''Chicken Fat'' is the debut album by American blues guitarist
Mel Brown recorded in 1967 for the
Impulse!
Impulse! Records (occasionally styled as "¡mpulse! Records" and "¡!") is an American jazz record company and label established by Creed Taylor in 1960. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s earliest signings. Thanks to consistent sales and positiv ...
label.
[Impulse! Records discography](_blank)
accessed April 11, 2011
Reception
The
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
review by Sean Westergaard awarded the album 4 stars stating "Guitarist Mel Brown is hailed as "An Impulse! Discovery" on ''Chicken Fat'', his debut for the label, and this album does feature a fantastic unique sound... Leave it to Impulse! to put a new spin on the guitar/organ sound. This is hot stuff".
[Westergaard, S]
Allmusic Review
accessed April 11, 2011
Track listing
''All compositions by Mel Brown, except as indicated''
# "Chicken Fat" - 4:16
# "Greasy Spoon" (Mel Brown,
Herb Ellis
Mitchell Herbert Ellis (August 4, 1921 – March 28, 2010), known professionally as Herb Ellis, was an American jazz guitarist. During the 1950s, he was in a trio with pianist Oscar Peterson.
Biography
Born in Farmersville, Texas, and raised ...
,
Paul Humphrey
Paul Nelson Humphrey (October 12, 1935 – January 31, 2014) was an American jazz and R&B drummer.
Biography
Humphrey was born in Detroit and began playing drums at age 8, taking private lessons in Detroit. In high school he played baritone hor ...
) - 5:53
# "Home James" - 6:34
# "Slalom" (Jules Chaikin) - 2:31
# "Hobo Flats" (
Oliver Nelson
Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album '' The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signifi ...
) - 2:18
# "Shanty" (Brown, Arthur Wright) - 4:40
# "Sad But True" (Ellis) - 5:01
# "I'm Goin' to Jackson" (Ellis) - 4:24
# "Blues for Big Bob" - 4:25
Recorded in Hollywood, California on May 31, 1967 (tracks 1-3, 7 & 8) and June 1, 1967 (tracks 4-6 & 9)
Personnel
*
Mel Brown -
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
*
Herb Ellis
Mitchell Herbert Ellis (August 4, 1921 – March 28, 2010), known professionally as Herb Ellis, was an American jazz guitarist. During the 1950s, he was in a trio with pianist Oscar Peterson.
Biography
Born in Farmersville, Texas, and raised ...
(tracks 1-3, 7 & 8), Arthur Wright (tracks 4-6 & 9) - guitar
*
Gerald Wiggins
Gerald Foster Wiggins (May 12, 1922 – July 13, 2008) was an American jazz pianist and organist.
Early life
Wiggins was born in New York City on May 12, 1922.Vacher, Pete"Wiggins, Gerry" ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'' (2nd edition). G ...
-
organ
Organ may refer to:
Biology
* Organ (biology), a part of an organism
Musical instruments
* Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone
** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument
** Hammond ...
(tracks 1, 3-7 & 9)
*Ronald Brown -
bass
*
Paul Humphrey
Paul Nelson Humphrey (October 12, 1935 – January 31, 2014) was an American jazz and R&B drummer.
Biography
Humphrey was born in Detroit and began playing drums at age 8, taking private lessons in Detroit. In high school he played baritone hor ...
-
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
(tracks 1-4, 7 & 8)
*
Oliver Nelson
Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album '' The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signifi ...
-
arranger
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...
(tracks 4-6 & 9)
References
{{Authority control
Impulse! Records albums
Albums arranged by Oliver Nelson
Albums produced by Bob Thiele
Mel Brown (guitarist) albums
1967 debut albums