White Gardenia is an album by jazz saxophonist Johnny Griffin with brass and strings which was recorded in 1961 and released on the Riverside label.[1] Intended as a tribute album to jazz singer Billie Holiday, who had died two years earlier, she had sung all of the songs, except for the title track, which is the only original composition by Griffin on the album. The white gardenia was the flower Holiday often wore in her hair. The orchestral arrangements were written by Melba Liston and Norman Simmons.
Richard Cook and Brian Morton wrote in their Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD: "A delightful, smoothly orchestrated tribute to Lady Day that manages to be more than just pastiche" with the strings serving "mainly for depth of focus and harmony, rather than as emotional treacle."[3] The AllMusic site review by Scott Yanow stated the arrangements were "tasteful, and the lyrical music is well-performed, if not overly memorable. Worth checking out".[4]
Release notesedit
A review of White Gardenia in DownBeat from March 1962 indicates that the album was in fact released not until about that time.[2] Riverside also released the title track as a single with "Good Morning, Heartache" as B-side (R 4514),[1] and a 7-inch EP with four tracks, adding "Detour Ahead" and "No More" (SE-2056).[5] In 1973, the album was reissued on a double LP coupled with another recording by Griffin with Orchestra from May and June 1960, originally released as The Big Soul-Band (Big Soul on Milestone).[6]White Gardenia was later reissued on CD as part of the Original Jazz Classics series on OJCCD 1877-2.[1]
^The labels Milestone and Riverside were both acquired by Fantasy Records in 1972. Original Jazz Classics is also a sub-label of Fantasy Records.
May 03, 2024
white, gardenia, album, jazz, saxophonist, johnny, griffin, with, brass, strings, which, recorded, 1961, released, riverside, label, intended, tribute, album, jazz, singer, billie, holiday, died, years, earlier, sung, songs, except, title, track, which, only, . White Gardenia is an album by jazz saxophonist Johnny Griffin with brass and strings which was recorded in 1961 and released on the Riverside label 1 Intended as a tribute album to jazz singer Billie Holiday who had died two years earlier she had sung all of the songs except for the title track which is the only original composition by Griffin on the album The white gardenia was the flower Holiday often wore in her hair The orchestral arrangements were written by Melba Liston and Norman Simmons White GardeniaStudio album by Johnny GriffinReleased1961RecordedJuly 13 14 amp 17 1961at Plaza Sound Studios New York CityGenreJazzLength38 54LabelRiverside RLP 387 mono RS 9387ProducerOrrin KeepnewsJohnny Griffin chronologyBlues Up amp Down 1961 White Gardenia 1961 The Kerry Dancers 1962 Contents 1 Reception 2 Release notes 3 Track listing 4 Personnel 5 ReferencesReception editProfessional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingDownBeat nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 2 Penguin Guide to Jazz nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 3 AllMusic nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 4 Richard Cook and Brian Morton wrote in their Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD A delightful smoothly orchestrated tribute to Lady Day that manages to be more than just pastiche with the strings serving mainly for depth of focus and harmony rather than as emotional treacle 3 The AllMusic site review by Scott Yanow stated the arrangements were tasteful and the lyrical music is well performed if not overly memorable Worth checking out 4 Release notes editA review of White Gardenia in DownBeat from March 1962 indicates that the album was in fact released not until about that time 2 Riverside also released the title track as a single with Good Morning Heartache as B side R 4514 1 and a 7 inch EP with four tracks adding Detour Ahead and No More SE 2056 5 In 1973 the album was reissued on a double LP coupled with another recording by Griffin with Orchestra from May and June 1960 originally released as The Big Soul Band Big Soul on Milestone 6 White Gardenia was later reissued on CD as part of the Original Jazz Classics series on OJCCD 1877 2 1 Track listing edit Gloomy Sunday Sam M Lewis Rezso Seress 4 06 That Old Devil Called Love Doris Fisher Allan Roberts 3 50 White Gardenia Johnny Griffin 3 18 God Bless the Child Billie Holiday Arthur Herzog Jr 3 17 Detour Ahead Lou Carter Herb Ellis Johnny Frigo 4 33 Good Morning Heartache Ervin Drake Dan Fisher Irene Higginbotham 4 10 Don t Explain Holiday Herzog 4 43 Trav lin Light Trummy Young Jimmy Mundy Johnny Mercer 4 06 No More Tutti Camarata Bob Russell 3 57 Left Alone Holiday Mal Waldron 2 54 Tracks 1 7 and 9 were recorded on July 13 tracks 2 5 and 8 were recorded July 14 and tracks 3 4 6 and 10 were recorded on July 17 1961 Personnel editJohnny Griffin tenor saxophone Nat Adderley cornet except tracks 1 7 and 9 Ernie Royal trumpet exc 1 7 9 Clark Terry flugelhorn 1 7 9 trumpet exc 1 7 9 Ray Alonge French horn Jimmy Cleveland Paul Faulise Urbie Green trombone Jimmy Jones piano exc 2 5 8 Barry Harris piano 2 5 8 Barry Galbraith guitar Ron Carter bass Ben Riley drums Alfred Brown Harry Lookofsky David Schwartz violin Charles McCracken exc 2 5 8 Lucient Schmit 1 5 7 9 Maurice Bialkin Ray Schweitzer and Edgardo Sodero 2 5 8 Abe Kessler and Peter Makas 3 4 6 10 cello Melba Liston exc 4 6 8 Norman Simmons 4 6 8 arrangerReferences edit a b c Johnny Griffin discography accessed October 25 2012 a b DownBeat March 1 1962 Vol 29 No 5 a b Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD Fifth Edition Penguin Books London 2000 ISBN 0 14 051452 X p 620 a b Yanow S AllMusic Review accessed October 25 2012 Johnny Griffin White Gardenia at Discogs The labels Milestone and Riverside were both acquired by Fantasy Records in 1972 Original Jazz Classics is also a sub label of Fantasy Records Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title White Gardenia amp oldid 1166101392, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
