#norman granz

[arterrorist]

Whole lotta Pablo Records

This last label created by Norman Granz is a goldmine for highest quality mainstream jazz ✨

[odk-2]

Joe Williams w/ The Count Basie Orchestra - All Right, OK, You Win (1955) Mayme Watts / Sid Wyche from: "Count Basie Swings • Joe Williams Sings" (LP)

Big Band | Swing | Mainstream Jazz | Jazz Vocal

JukeHostUK (left click = play) (320kbps)

Album Personnel: Joe Williams: Vocals Count Basie: Piano / Conductor

Henry Coker: Trombone Benny Powell: Trombone Bill Hughes: Trombone

Wendell Culley: Trumpet Reunald Jones: Trumpet Joe Newman: Trumpet

Thad Jones: Cornet

Frank Foster: Tenor Saxophone Charlie Fowlkes: Baritone Saxophone Bill Graham: Alto Saxophone Marshal Royal: Clarinet / Alto Saxophone Frank Wess: Flute / Tenor Saxophone

Freddie Green: Guitar

Eddie Jones: Double Bass

Sonny Payne: Drums

Edgar Sampson: Arranger Ernie Wilkins: Arranger

Produced by Norman Granz

Recorded: in New York City on July 26 and 27, 1955

1957 Release:

[strathshepard]

The Flip Phillips Quartet   (1950, Mercury 25023, 10" LP; design by David Stone Martin)

[panicinthestudio]

Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - “Cheek To Cheek”, Ella and Louis, 1956 

Producer: Norman Granz 

Double Bass: Ray Brown

Guitar: Herb Ellis 

Piano: Oscar Peterson

Drums: Buddy Rich 

Recording Arranger, Conductor: Buddy Bregman 

Vocals, Trumpet: Louis Armstrong 

Vocals: Ella Fitzgerald 

Composer & Lyricist: Irving Berlin

Adapter: Hugo Cipolatti 

[jazzdailyblog]

Charlie Shavers: A Trumpet Virtuoso and Jazz Pioneer

Introduction: Charlie Shavers was an extraordinary trumpeter whose remarkable skill, creativity, and versatility made him a significant figure in the history of jazz. Throughout his career, Shavers played with some of the most influential bands and musicians of his time, leaving an indelible mark on the jazz world. This blog post delves into Shavers’ life, his contributions to jazz, and his…

[missellafitz]

😒 Norman Granz.

We could've had an Ella and Frank album, but he let his ego squash it. I'm not gonna argue that Sinatra couldn't be an asshole, but Norman was one too. Looks like he met his match in Frank.

On the race thing, I will say this. Ella and Basie were born and raised in the United States and knew full well when someone was racist. They were not some children who couldn't defend themselves or who were ignorant to abuse. That Ella looked forward to working with Frank and that Basie and Frank collaborated so often shows that while Frank may have been inappropriate with his humor, he wasn't racist.

[princessnamora]

How Marilyn Monroe changed Ella Fitzgerald’s life

If asked “Who played an important role in the musical career of Ella Fitzgerald?” you might respond with names like Chick Webb, Louis Armstrong, Norman Granz, and Dizzy Gillespie.

The name Marilyn Monroe (who passed away 50 years ago this August), however, might not come to mind.

While touring in the ’50s under the management of Norman Granz, Ella, like many African-American musicians at the time, faced significant adversity because of her race, especially in the Jim Crow states. Granz was a huge proponent of civil rights, and insisted that all of his musicians be treated equally at hotels and venues, regardless of race.

Despite his efforts, there were many roadblocks and hurdles put in to place, especially for some of the more popular African-American artists. Here is one story of Ella’s struggles (as written in chicagojazz.com):

Once, while in Dallas touring for the Philharmonic, a police squad irritated by Norman’s principles barged backstage to hassle the performers. They came into Ella’s dressing room, where band members Dizzy Gillespie and Illinois Jacquet were shooting dice, and arrested everyone. “They took us down,” Ella later recalled, “and then when we got there, they had the nerve to ask for an autograph.”

Across the country, black musicians, regardless of popularity, were often limited to small nightclubs, having to enter through the back of the house. Similar treatment was common at restaurants and hotels.

Enter Marilyn Monroe

During the ’50s, one of the most popular venues was Mocambo in Hollywood. Frank Sinatra made his Los Angeles debut at Mocambo in 1943, and it was frequented by the likes of Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Lana Turner.

