As I’ve been SLOWLY flipping through Jazz: The Iconic Images of Ted Williams this week, my playlist has leaned heavily on the artists pictured in Williams’ book. It’s been a fun week of exploring some jazz music that wouldn’t normally be in rotation for me. So here’s set one of an ongoing list of albums inspired by the photographs of Ted Williams. Only forty pages (of 352) in, and I’ve already had to make cuts to get to only five albums! I guess we’ll make this an ongoing book review and playlist at the same time. Here we go…
Album Details
Recorded: October 30, 1958
Released: January 1959
Style: Hard Bob
Label: Blue Note
Cover Photo: Buck Hoeffler
Personnel:
Art Blakey – drums
Lee Morgan – trumpet
Benny Golson – tenor saxophone
Bobby Timmons – piano
Jymie Merritt – bass
“Art was the best at maintaining independence with all four limbs. He was doing it before anybody was.”
– Max Roach
( pages 12-13 / Jazz: The Iconic Images of Ted Williams )
Album Details
Recorded: February 14, 1955
Released: 1958
Style: Vocal Jazz
Label: Verve
Producer: Norman Granz
Personnel:
Billie Holiday – Vocals
Charlie Shavers – Trumpet
Budd Johnson – Tenor sax
Tony Scott – Clarinet
Carl Drinkard / Billy Taylor – Piano
Billy Bauer – Guitar
Leonard Gaskin – Bass
Cozy Cole – Drums
Leroy Lovett – Arranger
“I saw her once with a very small dog inside her coat. Next time she had two Great Danes.”
– Ted Williams
(pages 18-19 Jazz: The Iconic Images of Ted Williams)
Album Details
Recorded: May 17 and July 26, 1955
@ Fine Sound, New York City
Released: 1955
Style: Vocal Jazz
Label: Clef
Producer: Norman Granz
Personnel:
Joe Williams – vocals
Count Basie – piano
Wendell Culley, Reunald Jones, Thad Jones, Joe Newman – trumpet
Henry Coker, Bill Hughes, Benny Powell – trombone
Marshall Royal – alto saxophone, clarinet
Bill Graham – alto saxophone
Frank Wess – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute
Frank Foster – tenor saxophone
Charlie Fowlkes – baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
Freddie Green – guitar
Eddie Jones – bass
Sonny Payne – drums
Frank Foster (tracks 2-9), Ernie Wilkins (tracks 1 & 6) – arranger
Ella Fitzgerald – vocals (track 12)
“The band loved it – the patrons thought it was party time – Basie smiled and Holzfeind threatened me with severe bodily harm. I was very lucky, I escaped with my life and a few fine images”
– Ted Williams
(pages 26-27 Jazz: The Iconic Images of Ted Williams)
Album Details
Recorded: January 12, 1956
@ Fine Sound Studios, New York City
Released: 1956
Style: Cool
Label: Verve
Producer: Norman Granz
Personnel:
Lester Young -saxophone
Roy Eldridge -trumpet
Vic Dickenson -trombone
Teddy Wilson -piano
Freddie Green -guitar
Gene Ramey -bass
Jo Jones -drums
“I always felt he was the greatest, so his name had to be the greatest. I started calling him the President”
– Bilie Holiday
(pages 38-39 Jazz: The Iconic Images of Ted Williams)
Album Details
Released: 1962
Style: Dixieland
Label: Black Lion
Personnel:
Bud Freeman -saxaphone
Dave Frishberg -piano
Bob Haggart -bass
Don Lamond -drums
Jazz: The Iconic Images of Ted Williams is available at amazon.com.