Great Times! Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn--Piano Duets
Riverside Records RLP 475 (orig. Mercer Records): Duke Ellington, piano; Billy Strayhorn, piano, celeste; Wendell Marshall, bass; Joe shulman, bass; Oscar Pettiford, cello; Lloyd Trotman, bass; Jo Jones, drums

Material origianlly recorded late in the 1950's by Duke's son Mercer and jazz critic Leonard Feather. Could be the first time cello is heard as an improvising instrument in jazz setting. Von Babasin has recently let me know that this is incorrect. His dad Harry Babasin is heard on a 1947 release "Up in Dodo's Room: The Complete DIAL Sessions" playing pizz cello.

The Three Faces of Chico
· The Chico Hamilton Quintet, Warner Brs. 1344 (1959), Eric Dolphy, fl, reeds; Dennis Budimer, gtr; Nathan Gershman, vc; Chico Hamilton, dr.

The Chico Hamilton Quintet with Strings Attached, Warner Bros. 1245 (1959)
· orchestra under the direction of Fred Katz. Wyatt Ruther, bs; Nat Gershman, vc; Eric Dolphy, reeds, fl; Dennis Budimer, gtr., Chico Hamilton, dr; plus string section.

Delightfully Modern, Jazztone, J 1246 (copyright 1957)
· The Chico Hamilton Quintet: Buddy Collette, fl, cl; Fred Katz, vc; Jim Hall, gtr; Carson Smith, bs; only one side of the LP. Side two features The Laurindo Almeida Quartet (note: feature occasional cello player Harry Babasin!)

Chico Hamilton Quintet,World Pacific Records WP-1225
· Recorded October 1956 at the Forum Theater, Los Angeles, CA; copyright 1958. Chico Hamilton, drums; Paul Horn, alto, tenor, flute, clr; John Pisano, gtr; Fred Katz, cello; Carson Smith, bass.

Notes: (liner notes by George Laine from the Pasadena Independent)" Freddy Katz, who severed a long-standing alliance with the cello section of the National Symphony in Washington, DC, in order to become a member of the original Chico Hamilton Quintet back in mid-1955,.." "There was the initial quintet album, The Chico Hamilton Quintet (PJ-1209)...[reviewed]on October 30, 1955."

The Chico Hamilton Quintet plays selections from Bye Bye Birdie-Irma La Douce Columbia CL 1590
Charles Lloyd, fl, alto; Harry Pope, gtr; Nat Gershman, cello; Bobby Haynes, bass; Chico Hamilton, drums.

Chico Hamilton Special Columbia Jazz Odyssey 32 16 0288
Chico Hamilton, drums; Nate [!, Nathan, Nat and now Nate] Gershman; Robert Haynes, bass; Harry Polk, gtr; Charles Lloyd, sax, fl.

Note: Liner notes put the first gig for this formation at 1955 at Strollers in Long Beach, CA. Later coming to Boston Storyville.

Discoveries Oscar Pettiford on cello and bass. Savoy Jazz SJL 1172
· Hank Jones, pno; Charles Mingus, bs; Paul Quinichette, ten. sx ; Herbie Mann, fl; Billy Taylor, pno.

Notes: The Pettiford 'cello' sessions took place on February 21, 1952 with Billy Taylor, pno; C. Mingus, bs; Charlie Smith, drms. There are some jazz accordion tracks with Mat Mathews playing the accordion.

Oscar Pettiford Quintet and Nonet Affinity AFF 160 (licensed from Bethlehem Records)
· Julius Watkins, frhrn; Charlie Rouse, ten; Duke Jordan, pno; Oscar Pettiford, bs, vc; Ron Jefferson, dr. Recorded New York City, September, 1954. Side 'b': Clark Terry, Joe Wilder, tpt; Jimmy Cleveland, tb; Jimmy Hamilton, clr, ten; Davey Schidkraut, alto; Danny Bank, bar; Eral Knight, pno; OP, bs; Osie Johnson, dr. Recorded NYC, December 17, 1954.