Ella Fitzgerald was not allowed to play at Mocambo because of her race. Then, one of Ella’s biggest fans made a telephone call that quite possibly changed the path of her career for good. Here, Ella tells the story of how Marilyn Monroe changed her life:

“I owe Marilyn Monroe a real debt … she personally called the owner of the Mocambo, and told him she wanted me booked immediately, and if he would do it, she would take a front table every night. She told him – and it was true, due to Marilyn’s superstar status – that the press would go wild. The owner said yes, and Marilyn was there, front table, every night. The press went overboard. After that, I never had to play a small jazz club again. She was an unusual woman – a little ahead of her times. And she didn’t know it.”

Learning from Ella

Ella had an influence on Marilyn as well. Monroe’s singing had a tendency to be overshadowed by dress-lifting gusts of wind and the flirtatious “Happy Birthday, Mr. President,” not to mentions her movies and marriage to Joe DiMaggio. But years prior to the Mocambo phone call, Monroe was studying the recordings of Ella.

In fact, it was rumored that a vocal coach of Monroe instructed her to purchase Fitzgerald’s recordings of Gershwin music, and listen to it 100 times in a row.

Continued study of Ella actually turned Marilyn into a relatively solid singer for about a decade, but again became overlooked as her famous birthday tribute song to JFK in 1962 ends up being the vocal performance that is widely remembered.

Source: How Marilyn Monroe changed Ella Fitzgerald’s life – Groove Notes by KNKX

@hotvintagepoll

[usnatarchives]

Promo photo for Jazz at the Philharmonic Concert in Paris 1957, NARA ID 20012478.

#OTD 1934: Ella Fitzgerald Debuts at Amateur Night at the Apollo! First Lady of Song AND Civil Rights activist By Miriam Kleiman, Public Affairs

On the evening of November 21, 1934, 17 year-old Ella Fitzgerald took the stage on Amateur Night at Harlem’s Apollo Theater and launched her longtime career as the “First Lady of Song.” She sang for presidents, was the first Black woman to win a Grammy (she won 13 Grammy awards) and sold over 40 million albums. 

She was also a Civil Rights activist who used her talent to break racial barriers. In recognition of her work she was awarded the NAACP Equal Justice Award and the American Black Achievement Award. The National Archives holds records documenting the discrimination she faced -- and fought.

Ella Fitzgerald et al v. Pan Am: Racism or “honest mistake”? On tour in 1954 en route to a concert in Australia she was denied the right to board a Pan American flight. She had to spend three days in Hawaii before other transportation to Australia could be secured, and she missed her concert dates.

She sued Pan Am, claiming racism and seeking financial compensation. Pan Am claimed it was “an honest mistake” due to a reservation mix-up. The district judge dismissed the complaint, but the plaintiffs appealed. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed that decision, ruling in favor of the plaintiffs.

New York Times, 12/31/1954.

Complaint, Ella Fitzgerald, John Lewis, Georgiana Henry, and Norman Granz v. Pan American, Inc., 12/23/1954 Records of U.S. District Courts NARA ID 2641486.

Ella Fitzgerald Performs at Birthday Salute to JFK at Madison Square Garden 5/19/1962, JFK Library ID ST-212-15-62.

President Gerald R. Ford and First Lady Betty Ford with Ella Fitzgerald at White House Bicentennial concert 6/20/1976, Ford Library, NARA ID 7840021.

Ella Fitzgerald Performs at the White House State Dinner for King Juan Carlos I of Spain, 10/13/1981, Reagan Library, NARA ID 75855955.

More online:

See the complaint in the Documented Rights online exhibit under “Challenging Discrimination.”

DocsTeach: Complaint in the Case of Fitzgerald v. Pan American Airways, 12/23/1954

DocsTeach: Judgment in the Case of Fitzgerald v. Pan American World Airways, 1/26/1956.

Hear Fitzgerald discuss this incident, the lawsuit, and her legal victory: Ella Fitzgerald kicked off a plane because of her race: CBC Archives.

[blackfolksintime]

Jammin' the Blues is a 1944 American short film made by Gjon Mili and Norman Granz in which a number of prominent jazz musicians re-create the jam-session atmosphere of nightclubs and after-hours spots. It features Lester Young, Red Callender, Harry Edison, Marlowe Morris, Sid Catlett, Barney Kessel, Jo Jones, John Simmons, Illinois Jacquet, Marie Bryant and Archie Savage. (part 2)

[odk-2]

Harry Edison - Pussy Willow (1958) Harry Edison from: "The Swinger" (LP) "The Swinger: 1958 Archive" (2009 CD Reissue)

Jazz

JukeHostUK (left click = play) (320kbps)

Personnel: Harry 'Sweets' Edison: Trumpet Jimmy Forrest: Tenor Saxophone Jimmy Jones: Piano Freddie Green: Guitar Joe Benjamin: Bass Charlie Persip: Drums

Produced by Norman Granz

Recorded: @ The Nola Recording Studios in New York City, New York USA on September 18, 1958

Album Released: 1959

Verve Records

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Art Tatum :: Tenderly

+

Song of the Day - “Tenderly”

70 years ago today, December 29th, 1953, the brilliant piano man Art Tatum had an impressive recording session.

