Tag: Val Valentin
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The Blues Project, Archetypes, 1974 on MGM
Reissue of 1969’s The Best of the Blues Project, which was on Verve Forecast. There is a whole series of releases titled Archetypes from the mid-seventies on MGM – not sure if they are all reissues or not. Other artists in the MGM Archetype Series are: Charlie Parker, Tim Hardin, Billy Holiday, Blues Project, Velvet…
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Sarah Vaughan, Duke Ellington: Song Book One, 1980 on Pablo Today
First of two records of Sarah Vaughan doing Duke Ellington songs recorded in 1979 and released in 1980 (there is a Song Book Two, also released in 1980). Produced by Norman Granz, and engineered by Val Valentin and Bob Simpson. Supporting artists include Waymon Reed (trumpet), J. J. Johnson (trombone), Frank Foster (tenor sax), Frank…
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Count Basie and Oscar Peterson, Night Rider, 1980 on Pablo
One of my favorite Pablo records, bringing together two legends: Count Basie and Oscar Peterson, with support from Louis Bellson and John Heard. Produced by Norman Granz and engineered by Val Valentin, with liner notes by Nat Hentoff. Basie plays organ on “Memories of You” and Peterson plays electric piano on “Blues for Pamela.” The…
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Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington, Ella at Duke’s Place, 1966 on Verve
The album is divided between “The Pretty, The Lovely, The Tender, The Hold-Me-Close Side” and “The Finger-Snapping, Head-Shaking, Toe-Tapping, Go-For-Yourself Side.” Recorded by Val Valentin and produced by Norman Granz (those are his black & white photos), this is Verve at its mid-60s best. In addition to Ellington and Fitzgerald, personnel included Louis Bellson on…
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Coleman Hawkins, Sirius, 1974 on Pablo
Recorded by Val Valentin December 1966 but released posthumously in 1974 (Hawkins died in 1969). Produced by Norman Granz, with liner notes by Benny Green: This is the album which none of us ever wanted to hear, the last milestone on that long fascinating road which stretches back to the day in 1922 when, as…
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Oscar Peterson Trio, We Get Requests, 1964 on Verve.
Oscar Peterson Trio, We Get Requests, 1964 on Verve. Last of Peterson’s Verve output, recorded at RCA Studios in NYC in 1964, with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen.