Requisites

We Free Kings is a 1961 LP by the jazz multi-instrumentalist Roland Kirk. His quartet works through a set of bluesy post-bop numbers, with equal bop and soul. The cover photograph was shot by Marvin Glick and the album length is thirty-eight minutes and forty seconds.

To bring this project to fruition he utilized two different bassists and two different pianists. The personnel were: Roland Kirk on tenor saxophone, manzello, flute, stritch saxophone, Charlie Persip on drums, Richard Wyands on piano on tracks 3-5 & 9, Art Davis on double bass on tracks 3-5 & 9, Hank Jones on piano for tracks 1-2 & 6-8 and Wendell Marshall on bass for tracks 1-2 & 6-8.

All of the compositions are by Roland Kirk except track #2 which was composed by Sam Coslow and Arthur Johnston, and track #5 composed by Charlie Parker. The title track, a Kirk composition, is a variation on the Christmas carol “We Three Kings”.

The nine songs that follow were recorded in New York on August 16-17, 1961 for the Mercury record label. The CD editions of the album include a different version of  the Parker tune Blues for Alice.

Three for the Festival, Moon Song, A Sack Full of Soul, The Haunted Melody, Blues for Alice, We Free Kings, You Did It, You Did It, Some Kind of Love and My Delight.

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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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Maynard Ferguson Plays Jazz for Dancing is an album released by Canadian jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson featuring tracks recorded at Capitol Studios in New York City in early 1959 on February 23, 25, 26 and March 31. Ferguson contributed the second track, Where’s Teddy, on this originally released on the Roulette label.

This is a less than adventurous project for the trumpeter than his more jazz oriented sessions but it is a pleasing work purposely done. The album was produced by Teddy Reig and arrangements were written by Slide Hampton, Willie Maiden and Don Sebesky.

Compositions: Hey There, Where’s Teddy, If I Should Lose You, I’ll Be Seeing You, Tis Autumn, Secret Love, I’m Beginning to See the Light, It Might as Well Be Spring, Stompin’ at the Savoy, ‘Round Midnight and Soft Winds.

Personnel: Maynard Ferguson – trumpet, valve trombone, euphonium, Bill Chase, Don Ellis, Larry Moser – trumpet, Don Sebesky – trombone, bass trombone, Slide Hampton – trombone, Jimmy Ford – alto saxophone, Carmen Leggio, Willie Maiden – tenor saxophone, John Lanni – baritone saxophone, Bob Dogan – piano, Jimmy Rowser – bass, and Frankie Dunlop – drums.

 

 

 

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