Gene Ammons - Velvet Soul (1960,61,62)

Classic mellow Jug - from a time when Prestige discovered that Gene Ammons would sell equally well to the mellow jazz crowd as to the jukebox jumpers. Most of the cuts feature Gene with a deep soulful tone that could qualify as "velvet",  but which still has enough of a rough edge to remain soulful. One track is played by a larger group, and the rest are with small combos that either feature organ or piano. Tracks include "Salome's Tune", "Velvet Soul", "Stranger In Town", and "Light N Up". © 1996-2013, Dusty Groove, Inc.

No Matter in what context we hear Gene Ammons, his characteristic directness and passion can easily be heard. As this set closes we can feel Ammons' concern with all that he plays and the passion with which he invests his music. Ammons has had his outing and he has, once again proven himself worthy of our attention. ~ Extracts from Liner Notes by Michael Gold (Feb. 1964).

Prestige Records, PRST 7320, 1964

Recorded 17^th June, 1960 (#A1,A2); 13^th June, 1961 (#B2);

& 5^th September, 1962 (#A3,B1,B3)

At Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:
Gene Ammons - Tenor Saxophone
Frank Wess - Tenor Saxophone (#A1,A2)

Hobart Dotson, Clark Terry - Trumpet (#B2)

Oliver Nelson - Alto Saxophone (#B2)

George Barrow, Red Holloway - Tenor Saxophone (#B2)

Bob Ashton - Baritone Saxophone (#B2)

Richard Wyands - Piano (#B2)

Johnny "Hammond" Smith - Organ (#A1,A2)

Mal Waldron - Piano (#A3,B1,B3)

Doug Watkins - Bass (#A1,A2)

Wendell Marshall - Bass (#A3-B3)

Arthur Taylor - Drums (#A1,A2)

Ed Thigpen - Drums (#A3,B1,B3)

Bill English - Drums (#B2)

Tracks:

A1. Velvet Soul {Johnny "Hammond" Smith} (8:54)

A2. In Sid's Thing {Gene Ammons} (5:26)

A3. Salome's Tune {Mal Waldron} (4:13)

B1. Light'n Up {Mal Waldron} (3:59)

B2. The Song Is You {Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II} (9:41)

B3. A Stranger In Town {Mel Tormé} (5:58)

Credits:

Supervision - Esmond Edwards

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Photography - Gai Terrell

Liner Notes - Michael Gold (Feb. 1964)