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Porgy and Bess, subtitled Swingin’ Impressions by Hank Jones is an album recorded in 1958 for Capitol Records by pianist Hank Jones and released in 1959, the same year the movie was released starring Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr., Brock Peters and Pearl Bailey. It featured interpretations of music from George Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess.
On this session Hank is supported by bassit Milt Hinton, guitarist Kenny Burrell and his brother Elvin, the latter displaying a light touch of the drums to compliment his sibling’s crisp, minimalist piano approach to these compositions. The quartet are perfectly matched to enhancing the subdued, intimate feel of this unusually pared down production.
All ten compositions are by George Gershwin and are not received in the order of the original opera. Summertime, There’s a Boat Dat’s Leavin’ Soon for New York, My Man’s Gone Now, A Woman Is a Sometime Thing, Bess, You Is My Woman Now, It Ain’t Necessarily So, I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’, Oh, I Can’t Sit Down, Oh Bess, Oh Where’s My Bess? and I Ain’t Got No Shame.
This cool jazz recording session was produced were Dave Cavanaugh and Andy Wiswell. The illustration was created by Boyle and the liner notes were written by Edward Jablonski.
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Hammond B3 organist Richard “Groove” Holmes released his album A Bowl Of Soul in 1966 on the Valiant record label. The cover design was by Paul May. The session was produced by Nick Venet.
The original Soul-Jazz LP release seven compositions that featured four on Side A – A Bowl Of Soul, In The Dark, I’m Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town, Night Train, and on Side B – R.F.K. Flies Home, How Long How Long Blues and Roll ‘Em Pete.
An import CD reissue, of which this is the cover photo, includes the eight other songs that were recorded at the same sessions but not released. Blues For Big Fred, Please Send Me Someone To Love, Tobacco Road, See See Rider, Organ Grinder, I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water, Mean Old Frisco Blues and Your Red Wagon.
The album was the result of two sessions in March of 1964. The exact dates are unknown. Holmes was back on both sessions by an orchestra conducted and arranged by Onzy Matthews.
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Stan Getz Plays is a compilation album of previously released material by tenor saxophonist Stan Getz recorded in 1952 but wasn’t released until 1955 on the Norgran label. The album, however, features tracks (1,3-12) that were previously released on two 10-inch LPs on Clef Records, (13-14) originally released on Verve, and (15 & 16) previously released on MGN. Tracks 12-16 were bonus tracks on the CD reissue.
Stella By Starlight, Time on My Hands, Tis Autumn, The Way You Look Tonight, Lover, Come Back to Me, Body and Soul, Stars Fell On Alabama, You Turned The Tables On Me, Thanks For The Memory, Hymn Of The Orient, These Foolish Things, How Deep Is The Ocean?, Nobody Else But Me, Down By The Sycamore Tree, I Hadn’t Anyone Till You and With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair.
Recorded in New York City on December 12, 1952 (tracks 1-8) and December 29, 1952 (tracks 9-12). The Los Angeles, CA session was on January 23, 1954 (tracks 13-16). The album cover was designed by Tom Hughes and the photograph was taken by Phil Stern.
The personnel on these recording were: Stan Getz on tenor saxophone, with guitarist Jimmy Raney on tracks 1-12, pianists Duke Jordan on tracks 1-12 and Jimmy Rowles on tracks 13-16, Bill Crow on tracks 1-12 and Bob Whitlock on tracks 13-16 shared bass duties, and Frank Isola on tracks 1-12 and Max Roach on tracks 13-16 were the drummers.
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Like Someone In Love is a 1960 album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. It was recorded for the Blue Note label at the Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey and ran 39 minutes and 56 seconds. It was produced by Alfred Lion and the cover design was created by Reid Miles with photograph provided by Francis Wolff.
The title is taken from the popular song of the same name composed in 1944 by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was written (along with “Sleigh Ride in July”) for the 1944 film Belle of the Yukon, and has since become a jazz standard.
The personnel on this session were leader and drummer Art Blakey, Lee Morgan on trumpet and flugelhorn, tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Bobby Timmons and Jymie Merritt on bass.
The album was recorded in two sessions on August 7 (#3, 4, 6) and August 14 (#1, 2, 5), 1960 rendering the tunes Like Someone in Love, Johnny’s Blue (Morgan), Noise in the Attic (Shorter), Sleeping Dancer Sleep On (Shorter), Giantis (Shorter), and Sleeping Dancer Sleep On (Alternate Take and Bonus Track On CD).
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Introducing The Afro Blues Quintet Plus One is a 1965 recording on the Mira label. The photograph and cover design was by George Whiteman, exemplifies a typical 1960s post-exotica style. Active as a photographer-designer during the Sixties, he produced covers for both jazz and blues artists, such as Jimmy Reed and B.B. King.
An obscure album from an obscure Los Angeles, California based jazz combo, the surprise is finding how much it swings. Possible reasons: the youthful exuberance of its then-22-year-old leader and vibraphonist Joe De Aguero, the clever arrangements of standards and pop tunes, and the live recording (though no date or location is given).
Some reasons why, on the other hand, it’s not as good as it could be: a sameness to the arrangements (similar chord changes and runs in both “Liberation” and “Together” really stand out), soloing that never stakes its claim, missed opportunities to really add the “Afro” (read: African percussion) that makes up half of its name. The main ingredient here is a gospel swing that infects “Jericho” as well as an inventive take on “Walk On By.”
Young compiles on this recording the following eight compositions: Moses, Liberation, The Monkey Time, Summertime, Jericho, Walk On By, Together, and The “In” Crowd. Long out of print, this album is worth hunting down. #jazz #classic #collectible #music
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