Bethlehem – BCP-36Rec. Date : September 18, 1955Stream this Album Tenor Sax : Dexter GordonBass : Leroy VinnegarDrums : Lawrence MarablePiano : Kenny Drew Billboard : 11/24/1956Score of 78 Gordon plays some top-flight, Lester Young-inspired tenor here, with a more robust sound than that of the master or most of his other disciples. It’s not too original, but it swings,…
Bethlehem – 6005Rec. Dates : February 7 & 8, 1956Stream this Album Orchestra : Duke Ellington’s Orchestra Billboard : 12/8/1956Score of 83 These sides were cut in February, 1956, and are representative of what the Ellington band has been doing this year. There have been greater Ellington ensembles and greater individual soloists in his organization, but measured…
Clef – MG C-708Rec. Date : December 27, 1955Stream this Album Piano : Oscar PetersonBass : Ray BrownDrums : Buddy RichGuitar : Herb Ellis Billboard : 05/19/1956Score of 80 Peterson salutes Basie, the composer, pianist and bandsman by building a program on numbers long associated with the band (e.g., Lester Leaps In and Easy Does It). Peterson even adopts the “Count’s” sparse piano styling…
Clef – MG C-721Rec. Dates : September 3, 1954, June 6, 1956, June 7, 1956Stream this Album Vocals : Billie HolidayAlto Sax : Willie SmithArrangements : Tony ScottBass : Red Callender, Aaron BellClarinet : Tony ScottDrums : Chico Hamilton, Lenny McBrowneGuitar : Barney Kessel, Kenny BurrellPiano : Bobby Tucker, Wynton KellyTenor Sax : Paul QuinichetteTrumpet : Harry Edison, Charlie Shavers Billboard : 12/22/1956Spotlight on… selection Lady Sings the Blues is…
Columbia – CL 883Rec. Date : September 19, 1955Stream this Album Piano : Erroll GarnerBass : Eddie CalhounDrums : Denzil Best Billboard : 08/18/1956Spotlight on… selection This package is the first Garner LP recoded while he was playing before a concert audience (at Carmel, Calif.). The pianist’s brilliant jazz technique and tender touch are showcased on a group…
Columbia – CL 934Rec. Date : July 7, 1956, July 9, 1956Stream this Album Orchestra : Duke Ellington’s Orchestra Billboard : 12/29/1956Spotlight on… selection Herein is the Ellington performance that stampeded last summer’s Newport Jazz Festival and brought the Duke back into the jazz picture, but good. The number that blew things apart was Diminuendo and Crescendo in…
Columbia – CL 897Rec. Dates : April 6, 1956, May 4, 1956Stream this Album Drums : Art BlakeyBass : Doug WatkinsPiano : Horace SilverTenor Sax : Hank MobleyTrumpet : Donald Byrd Billboard : 12/01/1956Spotlight on… selection The Messengers’ first Columbia album carries on in the brilliant, free-wheeling fashion that attracted so much critical admiration when they were on another label.…
Atlantic – 1247Rec. Date : August 28, 1956Stream this Album Vibes : Milt JacksonBass : Percy HeathClarinet : Jimmy GiuffreDrums : Connie KayPiano : John Lewis Billboard : 12/15/1956Spotlight on… selection This should be still another best-seller for the MJQ. The program is typical, except for the addition, on several tracks, of clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre. The cover is a stunning full-color…
Atlantic – 1238Rec. Dates : March 21, 1956, March 22, 1956Stream this Album Clarinet : Jimmy GiuffreAlto Clarinet : Buddy ColletteAlto Flute : Bud ShankBaritone Sax : Maury BermanBass : Ralph PeñaBass Clarinet : Harry KleeBass Flute : Harry KleeBassoon : Maury BermanCeleste : Jimmy RowlesDrums : Stan Levey, Shelly ManneEnglish Horn : Dave PellFlute : Buddy ColletteOboe : Bob CooperPiano : Jimmy RowlesTenor Sax :…
Atlantic – 1237Rec. Date : January 30, 1956Stream this Album Bass : Charlie MingusAlto Sax : Jackie McLeanDrums : Willie JonesPiano : Mal WaldronTenor Sax : J.R. Monterose Billboard : 8/25/1956Score of 77 In his first Atlantic LP, Mingus departs from the strict composter-imposed discipline of his “Composer Workshop” series. There is more of a conventional “jazz” feel and more improvisation. However,…
