Tag Archives: Val Valentin

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

Bill Evans: Further Conversations with Myself

In December 1967, “Verve” label released “Further Conversations with Myself”, the 33th Bill Evans album. It was recorded on August 9, 1967, at “Webster Hall” in New York City, and was produced by Helen Keane.

Personnel:

  • Bill Evans- piano
  • Ray Hall – engineer
  • Val Valentin – engineer
  • Acy R. Lehman – design
  • Anthony Wolff – cover photography
  • George Joseph – photography
  • Roberto Polillo – photography

Track listing:

  1. Emily – Johnny Mandel, Johnny Mercer
  2. Yesterdays – Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern
  3. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town – Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie
  4. Funny Man – Bill Evans
  5. The Shadow of Your Smile(Love Theme from “The Sandpiper”) – Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster
  6. Little Lulu – Buddy Kaye, Sidney Lippman, Fred Wise
  7. Quiet Now – Denny Zeitlin

Tim Hardin: Tim Hardin 1

In July 1966, “Verve Forecast” label released “Tim Hardin 1”, the debut Tim Hardin album. It was recorded May – November 1964, December 1965, and was produced by Erik Jacobsen.

Personnel:

  • Tim Hardin – vocals, guitar, keyboards
  • Gary Burton– vibraphone
  • John Sebastian– harmonica
  • Bob Bushnell– bass
  • Earl Palmer, Buddy Saltzman– drums
  • Jon Wilcox – drums
  • Phil Kraus – backing vocals
  • Walter Yost – bass
  • Artie Butler– string arrangements
  • Val Valentin– engineer
  • Lisa Bachelis – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Tim Hardin.

  1. Don’t Make Promises
  2. Green Rocky Road
  3. Smugglin’ Man
  4. How Long
  5. While You’re On Your Way
  6. It’ll Never Happen Again
  7. Reason to Believe
  8. Never Too Far
  9. Part of the Wind
  10. Ain’t Gonna Do Without
  11. Misty Roses
  12. How Can We Hang On to a Dream?

Tim Hardin: Tim Hardin 2

In April 1967, “Verve Forecast” label released “Tim Hardin 2”, the second Tim Hardin studio album. It was recorded November 1964 – August 1966, and was produced by Charles Koppelman and Don Rubin

Personnel:

  • Tim Hardin – vocals, guitar, keyboards
  • David Cohen – finger picking acoustic guitar
  • Don Peake – arrangements
  • Val Valentin– director of engineering
  • Doc Siegel – engineer
  • David Krieger – design
  • Marshall Harmon – cover photography
  • Jerry Schoenbaum – production supervision

Track listing:

All tracks by Tim Hardin.

  1. If I Were a Carpenter
  2. Red Balloon
  3. Black Sheep Boy
  4. The Lady Came from Baltimore
  5. Baby Close Its Eyes
  6. You Upset the Grace of Living When You Lie
  7. Speak Like a Child
  8. See Where You Are and Get Out
  9. It’s Hard to Believe in Love for Long
  10. Tribute to Hank Williams

Eric Burdon & The Animals: Eric Is Here

In March 1967, “MGM” label released “Eric Is Here”, album by Eric Burdon & The Animals. It was recorded in 1966, and was produced by Tom Wilson.

Personnel:

  • Eric Burdon- vocals
  • Barry Jenkins- drums
  • The Horace Ott and Benny Golson Orchestras
  • Val Valentin– direction
  • Benny Golson– arrangements, conductor
  • Horace Ott– arrangements, conductor
  • Bill McMeehan- recording
  • Gene Radice – mixing
  • Nancy Reiner- cover art
  • Acy Lehman – design

Track listing:

  1. In the Night – Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart
  2. Mama Told Me Not to Come – Randy Newman
  3. I Think It’s Gonna Rain Today – Randy Newman
  4. This Side of Goodbye – Gerry Goffin, Carole King
  5. That Ain’t Where It’s At – Martin Siegel
  6. True Love (Comes Only Once in a Lifetime) – Bob Haley, Nevel Nader
  7. Help Me Girl – Scott English, Larry Weiss
  8. Wait Till Next Year – Randy Newman
  9. Losin’ Control – Carl D’Errico, Roger Atkins
  10. It’s Not Easy – Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
  11. The Biggest Bundle of Them All – Ritchie Cordell, Sol Trimachi
  12. It’s Been a Long Time Comin’ – Jimmy Radcliffe, Joey Brooks

Jimmy Smith: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

In March 1964, “Verve” label released “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” album by Jimmy Smith. It was recorded in January 1974,at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs NJ, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Jimmy Smith– organ
  • Oliver Nelson– arranger
  • Claus Ogerman– arranger, conductor
  • Val Valentin, Rudy Van Gelder– engineer
  • Acy Lehman – design
  • Roy De Carava – photography
  • Daddio Daylie – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Slaughter on Tenth Avenue – Richard Rodgers
  2. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Pt. 1 – Don Kirkpatrick, Keith Knox
  3. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Pt. 2 – Don Kirkpatrick, Keith Knox
  4. John Brown’s Body – traditional
  5. Wives and Lovers – Burt Bacharach, Hal David
  6. Women of the World – Riziero Ortolani
  7. Bluesette – Toots Thielemans

Jimmy Witherspoon: The Blues Is Now

In November 1967, “Verve” label released “The Blues Is Now”, the twenty-eight Jimmy Witherspoon album. It was recorded on June 1, 1967, and was produced by Ken Druker and Lew Futterman.

Personnel:

  • Jimmy Witherspoon- vocals
  • Melvin Sparks- guitar
  • Jack McDuff- organ, arrangements
  • Jymie Merritt- bass guitar
  • Ray Appleton- drums
  • Leo Johnson, Danny Turner – alto and tenor saxophone, flute
  • Val Valentin– engineer
  • Bob Irwin, Jayme Pieruzzi– mastering
  • Hollis King- art direction
  • Nancy Reiner- cover art
  • Acy Lehman- design
  • Raymond Ross- photography
  • Ken Druker- executive producer

Track listing:

  1. Sweet Slumber – Lucky Millinder, Al J. Neiburg, Henri Woode
  2. I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town – Andy Razaf, Will Weldon
  3. Past Forty Blues – Robert Lee Roach, Jimmy Witherspoon
  4. K. Blues – Saunders King
  5. Late One Evening – Jimmy Witherspoon
  6. Part Time Woman – Jimmy Witherspoon
  7. Good Rocking Tonight – Roy Brown
  8. I Won’t Tell a Soul (I Love You) – Hughie Clark, Ross Parker
  9. My Baby’s Quit Me – Doc Pomus
  10. My Money’s Long This Morning, Baby – David Parker

The Blues Project: Projections

In November 1966, “Verve” label released “Projections”, the second Blues Project (The) album. It was recorded in 1966, and was produced by Tom Wilson and Marcus James.

Personnel:

  • Al Kooper– keyboards, vocals
  • Danny Kalb– guitar, vocals
  • Steve Katz– guitar, harmonica, vocals
  • Andy Kulberg– bass, flute
  • Roy Blumenfeld – drums
  • Val Valentin– engineer
  • Ken Kendall – design
  • Jim Marshall– photography

Track listing:

  1. I Can’t Keep From Crying
  2. Steve’s Song – Steve Katz
  3. You Can’t Catch Me – Chuck Berry
  4. Two Trains Running – McKinley Morganfield
  5. Wake Me, Shake Me
  6. Cheryl’s Going Home – Bob Lind
  7. Flute Thing – Al Kooper
  8. Caress Me Baby – Jimmy Reed
  9. Fly Away – Al Kooper

Nico: Chelsea Girl

In October 1967, “Verve” label released “Chelsea Girl”, the debut Nico solo album. It was recorded April – May 1967, at “Mayfair Recording Studios” in Manhattan, and was produced by Tom Wilson. The album name is a reference to Andy Warhol’s 1966 movie “Chelsea Girls”, in which Nico starred.

Personnel:

  • Christa “Nico” Päffgen– vocals
  • Jackson Browne– electric guitar
  • Lou Reed– electric guitar
  • Sterling Morrison– electric guitar
  • John Cale– viola, organ, guitar
  • Val Valentin- director of engineering
  • Gary Kellgren- recording, remix
  • Larry Fallon– string and flute arrangements
  • Paul Morrissey- photography

Track listing:

  1. The Fairest of the Seasons – Jackson Browne, Gregory Copeland
  2. These Days – Jackson Browne
  3. Little Sister – John Cale, Lou Reed
  4. Winter Song – John Cale
  5. It Was a Pleasure Then – Lou Reed, John Cale, Christa Päffgen
  6. Chelsea Girls – Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison
  7. I’ll Keep It With Mine – Bob Dylan
  8. Somewhere There’s a Feather – Jackson Browne
  9. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams – Lou Reed
  10. Eulogy to Lenny Bruce – Tim Hardin