Notes: "Oscar Pettiford was born on an Indian reservation in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, on September 30, 1922. His father formed the Pettiford Family Band (Oscar had ten brothers and a sister) and this was a prelude to Oscar working professionally in Minneapolis...on November 17, 1945 he joined the Duke Ellington orchestra as a permanent replacement for Junior Raglin. He stayed with the band until the spring of 1948...OP came to Europe in September, 1958 as part of a touring package show and simply never went back home. He was involved in a serious road accident in February, 1959, survived to play an important part in Europe jazz but died unexpectedly on September 18, 1960 in a Copenhagen hospital of what doctors referred to as a "polio-like virus" "...The dictionary defines "trictatism" as the 'act of pulling or drawing." The title was later recorded by OP and, due to a printing error, the tune became known as Trictrotism...Tamalpais is the name of a California mountain..." --Alun Morgan

Albert Ayler in Greenwich Village. Recorded live at the Village Vanguard. Impulse AS-9155
· Albert Ayler, alto, tenor; Donald Ayler, tpt; Joel Friedman, cello: Michel Sampson, violin; Alan Silva, bass; bill Folwell, bass; Beaver Harris, drums. Recorded at Village Theatre ("on New York's Lower East Side..."--Nat Hentoff) Feb. 26, 1967 and at the Village Vanguard Dec. 18, 1966.

First Bass, Oscar Pettiford Rare Recording and concert Dates, 1953-60 IAJRC 1010
· With Lee Konitz, Zoot Sims, Lionel Hampton, JJ Johnson, Jimmy Cleveland, Kai Winding, Phineas Newborn, Harry Babasin, Kenny Clark, and others.

Montmartre Blues Black Lion BLCD760124
· Jan Johansson, pno; Erik Nordstrom, tenor; Louis Hjulmand, vibes; Allan Botschinsky, tpt.; Jorn Elniff, drums.

The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra Deep Passion Impulse GRD-143
· Big Band with Ernie Royal, Art Farmer, Ray Copeland, tpts.; Jimmy Cleveland, Al Grey, tmb; Julius Watkins, David Amram, f. hrns.; Gig Gryce, alto; Lucky Thompson, Benny Golson, tenor; Jerome Richardson, tenor, fl; Danny Bank, David Kurtzer, Sahib Shihab, bari; Tommy Flanagan, Dick Katz, pno; Whitey Mitchell, bs; Osie Johnson, drums; Janet Putnam, Betty Glamann, harp.

Notes: Recorded in New York City, June 12, August 23, 1956, September 5, 1957. Originally issued as "The Oscar Pettiford Orchestra In Hi-Fi" ABC-Paramount ABC-135, Vol 2. ABC-227.

Chico Hamilton Quintet Featuring Buddy Collette Pacific Jazz Records 1209
· Buddy Collette, winds; Fred Katz, vc; Jim hall, gtr; Carson Smith, bs; Chico Hamilton, drums.

Notes: Recorded August 4,5, 23, 1955 in LA, CA.

Arthur Blythe in concert Metamorphosis/ The Grip India Navigation IN 1029
· Arthur Blythe, sax; bob Stewart, tuba; Ahmed Abdullah, tpt; Abdul Wadud, vc; Steve Reid, drums; Muhamad Abdullah, perc.

Reflections Julius Hemphill (orig. 'Coon Bid'ness) Freedom LC 2940
· Julius Hemphill, Black Arthur Blythe, alto; Maniet Bluiett, bari; Abdul Wadud, vc; Barry Altschul, Phillip Wilson, drums; Baikida Carroll, trpt.; Daniel Ben Zebulan, congas.

Note: Recorded at: C.I. Studios, New York City, January 29, 1975; Archway Studios, St. Louis, MO February 1972.

Dogan A.D. Julius Hemphill

Recorded in St. Louis, Mo 1972 at Archway Studio, engineered by Oliver Sain - Mbari Records and re issues by Arista Freedom Musicians: Julius Hemphill-alto sax, flute Baikida Carroll-Trumpet Abdul Wadud-cello Phillip Wilson-drums

The Dedication Series/Vol. VII The Village Concerts Albert Ayler Impulse IA-9336/2
· Albert Ayler, tenor; Don Ayler, tpt; Michel Sampson, vln; Joel Freedman, vc; Bill Folwell, Alan Silva, bs; Beaver Harris, drums.

Note: Recorded live at The Village Theatre, New York City on February 26, 1967. The 2nd LP of this two LP set (tunes not listed above) was recorded at the Village Vanguard but doesn't include Joel Freedman.

Charles Tyler Ensemble ESP Disk 1029
· Charles Tyler, alto sax; Joel Friedman, cello; Henry Grimes, bass; Ronald Shannon Jackson, drums; Charles Moffett, orchestra vibes [bells?] .

Notes: Recorded January 1966

Charles Tyler: Easter Man Alone ESP 1059
· Charles Tyler, alto sax; David Baker, cello; Brent Makeson, Kent Brinkley, bass.

Note: Recorded January 2, 1967.

Alan Silva ESP 1091
· Alan Silva, violin, cello, piano; Mike Ephron, pno; Becky Friend, flute; Karl Berger, vibes

Note: Never heard it...Alan Silva plays bass with Albert Ayler in the above mentioned Dedication series live LP.

Mingus Revisited
Big band inc. Ted Curson, Jimmy Knepper, Joe Farrell, Booker Ervin, Yusef Lateef, Eric Dolphy, Paul Bley, Roland Hanna...Charlie McCracken, cello.

Note: "Half-Mast.." features the cellist Charles McCracken. A piece written evidently when Mingus was quite young (18?) and Gunther Schuller was brought in to conduct. The album was originally released in 1960 under the title "Pre-Bird" on the Emarcy label. It was reissued in 1965 on the Limelight label as "Mingus Revisited."

Let My Children Hear Music Charles Mingus Columbia Jazz Masterpieces CK 48910
Large group with soloists: Lonnie Hillyer, tpt; Julius Watkins, fr. hrn.; Bobby Jones, tenor; Joe Wilder, tpt; Charles McCracken, vc; Charles McPherson, alto; James Moody, tenor; Roland Hanna, pno; Snooky Young, lead trumpet.

Note: Pieces written by Mingus and scored/arranged by Sy Johnson, Alan Ralph. Originally this project was meant to have Thad Jones as arranger... "But Jones, in the midst of writer's block, didn't produce any music." --George Kanzler (liner notes.)

Oscar Pettiford Bohemia After Dark Affinity AFF117
Donald Byrd, Ernie Royal, tpt; Bob Brookmeyer, v-tmb; Gigi Gryce, cl, as; Jerome Richardson, cl, ts, fl; Don Abney, pno; Oscar Pettiford, bs, vc; Osie Johnson, dr.

Oscar Pettiford SextetVogue Records

Oscar Pettiford, bass, cello; Al Cohn, tenor sax; Kai winding, trombone; Tal Farlow, gtr.; Henri Renaud, pno.; Max roach, drums. Recorded in New York on march 21, 1954. Now released as an "Original Vogue Masters" by BMG Classics. The session was supervised by Leonard Feather, and they even did one of his tunes, Ondine. The original LP has "Leonard Feather Presents" as part of the cover art...

The New Oscar Pettiford Sextet debut Records OJC-112 (DLP-8)
Oscar Pettiford, cello; Phil Urso, tenor; Charles Mingus, bass; Julius Watkins, Fr. Hrn.; Walter Bishop, pno; Percy Brice, dr.

Note: This seems to be the exact same recordings as those found on "My Little Cello"

The Legendary Oscar Pettiford featuring Atilla Zoller Black Lion Records BLP 30185
Oscar Pettiford, bass, vc; Hans Koller, tenor; Atilla Zoller, gtr, gs; Jimmy Pratt, drums

Ray Brown Jazz Cello Verve MG-VS 68390
Ray Brown, cello; Jimmy Rowles, pno; Joe Mondragon, bass; Richard Shanahan, drums; Don Fagerquist, tpt; Harry Betts, trombone; Jack Cave, fhr.; Meredith Flory, William Hood, Bob Cooper, Paul Horn, sax; Rus Garcia, arr/leader.

Out There Eric Dolphy Prestige/New Jazz 8252
Eric Dolphy, sax, flute, clarinets; Ron Carter, cello; George Duvivier, bass; Roy Haynes, drums

Note: Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder on August 16, 1960

Gongs East! Chico Hamilton Quintet Discovery DSCD-831
Chico Hamilton, drums; Dennis Budimer, gtr; Eric Dolphy, alto sax, winds; Nathan Gershman, cello; Wyatt Ruther, bass.

4,5,6 Fred Katz Decca DL9213
Fred Katz, cello; Hal Gaylor, bass; Johnny Pisano, guitar
Tunes I like (no longer have complete info on this)

• Kretch

• Mountain Air

• Perdido

Harry Babasin and His Jazz Pickers Mode Records MOD-LP119
Terry Gibbs, vibes; Demesey Wright, guitar; Ben Tucker, bass; Bill Douglas, drums

• Thou Swell

• Basin Street Blues

• On Bear Hill

• These Foolish Things

Von Babasin, Harry's son, wrote on the availability of his dad's recordings:

"Right now the "Up in Dodo's Room" recording is the only CD available with my dad playing cello. It's on Jazz Classics Records, number CD-JZCL-6008. V.S.O.P. has told me they are going to release the Jazzpickers/Terry Gibbs album that you mention, on CD, sometime in 1998. They have a website with the MODE label as part of their archive. Fantasy is planning a release of the original Nocturne "Jazz in Hollywood" series, ten 10" LPs that were produced by my father and drummer Roy Harte, also on CD, in 1998. That series contains an album by the "Harry Babasin Quintet" with Harry on cello. I have access to four other Jazzpickers tapes that were albums but at this time we have no immediate plan to release them. EMI in Japan is also releasing four of the Nocturne albums, but they are pressing the original vinyl albums! My dad plays on all four but the Harry Babasin Quintet is the only one on cello. The others are the Bud Shank Quintet, the Herbie Harper Quintet, and the Bob Enevoldson Quintet, where he, of course, plays bass."

