Berkshire Blues

Last updated
Berkshire Blues
Berkshire Blues.jpg
Studio album by
Released1977
RecordedAugust 18 and October 14, 1965,
New York City
Genre Jazz
Length37:28
Label Freedom
FLP 41026
Producer Alan Bates, Duke Ellington, Ruth Ellington, Michael Cuscuna
Randy Weston chronology
Randy
(1964)
Berkshire Blues
(1977)
Blues
(1965)

Berkshire Blues is an album by American jazz pianist Randy Weston, recorded in 1965 and released on the Freedom label in 1977. [1]

Contents

The title track, in the waltz tempo characteristic of many Weston compositions, was written in 1962 and recorded in 1964 by the Randy Weston Sextet (on the album Randy ), with Betty Carter later putting lyrics to the tune and performing it under the tile "Ego"). [2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]

AllMusic awarded the album 3 stars, with its review by Scott Yanow stating: "Throughout the set, Weston's solos hold on to one's interest, although the overall results are really not all that essential." [3]

Track listing

All compositions by Randy Weston except as indicated

  1. "Three Blind Mice" (Traditional) - 5:33
  2. "Perdido" (Juan Tizol) - 6:24
  3. "Purple Gazelle" (Duke Ellington) - 5:53
  4. "Berkshire Blues" - 4:14
  5. "Lagos" - 5:36
  6. "Sweet Meat" - 3:39
  7. "Ifran" - 5:37

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<i>Blues on Purpose</i> 1965 live album by Wynton Kelly

Blues on Purpose is a live album by jazz pianist Wynton Kelly recorded in 1965 and released on the Xanadu label featuring performances by Kelly with Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb recorded at the Half Note Club in New York City.

<i>Babes Blues</i> Album by The Three Sounds

Babe's Blues is an album by jazz group The Three Sounds featuring performances recorded in 1961 with one additional track from 1962 but not released on the Blue Note label until 1986. The title track is a composition by Randy Weston.

<i>More Blues and the Abstract Truth</i> 1965 studio album by Oliver Nelson

More Blues and the Abstract Truth is an album by American jazz composer, conductor and arranger Oliver Nelson featuring performances recorded in 1964 for the Impulse! label.

<i>Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert</i> 1972 live album by Charles Mingus

Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert is a live album by the jazz bassist and composer Charles Mingus, recorded at the Philharmonic Hall of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 1972 and released on the Columbia label. The CD release added five previously unreleased performances from the concert, but did not include the opening track, Fats Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose", present in the LP version and on former Japanese CD editions.

<i>Broken Shadows</i> 1982 studio album by Ornette Coleman

Broken Shadows is an album by the American jazz saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman recorded in 1971, at the same sessions that produced Science Fiction, but not released on the Columbia label until 1982.

<i>All Blues</i> (Ron Carter album) 1974 studio album by Ron Carter

All Blues is an album by bassist Ron Carter recorded at Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey in 1973 and released on the CTI label.

<i>On the Spot!</i> 1967 studio album by Jaki Byard

On the Spot! is an album by the pianist Jaki Byard recorded in 1967 apart from one track from the 1965 live recordings that produced Jaki Byard Quartet Live!. It was released on the Prestige label.

<i>Round Midnight</i> (Kenny Burrell album) 1972 studio album by Kenny Burrell

'Round Midnight is an album by guitarist Kenny Burrell recorded in 1972 and released on the Fantasy label.

<i>The Modern Art of Jazz by Randy Weston</i> 1957 studio album by Randy Weston

The Modern Art of Jazz by Randy Weston is a jazz album by American pianist Randy Weston recorded in 1956 and released on the Dawn label.

<i>Little Niles</i> 1959 studio album by Randy Weston

Little Niles is an album by American jazz pianist Randy Weston recorded in 1958 and first released on the United Artists label. The album was later released as part of a Blue Note compilation under the same title. All the tracks are Weston originals and, as indicated in the LP's liner notes by Langston Hughes, the album was inspired by Weston's children Niles and Pamela, who are directly referenced in "Little Niles" and "Pam's Waltz" and feature in the cover photograph. As Hughes notes of the compositions, "All in three-quarter time, these charming little vignettes escape rigidity of beat by a fluid flow of counter-rhythms and melodies, one against another, that brings continuous delight."

<i>Highlife</i> (Randy Weston album) 1963 studio album by Randy Weston

Highlife is an album by American jazz pianist Randy Weston recorded in 1963 and originally released on the Colpix label. Weston had traveled to Africa for the first time in 1961 for a series of concerts in Lagos, Nigeria, sponsored by the American Society of African Culture, and the album is inspired by the music of the African continent, in particular the highlife genre of West Africa.

<i>Randy</i> (album) 1964 studio album by Randy Weston

Randy is an album by American jazz pianist Randy Weston recorded in 1964 and originally released on Bakton, Weston's own label. The album was later reissued in 1972 on the Atlantic label under the title African Cookbook.

<i>Blues to Africa</i> 1975 studio album by Randy Weston

Blues to Africa is a solo piano album by American jazz pianist Randy Weston, recorded in 1974 and released on the Freedom label in 1975.

<i>Carnival</i> (Randy Weston album) 1975 live album by Randy Weston

Carnival is a live album by American jazz pianist Randy Weston recorded in 1974 at the Montreux Jazz Festival and originally released on the Freedom label in 1975.

<i>Monterey 66</i> Live album by Randy Weston

Monterey '66 is a live album by American jazz pianist Randy Weston recorded in 1966 at the Monterey Jazz Festival but not released on the Verve label until 1994.

<i>Jazz in 3/4 Time</i> 1957 studio album by Max Roach

Jazz in ¾ Time is an album by American jazz drummer Max Roach featuring tracks recorded in late 1956 and early 1957 and released on the EmArcy label.

<i>Drums Unlimited</i> 1966 studio album by Max Roach

Drums Unlimited is an album by American jazz drummer Max Roach recorded in 1965 and 1966 and released on the Atlantic label.

<i>So in Love</i> (Art Pepper album) 1980 studio album by Art Pepper

So in Love is an album by saxophonist Art Pepper recorded in 1979 and originally released on the Artists House label.

<i>Art Lives</i> 1983 live album by Art Pepper

Art Lives is a live album by saxophonist Art Pepper recorded in 1981 at the Maiden Voyage nightclub in Los Angeles and released on the Galaxy label.

<i>Harlem Blues</i> (Donald Byrd album) 1988 studio album by Donald Byrd

Harlem Blues is an album by trumpeter Donald Byrd featuring performances recorded in 1987 and released on the Landmark label the following year.

References

  1. Randy Weston catalog accessed August 15, 2012.
  2. Berkshire Blues liner notes by Bob Blumenthal, Discography, Randy Weston African Rhythms.
  3. 1 2 Yanow, Scott, AllMusic Review, accessed August 16, 2012.
  4. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide . USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. pp.  206. ISBN   0-394-72643-X.