Tag Archives: Verve

Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Swings Lightly

In December 1958, “Verve” label released “Ella Swings Lightly”, album by Ella Fitzgerald. It was recorded in November 1958, at “Radio Recorders” in Hollywood, and was produced by Norman Granz. This album won Ella Fitzgerald the 1960 Grammy award for the Best Improvised Jazz Solo.

Personnel:

  • Ella Fitzgerald – vocal
  • Marty Paich’s Dek-Tette: Bud Shank – alto saxophone 
  • Bill Holman – tenor saxophone
  • Med Flory – baritone saxophone 
  • Don Fagerquist, Al Porcino – trumpet
  • Bob Enevoldsen – valve trombone, tenor saxophone 
  • Vincent DeRosa – French horn
  • Lou Levy  – piano
  • Joe Mondragon – bass 
  • Mel Lewis – drums 

Track listing:

  1. Little White Lies – Walter Donaldson
  2. You Hit the Spot – Mack Gordon, Harry Revel
  3. What’s Your Story, Morning Glory? – Jack Lawrence, Paul Francis Webster, Mary Lou Williams
  4. Just You, Just Me – Jesse Greer, Raymond Klages
  5. As Long as I Live – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
  6. Teardrops from My Eyes – Rudy Toombs
  7. Gotta Be This or That – Sunny Skylar
  8. Moonlight on the Ganges – Sherman Myers, Chester Wallace
  9. My Kinda Love – Louis Alter, Jo Trent
  10. Blues in the Night – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  11. If I Were a Bell – Frank Loesser
  12. You’re an Old Smoothie – Nacio Herb Brown, Buddy DeSylva, Richard A. Whiting
  13. Little Jazz – Roy Eldridge, Buster Harding
  14. You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me – Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal, Peter Norman
  15. Knock Me a Kiss – Mike Jackson
  16. 720 in the Books – Harold Adamson, Jan Savitt, Leo Watson

Wynton Kelly: Comin’ In The Back Door

In December 1963, “Verve” label released “Comin’ in the Back Door”, the eight Wynton Kelly album. It was recorded in November 1963, in New York City, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Wynton Kelly – piano
  • Kenny Burrell – guitar
  • Paul Chambers – bass
  • Jimmy Cobb – drums
  • Claus Ogerman – string arrangement, conductor
  • Unknown musicians – cornet, clarinet, tenor saxophone
  • Unknown musician – vibes
  • Unknown musician – percussion
  • Unknown musicians – trumpet, trombone, saxophones, conga, timpany, bell
  • Bob Simpson, Phil Ramone – engineer
  • Val Valentin – director of engineering

Track listing:

  1. If That’s the Way You Want It – Gloria Shayne
  2. Comin’ in the Back Door – Scott Turner
  3. Don’t Wait Too Long – Sunny Skylar
  4. Nocturne – Claus Ogerman
  5. The Bitter End – Claus Ogerman
  6. Theme from “Burke’s Law – Herschel Burke Gilbert
  7. Quiet Village – Les Baxter
  8. Caesar and Cleopatra Theme – Alex North
  9. Signing Off – Leonard Feather
  10. Little Tracy – Wynton Kelly
  11. To Kill a Mockingbird – Elmer Bernstein

Kai Winding: Same

In November 1963, “Verve” label released “Kai Winding”, the 17th Kai Winding album. It was recorded August – October 1963, in New York City, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Kai Winding – trombone, arrangements
  • Gary Sherman – organ
  • Other unidentified musicians
  • Claus Ogerman – arrangements, conductor

Track listing:

  1. Get Lost – Claus Ogerman
  2. Only in America – Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Cynthia Weil, Barry Mann
  3. Hey, Girl – Carole King, Gerry Goffin
  4. The Lonely One – David Whitaker, Peter Pavey
  5. Theme from “Mr. Novak” – Lyn Murray
  6. Washington Square – Bob Goldstein
  7. The Ice Cream Man – Joe Meek
  8. Mockingbird – Charlie Fox, Inez Fox
  9. China Surf – Ingrid Otto
  10. Burning Sands – Werner Scharfenberger, Kurt Feltz
  11. Far Out East – Kai Winding
  12. Oltre l’Amor – Antonio de Paolis

Sonny Stitt: Only The Blues

In November 1957, “Verve” label released “Only the Blues”, the 14th Sonny Stitt album. It was recorded in October 1957, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Sonny Stitt – alto saxophone
  • Roy Eldridge – trumpet
  • Herb Ellis – guitar
  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • Stan Levey – drums

Track listing:

  1. The String (The Eternal Triangle) – Sonny Stitt
  2. Cleveland Blues – Sonny Stitt
  3. B.W. Blues (Boogie Woogie Blues) – Sonny Stitt
  4. Blues for Bags – Sonny Stitt

Lee Konitz: Tranquility

In November 1957, “Verve” label released “Tranquility”, album by Lee Konitz’s Quartet (14th Lee Konitz album overall). It was recorded in October 1957, in New York City.

Personnel:

  • Lee Konitz – alto saxophone
  • Billy Bauer – guitar
  • Henry Grimes – bass
  • Dave Bailey – drums

Track listing:

  1. Stephanie – Lee Konitz
  2. Memories of You – Eubie Blake, Andy Razaf
  3. People Will Say We’re in Love – Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II
  4. When You’re Smiling – Mark Fisher, Joe Goodwin, Larry Shay
  5. Sunday – Chester Conn, Benny Krueger, Ned Miller, Jule Styne
  6. Lennie Bird – Lennie Tristano
  7. The Nearness of You – Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington
  8. Jonquil – Werner Bauer

Ben Webster: Soulville

In November 1957, “Verve” label released “Soulville”, the sixth Ben Webster album. It was recorded in October 1957, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Ben Webster – tenor saxophone
  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Herb Ellis – guitar
  • Ray Brown – bass
  • Stan Levey – drums
  • Nat Hentoff – liner notes
  • Ellie Hughes – design
  • Tom Hughes – design
  • Phil Stern – photography

Track listing:

  1. Soulville – Ben Webster
  2. Late Date – Ben Webster
  3. Time on My Hands – Harold Adamson, Mack Gordon, Vincent Youmans
  4. Lover, Come Back to Me – Oscar Hammerstein II, Sigmund Romberg
  5. Where Are You? – Lew Pollack, Lou Davis
  6. Makin’ Whoopee – Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn
  7. Ill Wind – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler

Roy Eldridge: Swingin’ On The Town

In August 1960, “Verve” label released “Swingin’ on the Town”, the 18th Roy Eldridge album. It was recorded in June 1960, in New York City, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Roy Eldridge – trumpet
  • Ronnie Ball – piano
  • Benny Moten – bass
  • Eddie Locke – drums

Track listing:

  1. Bossa Nova – Roy Eldridge
  2. The Way You Look Tonight – Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields
  3. Sweet Sue, Just You – Victor Young, Will J. Harris
  4. I’ve Got a Crush on You – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  5. When I Grow Too Old to Dream – Sigmund Romberg, Oscar Hammerstein II
  6. Crème de Menthe – Erroll Garner
  7. Honeysuckle Rose – Fats Waller, Andy Razaf
  8. All the Things You Are – Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II
  9. Easy Living – Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin
  10. But Not for Me – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  11. Song of the Islands – Charles E. King
  12. Misty – Eroll Garner, Johnny Burke

Roland Kirk: Now Please Don’t You Cry, Beautiful Edith

In June 1967, “Verve” label released “Now Please Don’t You Cry, Beautiful Edith”, the 14th Roland Kirk album. It was recorded in May 1967, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Roland Kirk – tenor saxophone, manzello, stritch, flute
  • Lonnie Liston Smith – piano
  • Ronnie Boykins – bass
  • Grady Tate – drums
  • Rudy van Gelder – engineer

Track listing:

All tracks by Roland Kirk, except where noted.

  1. Blue Rol
  2. Alfie – Burt Bacharach, Hal David
  3. Why Don’t They Know
  4. Silverlization
  5. Fall Out
  6. Now Please Don’t You Cry, Beautiful Edith
  7. Stompin’ Grounds
  8. It’s a Grand Night for Swinging – Billy Taylor

The Oscar Peterson Trio: A Jazz Portrait Of Frank Sinatra

In June 1959, “Verve” label released “A Jazz Portrait of Frank Sinatra”, album by The Oscar Peterson Trio. It was recorded in May 1959, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • Ed Thigpen – drums

Track listing:

  1. You Make Me Feel So Young – Mack Gordon, Josef Myrow
  2. Come Dance with Me – Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen
  3. Learnin’ the Blues – Dolores Vicki Silvers
  4. Witchcraft – Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh
  5. (Love Is) The Tender Trap – Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen
  6. Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week) – Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne
  7. Just in Time – Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Jule Styne
  8. It Happened in Monterey – Billy Rose, Mabel Wayne
  9. I Get a Kick Out of You – Cole Porter
  10. All of Me – Seymour Simons, Gerald Marks
  11. The Birth of the Blues – Ray Henderson, Buddy DeSylva, Lew Brown
  12. How About You? – Ralph Freed, Burton Lane

Sonny Stitt: Personal Appearance

In June 1957, “Verve” label released “Personal Appearance”, the twelve Sonny Stitt album. It was recorded in May 1957, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Sonny Stitt – alto and tenor saxophone
  • Bobby Timmons – piano
  • Edgar Willis – bass
  • Kenny Dennis – drums

Track listing:

  1. You’d Be So Easy to Love – Cole Porter
  2. Easy Living – Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin
  3. Autumn in New York – Vernon Duke
  4. You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To – Cole Porter
  5. For Some Friends – Sonny Stitt
  6. I Never Knew – Ted Fio Rito, Gus Kahn
  7. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
  8. East of the Sun (and West of the Moon) – Brooks Bowman
  9. Original? – Sonny Stitt
  10. Avalon – Buddy DeSylva, Al Jolson, Vincent Rose
  11. Blues Greasy – Sonny Stitt