Tatum, who was universally seen as a genius pianist, never seemed to have a successful career commercially. He always worked, and is cited by most every other piano player of the era as being a teacher and an inspiration. But he just never had a career commensurate with that stature.

Tatum also had a terribly unhealthy lifestyle, drinking vast quantities of beer while only exercising enough to get himself from one club to the next. By 1953, Tatum’s kidneys had started to fail.

But the smart impresario producer Norman Granz decided to do right by Tatum, by at least immortalizing him forever on record. He signed Tatum to one of his labels, Clef Records, and on December 29th, 1953, booked Tatum a studio, open-endedly, put a few cases of Pabst on ice, and told Tatum he wanted to record his entire repertoire… or really just whatever the heck Tatum felt like putting down. Tatum obliged with recording an astonishing sixty-nine acceptable tracks - by midday.

One of the tracks was this one, “Tenderly”, which was composed as a waltz by Water Gross, a pianist and a conductor at CBS Radio in the 30s and 40s. Years later, the lyricist Jack Lawrence added the lyrics. But Gross always said the song was meant as “pianistic” and that Tatum’s performance of it was/is the ultimate interpretation ever.

This is classic Art Tatum, who really may indeed “own” “Tenderly”…

The album Granz made out of this day of tracks recorded, was titled “Tenderly”… and the whole album is sublime, all standards… each one outdoing the last… On the other tracks, Granz added in sidefolk - some drums and bass… But “Tenderly” needed none…

[Thanks to Mary Elaine LeBey]

[jazzandother-blog]

Bootleg of John Coltrane 4tet + Eric Dolphy in Copenhagen 1961

(English / Español)

Without a doubt, saxophonist John Coltrane's band after he left trumpeter Miles Davis in 1960 is one of the defining groups of jazz, and for the year or so during which multi- instrumentalist Eric Dolphy joined Coltrane on reeds, the band became a phrenic and frenetic powerhouse that shook jazz to its core. Between Dolphy's piercingly distinct sound and Coltrane's newly developed interest in Eastern modalities, as well as the driving force of one of the all-time great rhythm sections—pianist McCoy Tyner, drummer Elvin Jones, and bassists Jimmy Garrison or Reggie Workman—this was a band to reckon with.

Recorded on November 20, 1961, mere weeks after the legendary Village Vanguard sessions that got critics' dander up, this album finds the quintet at the Falkonercenter in Copenhagen, playing the first part of a sold-out two act bill (the second act was trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie's band: what a concert!). Here, Workman is still holding down the bass chair, though Jimmy Garrison had likely won himself the spot for future iterations of the Coltrane band with his performance on "Chasin' The Trane" back in New York. Previously made available on vinyl, but only just released in a complete CD form with announcements by presenter Norman Granz, this is a must-have for Coltrane or Dolphy completists.

The album boasts two curiosities that distinguish it from all the other Coltrane recordings available in the marketplace. The first, a pair of rare false starts on "My Favorite Things," prompting an apology from the ever mild-mannered Coltrane to the audience, will likely only interest the true die-hard fan. But a version of Victor Young's beautiful "Delilah," purported to be the only version of the song that Coltrane or Dolphy ever recorded, is a deluxe addition to any fan's collection.

Without a doubt, this would have been an astonishing performance to witness. While Coltrane, Dolphy and McCoy are fantastic as always, part of the pleasure of hearing this band is in the seemingly telepathic give and take between all players. Hearing Coltrane's fire with only hints of the sparks that Elvin Jones is lighting behind him isn't the complete experience. That being said, it's still a lot better than most of what's out there.

Tracks: Announcement by Norman Granz; Delilah; Every Time We Say Goodbye; Impressions; Naima; My Favorite Things (false starts); Announcement by John Coltrane; My Favorite Things.

Personnel: John Coltrane: tenor and soprano saxophones; Eric Dolphy: alto saxophone, flute, bass clarinet; McCoy Tyner: piano; Reggie Workman: bass; Elvin Jones: drums.

