini – congas, percussion
  • Randy Brecker – trumpet
  • Barry Rogers – trombone
  • Tom Malone – trombone
  • Bob Malache – tenor saxophone
  • Steve Nathan – clavinet, synthesizer programming
  • Jeremy Wall – string arrangements, conductor
  • Harry Lookofsky – concertmaster
  • Charles McCracken, Jesse Levy, Alan Shulman – cello
  • Peter Dimitriades, Lewis Eley, Harold Kohon, Charles Libove, Harry Lookofsky, David Nadien, Matthew Raimondim Richard Sortomme – violin
  • Michael Barry – engineer
  • Jack Malken – engineer
  • Jason Corsaro – assistant engineer
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Peter Corriston – art direction, design
  • David Heffernan – illustration

Track listing:

  1. Catching the Sun – Jay Beckenstein
  2. Cockatoo – Jay Beckenstein, Tom Schuman, Jeremy Wall, Chet Catallo, Jim Kurzdorfer, Eli Konikoff
  3. Autumn of Our Love – Jeremy Wall
  4. Laser Material – Tom Schuman
  5. Percolator – Jay Beckenstein
  6. Philly – Jim Kurzdorfer
  7. Lovin’ You/Lovin’ You (for Christine) – Chet Catallo
  8. Here Again – Jay Beckenstein
  9. Safari – Jeremy Wall

Steve Kuhn: Promises Kept

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On April 27, 2004, “ECM” label released “Promises Kept”, the 28th Steve Kuhn album. It was recorded June – September 2000, at “Edison Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Manfred Eicher.

Personnel:

  • Steve Kuhn – piano
  • David Finck – bass
  • String Ensemble conducted by Carlos Franzetti
  • Krista Bennion Feeney, Elizabeth Lim-Dutton, Richard Sortomme, Karl Kawahara, Barry Finclair, Helen Kim, Robert Shaw, Carol Pool, Anca Nicolau -violin
  • Sue Pray, Vince Lionti, Karen Ritscher – viola
  • Stephanie Cummins, Richard Locker, Joshua Gordon – cello

Track listing:

All tracks by Steve Kuhn.

  1. Lullaby
  2. Life’s Backward Glance
  3. Trance
  4. Morning Dew
  5. Promises Kept
  6. Adagio
  7. Celtic Princess
  8. Nostalgia
  9. Oceans in the Sky
  10. Pastorale

Patti Austin: End of a Rainbow

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On August 6, 1976, “CTI” label released “End of a Rainbow”, the debut Patti Austin album. It was recorded April – June 1976, at  “Mediasound Studios” in New York City, “Van Gelder Studios” in Englewood, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Patti Austin– vocals
  • Eric Gale, Steve Khan– guitar
  • Michael Abene – piano
  • Barry Miles– synthesizer
  • Jeff Berlin, Will Lee, Chuck Rainey– bass guitar
  • Chuck Israels– arco bass
  • Steve Gadd, Andy Newmark– drums
  • Ralph MacDonald– percussion
  • Michael Brecker, Joe Farrell– tenor saxophone
  • Ronnie Cuber– baritone saxophone
  • Randy Brecker– trumpet
  • Richard Tee– clavinet
  • Harry Cykman, Max Ellen, Barry Finclair, Paul Gershman, Harry Glickman, Emanuel Green, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, Guy Lumia, Joe Malin, David Nadien, Max Pollikoff, Matthew Raimondi, Richard Sortomme – violin
  • Al Brown, Ted Israel, Manny Vardi– viola
  • Charles McCracken, Alan Shulman– cello
  • Gloria Agostini – harp
  • Vivian Cherry, Frank Floyd, Gwen Guthrie, Zachary Sanders – backing vocals
  • David Matthews– arrangements
  • Bob James- conductor

Track listing:

All tracks by Patti Austin except where noted

  1. Say You Love Me
  2. In My Life
  3. You Don’t Have To Say You’re Sorry
  4. More Today Than Yesterday – Pat Upton
  5. Give It Time
  6. There Is No Time
  7. What’s at the End of a Rainbow
  8. This Side of Heaven
  9. Sweet Sadie the Savior

Joe Jackson: Will Power

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In April 1987, “A&M” label released “Will Power”, the ninth Joe Jackson album. It was recorded in 1987, and was produced by Joe Jackson. “Will Power” was Jackson’s first experiment with classical music.

Personnel:

  • Joe Jackson – keyboards, percussion, orchestration, arrangements,  mixing
  • Ed Roynesdal – Kurzweil K250 synthesizer, electric piano
  • Pat Rebillot- piano
  • Vinnie Zummo – guitar
  • Homer Mensch, John Miller, John Beal, Joe Tamosaitis – double bass
  • Anthony Jackson- bass guitar
  • Neil Jason- bass guitar
  • Gary Burke – drums
  • Sue Evans, Dave Carey, David Freidman – percussion
  • Tony Aiello – soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet
  • Chris Hunter – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
  • Steve Slagle- soprano saxophone
  • Michael Parloff, Laura Conwesser, Andrew Lolya – flute, piccolo
  • Susan Trainer – piccolo
  • Roger Rosenberg, Ray Beckstein, Charles Russo, Dave Tofani- clarinet, bass clarinet
  • Henry Shuman – oboe
  • John Campo – bassoon
  • Paul Ingraham, Jerry Peel, Pohn Clark, Donal Corrado – French horns
  • Michael Morreale, Mel Davis- trumpet
  • Dave Taylor, Tom Malone- trombone
  • David Nadien- concertmaster, violin
  • Charles Libove, Barry Finclair, John Pintavalle, Jan Mullen, Marti Sweet, Arnold Eidus, Richard Sortomme, Matthew Raimondi, Marin Alsop, Gerald Tarack, Regis Iandorio, Joseph Rabushka, Lew Eley, Jean Ingraham, Marilyn Wright, Masako Yanagita, Al Rogers, Louanne Montesi, Richard Henrickson, David Davis – violin
  • Lamar Alsop, Ted Isreal, Maureen Gallagher, Carol Landon, Julian Barber, Harry Zaratzian, Sol Greitzer, Sue Pray, Jean Dane – violas
  • Charles McCracken, Richard Locker, Warren Lash, Seymour Barab, Jacqueline Mullen, Fred Zlotkin, Jean Leblanc, Diane Barrere, Alla Goldberg – cello
  • Andrew Zurcher – vocal
  • Paul Goodman, Michael Frondelli and Dennis Ferrante – recording

Track listing:

All tracks by Joe Jackson.

  1. No Pasaran
  2. Solitude
  3. Will Power
  4. Nocturne
  5. Symphony in One Movement