Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark was an American jazz pianist and composer who mainly worked in the hard bop idiom.
Paul Laurence Dunbar Chambers Jr. was an American jazz double bassist. A fixture of rhythm sections during the 1950s and 1960s, he has become one of the most widely-known jazz bassists of the hard bop era. He was also known for his bowed solos. Chambers recorded about a dozen albums as a leader or co-leader, and over 100 more as a sideman, especially as the anchor of trumpeter Miles Davis's "first great quintet" (1955–63) and with pianist Wynton Kelly (1963–68).
Douglas Watkins was an American jazz double bassist. He was best known for being an accompanist to various hard bop artists in the Detroit area, including Donald Byrd and Jackie McLean.
Curtis DuBois Fuller was an American jazz trombonist. He was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and contributed to many classic jazz recordings.
Vertigo is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean, recorded in 1962 and 1963 but not released on the Blue Note label until 1980. The initial release contained only the five tracks from 1963, while the later 2000 limited CD edition, released as part of the "Connoisseur Series", added six tracks from a 1962 session originally marked for release as Jackie McLean Quintet, first issued in 1978 as part of a double LP entitled Hipnosis.
Charles Daniel Richmond was an American jazz drummer who is best known for his work with Charles Mingus. He also worked with Joe Cocker, Elton John and Mark-Almond.
Clifford Laconia Jordan was an American jazz tenor saxophone player. While in Chicago, he performed with Max Roach, Sonny Stitt, and some rhythm and blues groups. He moved to New York City in 1957, after which he recorded three albums for Blue Note. He recorded with Horace Silver, J.J. Johnson, and Kenny Dorham, among others. He was part of the Charles Mingus Sextet, with Eric Dolphy, during its 1964 European tour.
Whims of Chambers is a studio album by the Paul Chambers Sextet, recorded on September 21, 1956 and released on Blue Note circa January 1957. The sextet consists of trumpeter Donald Byrd, saxophonist John Coltrane, and rhythm section Kenny Burrell, Horace Silver, Chamber and ”Philly” Joe Jones.
Trane's Blues is a compact disc credited to the jazz musician John Coltrane, released in 1999 on Blue Note Records, catalogue 98240. It comprises recordings from sessions for Blue Note and United Artists Records as a sideman for Paul Chambers, Sonny Clark, Johnny Griffin, and Cecil Taylor that were issued respectively on their Whims of Chambers, Sonny's Crib, A Blowin' Session, and Hard Driving Jazz albums. Two selections are from Coltrane's own 1957 Blue Train, and "One for Four" had been previously unissued. "Trane's Blues" had been issued on the compilation High Step in 1975, previously known as "John Paul Jones" and named after himself, the bass player Chambers, and the drummer Philly Joe Jones. Like Prestige Records before them, as Coltrane's fame grew long after he had stopped recording for the label, Blue Note used varied recordings, often those where Coltrane had been merely a sideman, and reissued them as a new album with Coltrane's name prominently displayed. In this case, the Big Four conglomerate EMI continued that earlier practice.
Hugh Lawson, was an American jazz pianist from Detroit who worked with Yusef Lateef for more than 10 years.
Sonny's Crib is an album by American jazz pianist Sonny Clark, recorded on September 1, 1957 and released on Blue Note in March 1958. The sextet features horn section Donald Byrd, Curtis Fuller, and John Coltrane and rhythm section Paul Chambers and Art Taylor.
Sonny Clark Quintets is an album by jazz pianist Sonny Clark, recorded for the Blue Note label, featuring performances by Clark with two different studio quintets. The first session, from late 1957, featured Clifford Jordan, Kenny Burrell, Paul Chambers, and Pete LaRoca, and produced three tracks. The LP's remaining two tracks were recorded a few weeks later with group including Art Farmer, Jackie McLean, Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. The three pieces recorded with Burrell and Jordan were originally scheduled to be released on album given the catalog number "BLP 1592". Blue Note decided not to complete the album begun with Jordan and Burrell, and the tracks remained unreleased during Clark's lifetime. In 1976, Blue Note combined these three tracks with two outtakes recorded in early 1958 as part of the session for the Cool Struttin' LP. The resulting LP was released in Japan as Sonny Clark Quintets. The same five pieces were subsequently re-released on a 1983 Japanese LP titled Cool Struttin' Volume 2. Sonny Clark Quintets has been reissued numerous times on compact disc.
My Conception is an album by jazz pianist Sonny Clark, recorded for the Blue Note label and performed by Clark with Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, Paul Chambers, and Art Blakey. It was originally released in 1979 in Japan, as GXF 3056, featuring six tracks recorded in 1959 including an alternate take of "Royal Flush", a track that had appeared on the album Cool Struttin'. The 2000 limited CD reissue also comprised the three additional tracks originally recorded for Sonny Clark Quintets, an album which never saw the light of the day until being released later only in Japan.
Jackie's Bag is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean recorded in 1959 and 1960 and released by Blue Note. It features three tracks with McLean in a quintet featuring trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Sonny Clark, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones, and six tracks with a sextet featuring tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks, trumpeter Blue Mitchell, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor.
The Congregation is an album by American tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin recorded on October 23, 1957 and released on Blue Note the following year—his final recording for the label.
Bass on Top is an album by the Paul Chambers Quartet, recorded on July 14, 1957 and released on Blue Note later that year. The quartet features guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Hank Jones and drummer Art Taylor.
Introducing Kenny Burrell is the debut album by American jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell, recorded in 1956 and released by Blue Note Records. In 2000, the album was released on the 2 CD-set Introducing Kenny Burrell: The First Blue Note Sessions with Kenny Burrell Volume 2, plus bonus tracks.
Blue Lights, Vols. 1 & 2 are a pair of separate but related albums by American jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell recorded on May 14, 1958 and released by Blue Note later that year.
Jenkins, Jordan and Timmons is an album by saxophonists John Jenkins and Clifford Jordan and pianist Bobby Timmons recorded in 1957 and released on the New Jazz label.
Generation is a live album by guitarist Kenny Burrell and the Jazz Guitar Band recorded at the Village Vanguard in New York in 1986 and released on the relaunched Blue Note label.
