Billy Butler - Night Life (1971) [re-rip]

Butler was a versatile musician who, on ballads in particular displayed a very interesting sound, sometimes sliding between notes as if he were playing a steel guitar. ~ Scott Yanow, AMG.

The music on this LP is generally in the Soul Jazz vein. Butler apart from the title track Nightlife performs mostly standards including Wave, Watch What Happens, Prelude To A Kiss and In A Mellow Tone; along with one of his own; Peacock Alley. His sidemen include Houston Person or Jesse Powell on tenors, Johnny "Hammond" Smith on keyboards (electric piano or organ), electric bassist Bob Bushnell, and Jimmy Johnson on drums. This is a distinct improvement on "This Is BillyButler!" and is highly recommended

Prestige Records, PRST 7854, 1971

Recorded in 1971 at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Billy Butler - Guitar

Johnny "Hammond" Smith - Organ, Electric Piano (#A3)

Jesse Powell - Tenor Saxophone

Houston Person - Tenor Saxophone (#A3,B3)

Bob Bushnell - Electric Bass

Jimmy Johnson - Drums

Tracks:

A1. Nightlife {Walt Breeland, Paul Buskirk, Willie Nelson} (5:57)

A2. Wave {Antonio Carlos Jobim} (5:52)

A3. Watch What Happens {Jacques Demy, Norman Gimbel, Michel Legrand} (5:03)

B1. Peacock Alley {Billy Butler, Bill Doggett} (4:08)

B2. Prelude To A Kiss {Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Irving Gordon} (5:07)

B3. In A Mellotone {Duke Ellington, Milt Gabler} (9:44)

Credits:

Producer, Recording Supervisor - Bob Porter

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder
Design - Don Schlitten

Liner Notes - Sonny Mann: WFAS Radio, White Plains, N.Y. (February, 1971)

Whether you as an individual are a “day lifer" or a "night lifer", Billy Butler has something to say to you. Within this jacket is an album that will appeal to people young and also not so young. And better appeal - or diversity - is hard to come by! ~ Extract from Liner Notes by Sonny Mann.