The Interpretations Of Tal Farlow by Tal Farlow, released on Norgran Records in 1955.

Down Beat : 06/29/1955
Nat Hentoff : 4 stars

Another well-conceived collection of Farlow performances with Tal receiving expert backing from Claude Williamson, Red Mitchell, and Stan Levey. Mitchell and Williamson also contribute a few tasteful solos. One of Farlow’s highlights is his unaccompanied Autumn Leaves. Recording quality of this set is improved over Tal’s previous two albums for this label. This one’s called The Interpretations of Tal Farlow and is further proof that Tal’s ideas, beat, and tone place him among the best modern jazz guitarists.

https://thejazztome.info/tal-farlow-the-interpretations-of-tal-farlow/

Cover Artwork: David Stone Martin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lbGNIMAbOo&list=PLfJndz0utgOO9R_WDuN825oV2vumHY_nE&index=1

#TalFarlow #NormanGranz #DavidStoneMartin #JazzGuitar #NatHentoff #Jazz #BeBop #Music #Norgran

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 Wess (flute, tenor sax), Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Jimmy Rowles & Mike Wofford (piano), Joe Pass & Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar), Andy Simpkins (bass), and Grady Tate (drums), with Billy Byers arranging and conducting.

Pablo Today was a sub-label that started in 1979 and focused on “non-mainstream jazz” – not sure what that means but I’ve had great luck picking up Pablo records in general.

My copy, via Beatnick Records in Montréal Québec, is an original 1980 US pressing. with “Manufactured by Pablo Records” rim text.

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 opening 12:38 cut of the title track is, as they say, worth the price of admission on its own.

My copy, via Beatnick Records in Montréal, QC, is a Canadian pressing (Manufactured and Distributed in Canada by RCA Limited).

Peterson 6, The Oscar Peterson Big 6 at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1975, 1975 on Pablo

Titled as The Oscar Peterson Big 6, this is Peterson with Milt Jackson, Joe Pass, Toots Thielemans, Louis Bellson, and Niels Pederson – produced by Norman Granz, and recorded at the Montreux Jazz festival on July 16th, 1975.

My copy—via Fin Du Vinyle in Montréal Québec—is a Canadian pressing (Made in Canada by RCA Limited from master recordings owned or controlled by RCA Records).

Jazz Giant is a studio album by jazz pianist Bud Powell, released on Norgran in 1950, featuring two sessions that Powell recorded for Norman Granz in 1949 and 1950.

The first session, with Ray Brown and Max Roach, took place on February 23, 1949, after Powell obtained a temporary release from Creedmoor State Hospital where he was receiving psychiatric treatment,[3] and represents his second recording date as leader (the first being his Roost session in 1947 – see Bud Powell Trio). The second, with Curley Russell and Roach, is from February 1950, post-dating his first Blue Note session for The Amazing Bud Powell. - Wikipedia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=speBYbLYl7w&list=RDspeBYbLYl7w&start_radio=1

#BudPowell #Jazz #JazzPiano #BeBop #Music #Norgran #NormanGranz

Oscar Peterson - "Oscar Peterson Collates" (1952)

#NowPlaying #OscarPeterson #NormanGranz #ClefRecords #vinyl #VinylRecords @vinylrecords

https://youtu.be/JVNUEjp4LmE

Swinging Brass with the Oscar Peterson Trio is a studio album by Oscar Peterson, arranged by Russell Garcia. - Wikipedia

david parkinson May 9, 2020

You know how you might mark the songs that you like on the back of an album cover...well this one is marked for every song...which makes it the album you should consider if you want to go to school on Piano, bass, or drums. The kicker are the arrangements by Russ Garcia. Ones wishes that the Leonard Feather liner notes would have included the individual LA players... I discovered the personnel listingOscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b), Ed Thigpen (d), with John Audino, Buddy Childers, Stu Williamson, Ollie Mitchell (tp), Harry Betts, Dick Nash (tb), Ken Shroyer (btb), Bud Shank (as), Bill Holman, Bob Cooper (ts), Jay Corre (bs), Russell Garcia (arr & dir)

#oscarpeterson #russgarcia #raybrown #normangranz #ververecords #jazzpiano #budshank #bobcooper

Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite by Machito, released on Mercury in 1951.

A seminal bit of Latin jazz from the early 50s – Machito's first "Afro Cuban Jazz Suite", written by Chico O'Farrill, and packaged here in the original 10" LP on Mercury, complete with the David Stone Martin cover! The set features a stunning mix of jazz and Latin playing, in a manner that was to forever shape the future of both musics – with solo work by Flip Phillips and Charlie Parker, and Latin percussion by Mario Bauza, Jose Mangual, Candido, and Machito. The writing and playing is superb, and Chico O'Farrill arranged the whole thing with an energy level matching his best early work! - Dusty Groove

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlbapnFHczs&list=PLZGc_ONM98vDsCK0TOw_8XkCA2ZEzstqg&index=1

#machito #charlieparker #davidstonemartin #chicoofarrill #flipphillips #buddyrich #afrocubanjazz #normangranz #1951inmusic

Oscar Peterson & Dizzy Gillespie, 1975 on Pablo

Pablo records, with a logo and name inspired by Picasso, was started by Norman Granz (who also produced this record) in the early seventies. There’s a ton of great Pablo jazz records—I generally pick them up whenever I see them.

Recorded in 1974 in London, this release brings together two greats but it is not a “legacy” album – their playing is still super vibrant here. (Gillespie won a Best Jazz Performance Grammy for this recording).

My copy via Antone’s Records in Austin TX

#1970s #1975 #AntoneSRecords #AustinTX #DizzyGillespie #NormanGranz #OscarPeterson #PabloRecords #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds

Billie Holiday, Songs for Distingué Lovers, 1958 on Verve

Great set of recordings, with liner notes by Norman Granz. No real detail on the sessions on the record itself, but apparently recorded during sessions in January 1957 in Hollywood – the same sessions that yielded All or Nothing at All and Body and Soul.

Wonderful versions of “Stars Fell on Alabama” and “One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)” in particular.

Granz writes on the liner notes:

. . . quite possibly the best liner notes ever written about Miss Holiday singing songs would be simply to say to the listener ‘this is a fact: Miss Holiday has happened to some songs’ and to the discriminating listener that ought to suffice.

My copy is a 2024 Barnes & Noble exclusive pressing on yellow vinyl, pressed at GZ Media. May be from a digital source (no credit for mastering – though it is a licensed recording, not a grey market one) but sounds great.

#1950s #1958 #barnesNoble #BillieHoliday #jazz #NormanGranz #Verve #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds