''The Jazz Harpist'' is the debut studio album by American jazz harpist
Dorothy Ashby released in 1957 by the
Regent label.
Reception
Allmusic reviewed the album awarding it 4½ stars stating "Her first, and best, album has Frank Wess on flute".
[Nastos, M. G]
Allmusic Review
accessed May 13, 2013
A reviewer of
Dusty Groove
Dusty Groove is a Chicago-based online record store specializing in new and vintage jazz, funk, soul, hip-hop, world, rare, collectible, and vinyl records and CDs.
History Online record store
Founded in 1996 by University of Chicago alumn ...
wrote 'Jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby has always had one of the most unusual sounds around – and even though it might sound a bit crazy at first, her mix of harp playing with tight jazzy backing is always a winning combination. This early album has Ms Ashby playing with a groovy little combo that includes Frank Wess on flute, Ed Thigpen on drums, and Wendell Marshall on bass. Even at this early age, Dorothy shows her writing skills well with the originals "Aeolian Groove, "Lamentation", and "Spicy" – and she does a nice job with the other standards she chooses to cover. A nice record, with a soulful sound that you wouldn't expect!"
Track listing
''All compositions by Dorothy Ashby except as indicated''
# "
Thou Swell
"Thou Swell" is a show tune, a popular song and a jazz standard written in 1927.
History
The music was written by Richard Rodgers, with words by Lorenz Hart, for the 1927 musical '' A Connecticut Yankee''. The lyric is notable, as indicated by ...
" (
Lorenz Hart
Lorenz Milton Hart (May 2, 1895 – November 22, 1943) was an American lyricist and half of the Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart. Some of his more famous lyrics include " Blue Moon", " The Lady Is a Tramp", "Manhattan", "Bewitched, Both ...
,
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most ...
) - 4:02
# "
Stella by Starlight" (
Ned Washington,
Victor Young) - 3:09
# "
Dancing on the Ceiling" (Hart, Rodgers) - 7:31
# "Aeolian Groove" - 4:16
# "Quietude" - 2:52
# "Spicy" - 3:41
# "Lamentation" - 4:03
Personnel
*
Dorothy Ashby -
harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...
*
Frank Wess
Frank Wellington Wess (January 4, 1922 – October 30, 2013) was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. In addition to his extensive solo work, Wess is remembered for his time in Count Basie's band from the early 1950s into the 1960s. Critic ...
-
flute
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
*
Eddie Jones Edward, Eddie, or Ed Jones may refer to:
Architecture
* Edward Vason Jones (1909–1980), American neoclassical architect
* Edward Jones (English architect) (born 1939), English architect who designed the Saïd Business School
* Edward Jones (Wel ...
(tracks 3, 6 & 7),
Wendell Marshall
Wendell Marshall (October 24, 1920 – February 6, 2002) was an American jazz double-bassist.
Marshall was Jimmy Blanton's cousin. He studied at Lincoln University, then served in the Army during World War II. Following his discharge, he perfor ...
(tracks 1, 2, 4 & 5) -
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
*
Ed Thigpen -
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 ...
Production
*
Ozzie Cadena - supervisor
*
Rudy Van Gelder - engineer
References
External links
A Dorothy Ashby Discography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jazz Harpist, The
Dorothy Ashby albums
1957 albums
Albums recorded at Van Gelder Studio
Albums produced by Ozzie Cadena