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Monster

  front cover   side a

1
5
J

2
.
.

3
.
.

4
.
.

5

Goldfinger (Part I)
2:47
Barry / Bricussse / Newley

Goldfinger (Part 2)
3:29
Barry / Bricussse / Newley

St. James Infirmary
5:13
Primrose

Gloomy Sunday
3:55
Seress / Lewis

Theme From “Bewitched”
3:07
Greenfield / Keller

 
  back cover   side b

1
5
J

2
.
.

3
.
.

4

Theme From “The Munsters”
3:42
Marshall

Man With The Golden Arm
4:33
Bernstein / Fine

The Creeper
5:31
Nelson

Monlope
6:18
Smith

 
  label a  

recording dates

studio

label

cat no.

 

19 & 20/01/65


Van Gelder’s Recording Studio, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

Verve

V6–8618

 

label b

PERSONNEL
organ
Jimmy Smith
 
     

arr/cond

 

Oliver Nelson

 
saxophone
  Robert Ashton (Tenor)
Danny Banks (Baritone)
Ray Beckenstein (Soprano)
George Dorsey (Alto)
Budd Johnson (Soprano)
Jerome Richardson (Tenor & Alto)
Phil Woods (Alto)
 
     
clarinet
  Robert Ashton
Danny Banks (Bass)
Ray Beckestein
George Dorsey
Harvey Estrin (Bbass)
Jerome Richardson
Phil Woods
 
flute
  Robert Ashton
Danny Banks (+ Alto)
Ray Beckenstein
George Dorsey
Harvey Estrin (Alto, Soprano)
Jerome Richardson
 
     
piccolo
  Ray Beckenstein  
     
oboe
  Jerome Richardson  
     
guitar
  Kenny Burrell  
     
bass
  Richard Davis  
     
percussion
  Warren T Smith, Jr.  
     
drums
  Grady Tate  
  TECH  
producer
  Creed Taylor  
     
engineer
  Rudy Van Gelder  
     
dir. of eng.
  Val Valentin  
REISSUES label   year   cat no.      
    none known              
REVIEW   In a contrast to Jimmy's previous studio album The Cat (christmas albums count with no one) which features no reed instruments at all, this one features nothing but reeds. Oliver Nelson is back in the arranger's chair and he steers the players into a fine performance. Stuffy jazz-snobs have derided this album for decades due to its material, which they clearly look down their collective nose at. This is rather unjust, as the album in not only quite fun, but the reed-based band gives the whole thing a lovely warmth. The two parts of Goldfinger are marvellous, featuring both some nice Jimmy action and great arrangements by Nelson, that manage to encompass the best moments from the entire score for the film. There is also a spirited take on Elmer Bernstein's Theme From "Man With The Golden Arm". An unjustly underrated album.  
   

additional artwork

     
 

inner gatefold