Rah is a 1961 studio album by Mark Murphy, arranged by Ernie Wilkins.

This was Murphy's first Riverside Records album, and he is supported by an orchestra including Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Urbie Green, Ernie Royal, Clark Terry and Jimmy Cobb.

The Allmusic review by Eugene Chadbourne awarded the album four stars and said that Rah "has worn well over the years...On tracks such as "Green Dolphin Street," he dives into the rhythm with the relaxed calm of an expert. And when the result can be the harebrained complexity of "Twisted" or the funky timing of "Doodlin'," the wisdom of letting the experts handle the hard work has never been more apparent" - Wikipedia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeEUtsMb8eY&list=PLBJenJIJrq0xVf8a0yKtER53_16IpZ961&index=1

#MarkMurphy #ErnieWilkins #Riverside #BillEvans #WyntonKelly #UrbieGreen, #ErnieRoyal #ClarkTerry #JimmyCobb #vocaljazz

The Big Challenge is an album by trumpeter Cootie Williams and cornetist Rex Stewart, recorded in 1957 and released on the Jazztone label.

Scott Yanow of AllMusic states, "a fun and unusual Jazztone session. Six distinctive and very different veterans were teamed together ... the unique matchups are very successful. Each of the musicians has an opportunity to be featured and the tradeoffs are quite memorable. A colorful gem." - Wikipedia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H93-C-DAIsY&list=PLyHn3f7-9IUI3hzvUsxbAuvQx_ru9WSV7&index=1

#CootieWilliams #RexStewart
#LawrenceBrown #JCHigginbotham
#BudFreeman #ColemanHawkins #BillyBauer HankJones #MiltHinton
#Gus Johnson #ErnieWilkins #jazz #swing #ellington

Here Comes The Swingin' Mr. Wilkins!
Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra
Everest Records STEREO SDBR 1077
1960

From the back cover: This is the first album for Everest by one of the most consistently rewarding arranger-writers in jazz. The clarity of Ernie Wilkins' scoring; the brisk interplay between sections; the buoyant riffs and counter-lines behind each soloist – are all projected with unique presence and impact as a result of Everest's wide-ranged, full-bodied, exactly balanced sound.

Ernie intends this to be "a jazz dance band" set; and the relaxed, flowing arrangements make it easy for even novices to navigate while the pungent solos by several first-rate jazzmen, including a number from the Count Basie band, should sustain the interest of those who prefer to concentrate on listening...

https://artworkbymanicmark.blogspot.com/2025/07/here-comes-swingin-mr-wilkins-ernie.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvcxOCHnBDY&list=PLktwM2tNW2Powddavqv063rcz-lfZ47ul&index=1

#erniewilkins #algrey #swing #jazz #countbasie #frankwess

Top Brass (subtitled Featuring 5 Trumpets) is an album by American jazz composer and arranger Ernie Wilkins featuring performances recorded in 1955 and first released on the Savoy label. The album consists of five original selections with trumpeters Ray Copeland, Idrees Sulieman, Donald Byrd, Ernie Royal and Joe Wilder followed by five standards featuring each individually.

The AllMusic review by Ken Dryden awarded the album 3 stars stating "If there's any complaint about this studio date at all, it is the excess reverb used at times, which is surprising due to Rudy Van Gelder's usually impeccable sound". - Wikipedia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKl4PFpZOZc&list=PLvQ1q4lK3KtBMe-2rVT3dHew4-5g5zM0N&index=1

#erniewilkins #donaldbyrd #jazztrumpet #rudyvangelder #jazz #1956inmusic

Flutes & Reeds is an album by American jazz saxophonist/composer/arranger Ernie Wilkins and saxophonist/flautist Frank Wess featuring performances recorded in 1955 and first released on the Savoy label.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNH-fWnzF8Q&list=PLzddq4cluMn8jnUjWEcOlkkk3IlVfMPcF&index=1

#erniewilkins #flutejazz #modernjazz #50sjazz #frankwess #1955inmusic