Tag Archives: Verve

Wes Montgomery: Tequila

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In August 1966, “Verve” label released “Tequila”, the 17th Wes Montgomery album. It was recorded in March 1966, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Wes Montgomery – guitar
  • Ron Carter – bass
  • Grady Tate – drums
  • Ray Barretto – conga
  • George Devens – vibraphone
  • Bernard Eichen – violin
  • Arnold Eidus – violin
  • Paul Gershman – violin
  • Emanuel Green – violin
  • Julius Held – violin
  • Gene Orloff – violin
  • Harry Lookofsky – violin
  • Joseph Malin – violin
  • Abe Kessler – cello
  • Charles McCracken – cello
  • George Ricci – cello
  • Harvey Shapiro – cello
  • Claus Ogerman – arranger, conductor
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer

Track listing:

  1. Tequila – Chuck Rio
  2. Little Child (Daddy Dear) – Wayne Shanklin
  3. What the World Needs Now Is Love – Burt Bacharach, Hal David
  4. The Big Hurt – Wayne Shanklin
  5. Bumpin’ on Sunset – Wes Montgomery
  6. Insensatez (How Insensitive) – Vinicius De Moraes, Norman Gimbel, Antônio Carlos Jobim
  7. The Thumb – Wes Montgomery
  8. Midnight Mood – Ben Raleigh, Joe Zawinul

Bill Evans: Conversations With Myself

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In August 1963, “Verve” label released “Conversations with Myself”, the 19th Bill Evans album. It was recorded February – May 1963, in New York City, and was produced by Creed Taylor. In 1964, the album earned Bill Evans his first “Grammy Award” for “Best Jazz Instrumental Album”.

Personnel:

  • Bill Evans – piano (multi-tracked)

Track listing:

  1. Round Midnight – Thelonious Monk
  2. How About You – Burton Lane, Ralph Freed
  3. Spartacus Love Theme – Alex North
  4. Blue Monk – Thelonious Monk
  5. Stella by Starlight – Victor Young, Ned Washington
  6. Hey There – Richard Adler, Jerry Ross
  7. N.Y.C.’s No Lark – Bill Evans
  8. Just You, Just Me – Jesse Greer, Raymond Klages

Billie Holiday: Stay With Me

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In July 1958, “Verve” label released “Stay with Me”, the ninth Billie Holiday album. It was recorded in February 1955, at “Fine Sound Studios” in New York, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Billie Holiday – vocals
  • Tony Scott and His Orchestra
  • Budd Johnson – tenor saxophone
  • Charlie Shavers – trumpet
  • Tony Scott – clarinet
  • Carl Drinkard – piano
  • Billy Taylor – piano
  • Billy Bauer – guitar
  • Leonard Gaskin – bass
  • Cozy Cole – drums
  • Leroy Lovett – arrangements

Track listing:

  1. I Wished on the Moon – Ralph Rainger, Dorothy Parker
  2. Ain’t Misbehavin’ – Fats Waller, Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf
  3. Everything Happens to Me – Tom Adair, Matt Dennis
  4. Say It Isn’t So – Irving Berlin
  5. I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm – Irving Berlin
  6. Always – Irving Berlin
  7. Do Nothing till You Hear from Me – Duke Ellington, Bob Russell

Bill Evans: Trio 64

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In July 1964, “Verve” label released “Trio 64”, the 23rd Bill Evans album. It was recorded in December 1963, at “Webster Hall” in New York City, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Bill Evans – piano
  • Gary Peacock – acoustic bass
  • Paul Motian – drums
  • Bob Simpson – engineer
  • Val Valentin – director of engineering
  • Jack Maher – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Little Lulu – Buddy Kaye, Sidney Lippman, Fred Wise
  2. A Sleepin’ Bee – Harold Arlen, Truman Capote
  3. Always – Irving Berlin
  4. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town – Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie
  5. I’ll See You Again – Noel Coward
  6. For Heaven’s Sake – Elise Bretton, Sherman Edwards, Donald Meyer
  7. Dancing in the Dark – Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz
  8. Everything Happens to Me – Tom Adair, Matt Dennis

Jimmy Giuffre: Fusion

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In June 1961, “Verve” label released “Fusion”, the 17th Jimmy Giuffre album. It was recorded in Maech 1961, at “Olmstead Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Jimmy Giuffre – clarinet
  • Paul Bley – piano
  • Steve Swallow – bass

Track listing:

All tracks by Jimmy Giuffre, except where noted.

