''Some of My Best Friends Are the Blues'' is an album by blues vocalist

Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, and his mot ...

which was recorded in Sweden in 1964 and released on the

Prestige Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...

label.Prestige Records discography
accessed May 15, 2013

Reception

Scott Yanow, writing for

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 databa ...

, stated: "Nothing all that memorable occurs, but the singer is in strong voice, and his fans will want to pick up this".Yanow, S
AllMusic listing
accessed May 15, 2013

Track listing

# "Some of My Best Friends Are the Blues" (Al Byron, Woody Harris) – 2:55 # "Everytime I Think About You" (

Claude Demetrius Claude Demetrius (August 3, 1916 – May 1, 1988) was an American songwriter. He was known for his rockabilly songs, some of which were made famous by singers such as Elvis Presley. Biography Demetrius was born in Bath, Maine, United States. By ...

) – 2:39 # "I Never Will Marry" (Traditional) – 2:48 # "

I Wanna Be Around "I Wanna Be Around" is a popular song. In the lyrics, the singer declares that he "wants to be around" when the woman who spurned him inevitably gets her heart broken. The song is credited to Sadie Vimmerstedt and Johnny Mercer. Origins Vimme ...

" ( Johnny Mercer, Sadie Vimmerstedt) – 3:27 # "

Teardrops from My Eyes "Teardrops from My Eyes", written by Rudy Toombs, was the first upbeat major hit for Ruth Brown, establishing her as an important figure in rhythm and blues. Recorded for Atlantic Records in New York City in September 1950, and released in October, ...

" (

Rudy Toombs Rudolph Toombs (1914 – November 28, 1962) was an American performer and songwriter. He wrote " Teardrops from My Eyes", Ruth Brown's first number one R&B song, and other hit songs for her, including "5-10-15 Hours". He also wrote " One Min ...

) – 2:59 # "And the Angels Sing" (

Ziggy Elman Harry Aaron Finkelman (May 26, 1914 – June 26, 1968), known professionally as Ziggy Elman, was an American jazz trumpeter associated with Benny Goodman, though he also led his group Ziggy Elman and His Orchestra. Early years Elman was born i ...

, Johnny Mercer) – 2:55 # " Who's Sorry Now?" (

Bert Kalmar Bert Kalmar (February 10, 1884 – September 18, 1947) was an American songwriter, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. He was also a screenwriter. Biography Kalmar, a native of New York City, left school at an early ag ...

Harry Ruby Harry Rubenstein (January 27, 1895 – February 23, 1974), known professionally as Harry Ruby, was an American actor, pianist, composer, songwriter and screenwriter, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.Ted Snyder Theodore Frank Snyder (August 15, 1881 in Freeport, Illinois – July 16, 1965 in Woodland Hills, California), was an American composer, lyricist, and music publisher. His hits include " The Sheik of Araby" (1921) and " Who's Sorry Now?" (1923). ...

) – 3:37 # "I'm Comin Down With the Blues" ( Don Covay) – 2:23 # "You're Next" (

Sid Tepper Sid Tepper (June 25, 1918 – April 24, 2015) was an American songwriter. He is best known for his collaborations with Roy C. Bennett, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley. Between 1945 and 1970, Tepper and Bennett published over 300 so ...

) – 2:16 # "Happy Blues" (Tony Bruno) – 2:14 # "That's Why I'm Leaving" (Lockie Edwards, Jr.) – 2:32 # "One Last Chance" (Jimmy Witherspoon) – 3:12

Personnel

– vocals *

Benny Bailey Ernest Harold "Benny" Bailey (August 13, 1925 – April 14, 2005) was an American jazz trumpeter. Biography A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Bailey briefly studied flute and piano before turning to trumpet. He attended the Cleveland Conserva ...

, Bertil Lövgren, Bengt-Arne Wallin – trumpet *

Åke Persson Åke Persson (February 25, 1932 – February 5, 1975) was a Swedish bebop jazz trombonist. Biography Persson was born in Hässleholm, southern Sweden and started his music career by playing valve trumper in school. Persson, known as "the Comet ...

Eje Thelin Eje Thelin (born Eilert Ove Thelin) (June 9, 1938 – May 18, 1990) was a Swedish trombonist. Thelin led his own quintet in 1961. From 1968 to 1972, he was on the faculty of the Music Academy in Graz, Austria. For the rest of the 1970s, he led hi ...

– trombone *Karl Nystrom, Bengt Olesson – French horn *Runo Erickson –

euphonium The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" o ...

*Lars Sloglund – oboe, English horn *

Arne Domnerus Arne may refer to: Places * Arne, Dorset, England, a village ** Arne RSPB reserve, a nature reserve adjacent to the village * Arné, Hautes-Pyrénées, Midi-Pyrénées, France * Arne (Boeotia), an ancient city in Boeotia, Greece * Arne (Thessaly), ...

– alto saxophone, clarinet *Bjarne Nerem –

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...

*Rune Falk – baritone saxophone, clarinet *Tosten Wennberg – saxophones, clarinet *Roman Dylag – bass * Egil Johansen – drums * Benny Golson – arranger

References

{{Authority control Jimmy Witherspoon albums 1964 albums Prestige Records albums Albums arranged by Benny Golson