Extract text from: allaboutjazz.com / By Warren Allen

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Sin lugar a dudas, la banda del saxofonista John Coltrane tras su marcha del trompetista Miles Davis en 1960 es uno de los grupos que definen el jazz, y durante el año en que el multiinstrumentista Eric Dolphy se unió a Coltrane en las cañas, la banda se convirtió en una potencia frenética que sacudió el jazz hasta sus cimientos. Entre el sonido penetrantemente distintivo de Dolphy y el nuevo interés de Coltrane por las modalidades orientales, así como la fuerza motriz de una de las mejores secciones rítmicas de todos los tiempos -el pianista McCoy Tyner, el batería Elvin Jones y los bajistas Jimmy Garrison o Reggie Workman-, ésta era una banda a tener en cuenta.

Grabado el 20 de noviembre de 1961, pocas semanas después de las legendarias sesiones del Village Vanguard que levantaron la polvareda de la crítica, este álbum presenta al quinteto en el Falkonercenter de Copenhague, tocando la primera parte de un programa de dos actos con las entradas agotadas (el segundo acto fue la banda del trompetista Dizzy Gillespie: ¡menudo concierto!). Aquí, Workman sigue ocupando la silla del bajo, aunque Jimmy Garrison probablemente se había ganado el puesto para futuras iteraciones de la banda de Coltrane con su actuación en "Chasin' The Trane" en Nueva York. Anteriormente disponible en vinilo, pero recién editado en CD completo con anuncios del presentador Norman Granz, es un disco imprescindible para los completistas de Coltrane o Dolphy.

El álbum cuenta con dos curiosidades que lo distinguen de todas las demás grabaciones de Coltrane disponibles en el mercado. La primera, un par de raras salidas en falso en "My Favorite Things", que provocaron una disculpa del siempre apacible Coltrane al público, probablemente sólo interesará a los verdaderos fans acérrimos. Pero una versión de la hermosa "Delilah" de Victor Young, que se supone que es la única versión de la canción que Coltrane o Dolphy grabaron jamás, es una adición de lujo a la colección de cualquier fan.

Sin duda, habría sido una actuación asombrosa. Aunque Coltrane, Dolphy y McCoy están fantásticos como siempre, parte del placer de escuchar a esta banda está en el toma y daca aparentemente telepático entre todos los músicos. Escuchar el fuego de Coltrane con sólo indicios de las chispas que Elvin Jones enciende tras él no es la experiencia completa. Dicho esto, sigue siendo mucho mejor que la mayoría de lo que hay en el mercado.

[projazznet]

Gene Krupa And Buddy Rich – Krupa And Rich

Krupa and Rich is a 1956 studio album by jazz drummers Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, released on Norman Granz’ Clef Records. Krupa and Rich play on two different tracks each and play together only on “Bernie’s Tune.”

Gene Krupa – drums Buddy Rich – drums Oscar Peterson – piano Ray Brown – double bass Herb Ellis – guitar Roy Eldridge – trumpet Dizzy Gillespie – trumpet Illinois Jacquet – tenor saxophone Flip Phillips – tenor saxophone, clarinet

[jazzdailyblog]

Hank Jones: A Lifetime of Jazz Excellence

Introduction: Hank Jones, born one hundred and six years ago today on July 31, 1918, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, was a prolific American jazz pianist and bandleader whose career spanned over seven decades. Known for his elegant playing style, impeccable technique, and versatility, Jones left an indelible mark on the world of jazz. This blog post delves into his life, career, and legacy,…

[missellafitz]

“Ella worked with Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Nelson Riddle,” Morris Rosman said, but never recorded with Frank Sinatra because at the time it wasn’t approved for a black and white singer to do a duet."

First and foremost, they recorded the duet "Necessity" in 1954.

Second, did they plan to record romantic songs? I think "Going Out of My Head" is quite romantic, and we know they were planning to put that song on their album in 1967.

Either way, this statement doesn't seem right to me, and I'd bet my bottom dollar that Ella said this as some kind of diversion from the truth (my theory being that Norman hated Frank because he was in love with Ella but knew Frank and Ella had been having an affair for a long while).

*Also (based on the tag), she recorded several duets with Bing Crosby in the 40s and 50s. So, yeah, this makes no sense (and I love it!!!)

*Another also, on the 1958 episode of The Frank Sinatra Show, where Ella guest starred he literally said (which was scripted) "I sure am a big fan of yours, and I don't know, maybe, why don't we make an album together?" I will say this for Sinatra. The man would've moved heaven and earth to make the album with her if it was discouraged for racial reasons. He was a wonderful contrarian in that way. And let's not forget that his one regret of his career was not recording an album with Ella. Beyond the Norman and Frank feud, apparently, Capitol and Reprise never could come to an agreement in terms of recording times for contractual reasons.

From: https://www.circlingthenews.com/palisadian-morris-rosman-recounts-the-life-of-a-remarkable-woman-ella-fitzgerald/