  1. Scootin’ About
  2. Jesus Maria – Carla Bley
  3. Emphasis
  4. In the Mornings Out There – Carla Bley
  5. Cry, Want
  6. Trudgin’
  7. Used to Be
  8. Brief Hesitation
  9. Venture

Beatie Wolfe & Brian Eno: Luminal

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On June 6, 2025, “Verve” label released “Luminal”, album by Beatie Wolfe and Brian Eno. It was recorded in 2024, and was produced by Beatie Wolfe and Brian Eno.

Personnel:

  • Beatie Wolfe – vocals, guitars, omnichord, synthesizers, keys, melodica, design
  • Brian Eno – synthesizers, keys, slide guitar, bass, Omnichord, backing vocals
  • Dean Martin Hovey – mastering
  • Jeff Powell – lacquer cut
  • Nick Robertson – design

Track listing:

All tracks by Beatie Wolfe and Brian Eno.

  1. Milky Sleep
  2. Hopelessly at Ease
  3. My Lovely Day
  4. Play On
  5. Shhh
  6. Suddenly
  7. A Ceiling and a Lifeboat
  8. And Live Again
  9. Breath March
  10. Never Was It Now
  11. What We Are

Brian Eno & Beatie Wolfe: Lateral

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On June 6, 2025, “Verve” label released “Lateral”, album by Brian Eno and Beatie Wolfe. It was recorded in 2025, and was produced by Brian Eno and Beatie Wolfe.

Personnel:

  • Brian Eno – synthesizers, keyboards, design
  • Beatie Wolfe: guitars, synthesizers, keyboards, design
  • Dean Martin Hovey – mastering
  • Nick Robertson – design

Track listing:

All tracks by Beatie Wolfe and Brian Eno.

  1. Big Empty Country (Day)
  2. Big Empty Country (Night)

Joe Henderson: Lush Life: The Music Of Billy Strayhorn

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On February 18, 1992, “Verve” label released “Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn”, the 29th Joe Henderson album. It was recorded in September 1991, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Richard Seidel and Don Sickler.

Personnel:

  • Joe Henderson – tenor saxophone
  • Wynton Marsalis – trumpet
  • Stephen Scott – piano
  • Christian McBride – bass
  • Gregory Hutchinson – drums
  • Don Sickler – arrangements, transcription
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer, mixing
  • Maureen Sickler – engineer assistant 
  • Camille Tominaro – production assistant
  • Larry Offsey – design
  • William Claxton – photography
  • Susan Ragan – photography
  • Stanley Crouch – liner notes
  • Dean Pratt – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Billy Strayhorn except where noted.

  1. Isfahan – Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn
  2. Johnny Come Lately
  3. Blood Count
  4. Rain Check
  5. Lotus Blossom
  6. A Flower is a Lovesome Thing
  7. Take the ‘A’ Train
  8. Drawing Room Blues
  9. U.M.M.G. (Upper Manhattan Medical Group)
  10. Lush Life

Gerry Mulligan And Ben Webster: Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster

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In February 1960, “Verve” label released “Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster”, album by Gerry Mulligan and Ben Webster. It was recorded November – December 1959, and was produced by Norman Granz. The album, as a “classic album from two giants”, is featured in NPR’s “Basic Jazz Record Library”.

Personnel:

  • Gerry Mulligan – baritone saxophone
  • Ben Webster – tenor saxophone
  • Jimmy Rowles – piano
  • Leroy Vinnegar – double bass
  • Mel Lewis – drums
  • Phil Schaap – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Gerry Mulligan, except where noted.

  1. Chelsea Bridge – Billy Strayhorn
  2. The Cat Walk – Gerry Mulligan, Ben Webster
  3. Sunday – Chester Conn, Bennie Krueger, Nathan “Ned” Miller, Jule Styne
  4. Who’s Got Rhythm
  5. Tell Me When
  6. Go Home
  7. Sunday – Chester Conn, Bennie Krueger, Natha “Ned” Miller, Jule Styne

Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Swings Lightly

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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