Requisites

King Pleasure Sings, Annie Ross Sings is an album released in 1952, the same year Ross met Prestige Records owner Bob Weinstock, who asked her to write lyrics to a jazz solo, in a similar way to King Pleasure, a practice that would later be known as vocalese. The next day, she presented him with Twisted, a treatment of saxophonist Wardell Gray’s 1949 composition of the same name, a classic example of the genre. The song, first released on the 1952 album King Pleasure Sings/Annie Ross Sings, was an underground hit, and resulted in her winning DownBeat magazine’s New Star award.

The cover art design is by Marc Rice, the photographs were taken by Esmond Edwards and the liner notes were written by Ira Gitler. Of the twelve tunes that comprise the album, eight of them are King Pleasure’s, taking all of side A and two tracks on side B. the remaining four tracks belong to Annie Ross.

The track list is as follows for King Pleasure Sings: Red Top, Jumpin’ With Symphony Sid, Sometimes I’m Happy, This Is Always, What Can I Say Dear, Don’t Get Scared, Parker’s Mood and I’m Gone.

Annie Ross Sings four tracks are: Twisted, Farmer’s Market, The Time Was Right and Annie’s Lament.

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Ella Swings Lightly is an album released in 1958 by Ella Fitzgerald for Verve Records. Recorded on November 23rd and 24th with the Marty Paich Dek-tette, the 58:34 minute long session was produced by Norman Granz. Sheldon Marks created the cover design with photography by Phil Stern..

Comprised of sixteen jazz and musical standards of the day Side 1 featured Little White Lies, You Hit The Spot, What’s Your Story Morning Glory, Just You Just Me, As Long As I Live, Teardrops From My Eyes, Gotta Be This Or That and Moonlight On The Ganges. The first track on Side 2 is My Kind Of Lover, followed by Blues In The Night, If I Were A Bell, You’re An Old Smoothie, Little Jazz, You Brought A New kind Of Love To Me, Knock Me A Kiss and 720 In The Books.

Verve offered four bonus tracks on the CD reissue which are Oh What A Night To Love, Little Jazz (Alternate Take), Dreams Are Made For Children (Previously Unreleased) and Oh What A Night For Love (45 rpm 7” Single Version)

The Dek-tette brought in Bud Shank (alto sax), Bill Holman (tenor sax),Med Flory (baritone sax), Lou Levy (piano), Joe Mondragon (bass), Mel Lewis (drums), Don Fagerquist, Al Porcino (trumpet), Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone, tenor sax) and Vincent DeRosa (French horn).

The album won Ella the 1960 Grammy award for Best Improvised Jazz Solo.

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Alexandria The Great was recorded in 1964 by vocalist Lorez Alexandria and released and distributed on the MCA Impulse! label. Emerging from the Los Angeles, California studio, this now classic recording sessions, three, each with a different group of musicians, rendered ten songs for a total time of 36:25, proving that greatness does not require length.

The compositions are a group of standards that we’ve heard time and again but not in the emotive manner that Lorez relates. This album reflects her soulful, playful and swinging sides with a hint of her gospel roots. Her ballads remind of us how good love is as she speaks to our hearts of relationships new and old.

The songs are listed as: Show Me, I’ve Never Been in Love Before, Satin Doll, My One and Only Love, Over the Rainbow, Get Me to the Church On Time, The Best Is Yet to Come, I’ve Grown Accustomed to His Face, Give Me the Simple Life and I’m Through With Love.

Along with vocals added finger snaps and contributing to the liner notes, her musical colleagues included Paul Chambers on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, Ray Crawford on guitar, Victor Feldman on piano and vibraphone, Paul Horn on flute and alto saxophone, Wynton Kelly on piano, Al McKibbon on bass and Bud Shank on flute.

Session and design personnel were Tutti Camarata/producer and original recording producer, Bill Marx/arranger, Ken Druker/executive producer, Mark Cooper Smith/production assistant, Sherniece Smith/art producer, Bob Thiele/producer & liner notes, Joe Lebow/liner design, Hideaki Nishimura/mastering, Hollis King/art direction, Bryan Koniarz/producer, Roger Marshutz/photography and cover photo, and Robert Flynn did the cover design.

Though Lorez Alexandria never received her due as a jazz singer, probably due in part to her long layoff from recording for 11 years. This, however, is an excellent introduction to a fine vocalist worthy of much wider recognition.

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The Morning Of The Musicians was composed, arranged, produced and recorded by Brazilian guitarist Gay Vaquer on the RCA label in 1972. The photograph was taken by Enrico Neckheim and the cover design was by Joselito.

The album was comprised of seven compositions totaling a time of 34 minutes and 01 seconds. Side A consisted of 5:20, Peoples Blues, A Cybernetic Tragedy and Dimensions, and Side B is Awakening In Absolution Elsewhere, Fantastic Realism and Da Capo Al Fine.

The personnel on the recording session were Gay Vaquer on acoustic and electric guitar, Novelli on acoustic bass, drummer Bill French, percussionist Everaldo Ferreira, Paulo Moura on flute, alto and soprano saxophone, keyboardist Luiz Eça and vocals by Jane Vaquer.

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Are You Glad to Be in America? is an album by guitarist James Blood Ulmer recorded at the RCA Studios, New York City on January 17, 1980. It was originally released on the Rough Trade label in the UK in 1980, produced by Ulmer, with himself, Geoff Travis, Roger Trilling, and Mayo Thompson credited with the mix.

James Blood Ulmer composed all the songs on the album which include Layout, Pressure, Interview, Jazz Is the Teacher (Funk the Preacher), See-Through, Time Out, T.V. Blues, Light Eyed, Revelation March and the title track Are You Glad to Be in America?.

The musicians present during the recording session were James Blood Ulmer on guitar and vocals, David Murray on tenor saxophone, Oliver Lake – alto saxophone, Olu Dara – trumpet, Billy Patterson – rhythm guitar (track 4), Amin Ali – electric bass, and G. Calvin Weston or Ronald Shannon Jackson on drums.

A remixed version, credited to Ulmer and Bob Blank, was released by the Artists House label in the US in 1981. The album was released on CD with a new third mix by Joe Ferla, approved by Ulmer, on the Japanese DIW label in 1999.

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