Harry Babasin COMMAND PERFORMANCE THE JAZZ PICKERS featuring RED NORVO Mercury Records - EmArcy MG 36123 (front)

SIDE ONE

• 1.Stinger (Wright) 2:36
• 2.Someone To Watch Over Me (Gershwin-Gershwin) 2:30
• 3.Eyein' The Goof (Babasin) 3:27
• 4.Lester Leaps In (Young) 4:25
• 5.Blues For Bill (Babasin)5:14

SIDE TWO

• 1.Evening In Azerbaijan (Babasin) 4:21
• 2.Bagatelle (Babasin) 4:11
• 3.My Ideal (Whiting-Chase-Robin) 3:21
• 4.Petite Rondeau (Babasin) 5:46

Harry Babasin - Cello Lawrence "Red" Wooten - Bass Red Norvo - Vibes Bill Douglas - Drums Dempsey Wright - Guitar

HARRY BABASIN INGLEWOOD JAM 6-16-'52 Live at the Tradewinds PHILIPS 25PJ-16 (front)

Side One-

• 1.The Squirrel (Dameron) 15'00"
• 2.Irresistible You (DFePaul-Raye) 6'21"

Side Two-

• 1.Indiana (Donna Lee) (Hanley-McDonald) 11'25"
• 2.Liza (Gershwin-Gershwin) 10'13"

Charlie Parker/Alto Sax Chet Baker/Trumpet Sonny Criss/Alto Sax Al Haig/Piano (1,2,4) Russ Freeman/Piano (3) Harry Babasin/Bass Lawrence Marable/Drums

Harry Babasin Harry Babasin Quartet Pacific Jazz 603

• Sanders Meanders (Hampton Hawes) Al Haig - Piano Bob Enevoldsen - Tenor Sax Harry Babasin - Cello & Bass Larry Bunker - Drums & Vibes
• How About You (Webb-Levey) Al Haig - Piano Bob Enevoldsen - Bass Harry Babasin - Cello Larry Bunker - Drums & Vibes

Harry Babasin Trio Discovery 163

• Night and Day (Cole Porter) Hampton Hawes - Piano Harry Babasin - Bass Larry Bunker - Drums
• Where Or When (Rogers & Hart) Hampton Hawes - Piano Harry Babasin - Bass & Cello Larry Bunker - Drums

Harry Babasin Quintet Jazz in Hollywood Series Nocturne NLP-3 (front)

SIDE ONE

• 1.La Rosita (Duport-Stewart)
• 2.Skylark (Carmichael)
• 3.Tangerine (Mercer-Schertzinger)

SIDE TWO

• 1.Easy To Remember (Rodgers-Hart)
• 2.The Girl Friend (Rodgers-Hart)
• 3.When You Wish Upon A Star (Harline-Washington)
• 4.Babo-ling (Harry Babasin)

Harry Babasin - Cello & Bass Larry Bunker - Vibes Bob Enevoldsen - V. Trombone & Bass Jimmy Rowles - Piano Roy Harte - Drums

Soul-O Cello Fred Katz and His Music Decca DL 9202

Paul Horn, fl, clar; Ron Mason; John Pisano, guitar; Harold Gaylor, bass; Clavin Jackson,piano; ??, drums (liner notes indicate a "special guest" (someone under contract to another label...)

• Country Garden

• Wayfairing Stranger

• Andante

• Come With Me

Old Friends, New Friends Ralph Towner ECM-1-1153 1979

• New Moon
• Yesterday and Long Ago
• Celeste
• Special Delivery
• Kupala
• Beneath an Evening Sky

Ralph Towner, 12 string and classical guitars, pno, french horn; Kenny wheeler, tpt, flugelhorn; Eddie Gomez, bass; Michael Di Pasqua, drums, perc; David Darling, vc. Recorded July 1979 at Talent Studio, Oslo. This is a record I've always loved. Beautiful arching tunes from Towner who writes and plays so well. Features Kenny Wheeler and David Darling on the front line.

Flesh & Stone Glenn Ferris, 1994 Enja records

Recorded on 8th April 1994. Glenn Ferris, trombone; Vincent Segal, cello; and Bruno Rousselet, bass.

• Neurock'n'roll by Glenn Ferris.
• Azure by Duke Ellington
• Ahfra Love by Glenn Ferris Django by John Lewis
• Sticky and fudge by Glenn Ferris
• Burning Bush by Chris McGregor
• Flesh and Stone by Glenn Ferris

All arrangements by Glenn Ferris. Eva M, who supplied me with this info says, "I like this CD very much, it's very strange because of the unusual composition of the trio, but it's great. Django's version is wonderful.

Liner notes by Mike Zwerin: "VINCENT SEGAL was born in 1967 in Reims, France. He studied at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique of Lyon and at the BANFF Center of Canada. He was active in Pierre Boulez's IRCAM Parisian experimental music studio and worked with the Zairian superstar Papa Wemba as well as the Brazilian super- percussionist Nana Vasconcelos".

The Heath Brothers As We Were Saying

Album has all three Heath brothers (Percy,Jimmy,Albert) w/ others including Jon Faddis, and Slide Hampton. Percy, MJQ bassist also plays pizz. cello on multiple tracks one of them being Fats Navarro tune Nostalgia. This is the only recording I know that Percy has recorded on cello. Jimmy Heath:tenor/soprano sax,Percy Heath: bass cello, Alber Heath:drums/percussion w/ Mark Elf: guitar,Sir Roland Hanna: piano, Slide Hampton:trombone,Stanley Cowell:piano and Kalimba, Jon Faddis:trumet and flugelhorn,James Mtume:percussion Concord Jazz (Cd-4777-2)

• The Newest One
• Bop Agin
• For Seven's Sake
• South Filthy
• I'm Glad There Is You
• Dave's Haze
• DayDream
• Nostalgia
• This Is What It Is

(thanks to Chris Hoffman for this info)

Ron Carter Where?

This album features many of the same players on "Out There" Mal Waldren:piano, Eric Dolphy:bass clr,alto sax, flute. George Duvivier:bass, Charles Persip:drums, Ron Carter: cello bass. Prestige, New Jazz NJ8365 Englewood Cliffs, NJ June 20,1961 Digital mastering 1990

• Rally
• Bass Duet Softley
• As In A Morning Sunrise
• Where Yes
• Indeed
• Saucer Eyes

(information courtesy of Chris Hoffman)

David Holland/Derek Bailey Improvisations For Cello And Guitar ECM 1013

• Improvised Piece III
• Improvised Piece IV
• Improvised Piece V

Recorded at the Little Theatre Club, London; January, 1971.

David Eyges Crossroads Music Unlimited MU7432

Byard Lancaster-alto, soprano sax; flute; piccolo David Eyges-cello Sunny Murray-drums

• Crossroads
• Good Medicine
• nothing has changed...yet everything has changed
• Cast a Long Shadow
• The Way It Is
• Tree-Life
• A Moment of Recognition
• Loquacity (all comp. by David Eyges)

Listings in Need of More Information

[Courtesy of David Hollender]

• Ray Brown: Ray Brown with the AllStar Big Band, recently reissued as Ray Brown/Milt Jackson "Much In Common" on Verve
• Sam Jones, Sam Jones Plus 10 "The Chant" on Riverside
• Annabelle Hoffman, Trio Concertante, GM Recordings GM2035CD (a bit of improvisation)
• Ray Brown with Jack Wilson, "Something Personal" on Verve

• Martin Schütz plays the normal cello, I think, and also a special instrument called "bassocello " (or electric 5-string cello). You can find a picture of him with this instrument at the follwing address: http://www.kontrabass.ch/ref_msdr.html
• Listing of Martin Schütz's recordings: Hans Burgener (violin), Barre Phillips (bass), Martin Schütz (cello) see the follwing 2 CDs http: //www.shef.ac.uk/misc/rec/ps/efi/labels/for4ears/for4929.html http://www.shef.ac.uk/misc/rec/ps/efi/labels/for4ears/for4515.html Hans Anliker (tb), Hans Burgener, Michael Lytle (bcl), Martin Schütz (cello, e-cello) see the following CD: http://www.shef.ac.uk/misc/rec/ps/efi/labels/for4ears/for4409.html Hans Koch (reeds), Martin Schütz (bass, cello), Marco Kaeppeli (drums) see the following CD: http://www.ecmrecords.com/ecm/recordings/1357.html