Tag Archives: Willie Ruff

McCoy Tyner: Song Of The New World

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In July 1973, “Milestone” label released “Song of the New World”, the 17th McCoy Tyner album. It was recorded in April 1973, at “A&R Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Orrin Keepnews.

Personnel:

  • McCoy Tyner: piano, percussion
  • Sonny Fortune: alto and soprano saxophone, flute
  • Cecil Bridgewater: trumpet 
  • Jon Faddis: trumpet
  • Virgil Jones: trumpet
  • Garnett Brown: trombone 
  • Dick Griffin: trombone, baritone trombone
  • Willie Ruff: French horn
  • William Warnick III: French horn
  • Julius Watkins: French horn
  • Kiane Zawadi: euphonium 
  • Bob Stewart: tuba 
  • Hubert Laws: piccolo, flute
  • Harry Smyle: oboe 
  • Joony Booth: bass
  • Alphonse Mouzon: drums
  • Sonny Morgan: conga drums
  • Sanford Allen: violin
  • John Blair: violin
  • Selwart Clarke: violin
  • Winston Collymore: violin
  • Noel DaCosta: violin
  • Marie Hence: violin
  • Julian Barber: viola
  • Alfred Brown: viola
  • Ronald Lipscomb: cello
  • Kermit Moore: cello
  • William Fischer: conductor 

Track listing:

  1. Afro Blue – Mongo Santamaría
  2. Little Brother
  3. The Divine Love
  4. Some Day
  5. Song of the New World

Miles Davis: Porgy And Bess

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On March 9, 1959, “Columbia” label released “Porgy and Bess”, album by Miles Davis. It was recorded July – August 1958, at “Columbia 30th Street” in New York City, and was produced by Cal Lampley.

Personnel:

  • Miles Davis – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Cannonball Adderley – alto saxophone
  • Ernie Royal, Bernie Glow, Johnny Coles, Louis Mucci – trumpet
  • Dick Hixon, Frank Rehak, Jimmy Cleveland, Joe Bennett – trombone
  • Willie Ruff, Julius Watkins, Gunther Schuller – horn
  • Bill Barber – tuba
  • Phil Bodner, Jerome Richardson, Romeo Penque – flute, alto flute, clarinet
  • Danny Bank – alto flute, bass flute, bass clarinet
  • Paul Chambers – bass
  • Philly Joe Jones – drums
  • Jimmy Cobb – drums
  • Gil Evans – arrangements, conductor
  • Frank Laico – recording
  • Roy DeCarava – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by George Gershwin, except where noted.

  1. Buzzard Song
  2. Bess, You Is My Woman Now
  3. Gone – Gil Evans
  4. Gone, Gone, Gone
  5. Summertime
  6. Oh Bess, Oh Where’s My Bess
  7. Prayer (Oh Doctor Jesus)
  8. Fisherman, Strawberry and Devil Crab
  9. My Man’s Gone Now
  10. It Ain’t Necessarily So
  11. Here Come de Honey Man
  12. I Wants to Stay Here (a.k.a. I Loves You, Porgy)
  13. There’s a Boat That’s Leaving Soon for New York

Gil Evans: Gil Evans & Ten

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In March 1958, “Prestige” label released “Gil Evans & Ten”, the debut Gil Evans album. It was recorded September – October 1957, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Bob Weinstock.

Personnel:

  • Gil Evans – piano
  • Steve Lacy – soprano saxophone
  • Lee Konitz – alto saxophone
  • Jack Koven – trumpet
  • John Carisi – trumpet
  • Louis Mucci – trumpet
  • Jimmy Cleveland – trombone
  • Bart Varsalona – bass trombone
  • Willie Ruff – French horn
  • Dave Kurtzer – bassoon
  • Paul Chambers – bass
  • Jo Jones – drums
  • Nick Stabulas – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording
  • Mark Rice – design
  • Bob Weinstock – supervision

Track listing:

  1. Remember – Irving Berlin
  2. Ella Speed – Lead Belly (Huddie Ledbetter), Alan Lomax
  3. Big Stuff – Leonard Bernstein
  4. Nobody’s Heart – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  5. Just One of Those Things – Cole Porter
  6. If You Could See Me Now – Tadd Dameron, Carl Sigman
  7. Jambangle – Gil Evans

Shuggie Otis: Here Comes Shuggie Otis

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On August 25, 1970, “Epic” label released “Here Comes Shuggie Otis”, the debut Shuggie Otis studio album. It was recorded in 1969, and was produced by Johhny Otis.

Personnel:

  • Shuggie Otis – lead and backing vocals, guitar, piano, harpsichord, organ, celesta
  • Johnny Otis – piano, harpsichord, celesta, timpani, percussion
  • Leon Haywood – organ
  • Ray Johnson – piano
  • Al McKibbon – string bass
  • Wilton Felder – bass, harpsichord, celesta
  • Stix Hooper, Abe Mills, Paul Lagos – drums
  • Jim Horn, Plas Johnson, Preston Love, Hank Jernigan, Jack Kelso – saxophone
  • Bob Mitchell, Melvin Moore – trumpet
  • Gene “Mighty Flea” Conners – trombone
  • Richard Mackey, Willie Ruff – French horn
  • Preston Love, Jack Kelso, Hank Jernigan – flute
  • Marilyn Baker, Rollice Dale – violin
  • Hyman Gold, Irving Lipschultz – cello
  • Eunice Wennermark, Ginger Smock, Isadore Roman, Joe Lichter – strings
  • Rafael O. Valentin – engineer
  • Pete Welding – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Oxford Gray – Johnny Otis, Shuggie Otis
  2. Jennie Lee – Wilton Felder, Johnny Otis, Shuggie Otis
  3. Bootie Cooler – Johnny Otis, Shuggie Otis
  4. Knowing (That You Want Him) – Johnny Otis
  5. Funky Thithee – Johnny Otis, Shuggie Otis
  6. Shuggie’s Boogie – Johnny Otis, Shuggie Otis
  7. Hurricane – Johhny Otis, Shuggie Otis
  8. Gospel Groove – Johnny Otis, Shuggie Otis
  9. Baby, I Needed You – Johnny Otis, Shuggie Otis
  10. Hawkins – Johnny Otis, Shuggie Otis

Miles Davis: Miles Ahead

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On October 21, 1957, “Columbia” label released “Miles Ahead”, the second Miles Davis album for this label. It was recorded May 6, 10, 23, 27 – August 22, 1957, at “Columbia 30th Street Studio” in New York City, and was produced by George Avakian and Cal Lampley.

Personnel:

  • Miles Davis – flugelhorn
  • Gil Evans– arrangements, conductor
  • Bernie Glow– lead trumpet
  • Ernie Royal, Louis Mucci, Taft Jordan, John Carisi– trumpet
  • Frank Rehak, Jimmy Cleveland, Joe Bennett – trombone
  • Tom Mitchell – bass trombone
  • Willie Ruff, Tony Miranda, Jim Buffington – French horn
  • Bill Barber– tuba
  • Lee Konitz– alto sax
  • Danny Bank– bass clarinet
  • Romeo Penque, Sid Cooper – flute, clarinet
  • Wynton Kelly- piano
  • Paul Chambers– double bass
  • Art Taylor– drums

Track listing:

  1. Springsville – John Carisi
  2. The Maids of Cadiz – Léo Delibes
  3. The Duke – Dave Brubeck
  4. My Ship – Kurt Weill
  5. Miles Ahead – Miles Davis, Gil Evans
  6. Blues for Pablo – Gil Evans
  7. New Rhumba – Ahmad Jamal
  8. Medley Pt. 1: The Meaning of the Blues – Bobby Troup, Leah Worth
  9. Medley Pt. 2: Lament – J. Johnson
  10. I Don’t Wanna Be Kissed (By Anyone but You) – Jack Elliot, Harold Spina

Dizzy Gillespie

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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.

Leonard Cohen: The Songs of Leonard Cohen

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Songs of Leonard Cohen

On December 27, 1967, “Columbia” label released “Songs of Leonard Cohen”, the debut Leonard Cohen album. It was recorded in August 1967, at the “Columbia Studio E” in New York, and was produced by John Simon.

Personnel:

  • Leonard Cohen – vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Willie Ruff – bass
  • Jimmy Lovelace – drums
  • David Lindley, Chester Crill, Chris Darrow, Solomon Feldthouse – flute, mandolin, Jew’s harp, violin
  • Nancy Priddy – backing vocals
  • John Simon – music director, string arrangements

Track listing

All tracks by Leonard Cohen.

  1. Suzanne
  2. Master Song
  3. Winter Lady
  4. The Stranger Song
  5. Sisters of Mercy
  6. So Long, Marianne
  7. Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye
  8. Stories of the Street
  9. Teachers
  10. One of Us Cannot Be Wrong

The Doors: Other Voices

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The_Doors_-_Other_Voices

On October 18, 1971, “Elektra” label released “Other Voices”, the seventh Doors (The) studio album. It was recorded in 1971 and was produced by Bruce Botnick, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore. “Other Voices” was the first Doors album released following the death of Jim Morrison. The three remaining Doors members released the album in October, three months after Morrison’s death.

Personnel:

  • Ray Manzarek– vocals, keyboards
  • Robby Krieger– vocals, guitar, harmonica
  • John Densmore– drums
  • Jack Conrad – bass
  • Jerry Scheff– bass
  • Wolfgang Melz – bass
  • Ray Neapolitan – bass
  • Willie Ruff– acoustic bass
  • Francisco Aguabella– percussion
  • Emil Richards– marimba, kickshaws and whimwhams

Track listing:

  1. In the Eye of the Sun – Ray Manzarek
  2. Variety is the Spice of Life – Robby Krieger
  3. Ships / Sails – Robby Krieger, John Densmore
  4. Tightrope Ride – Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger
  5. Down on the Farm – Robby Krieger
  6. I’m Horny, I’m Stoned – Robby Krieger
  7. Wandering Musician – Robby Krieger
  8. Hang on to Your Life – Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger