''The Legendary Buster Smith'' is the debut and only solo album released by American
saxophonist Buster Smith, recorded and released in
1959
Events January
* January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
* January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...
. The album features five original compositions by Smith, alongside versions of "
September Song" by
Kurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...
and "
Organ Grinder’s Swing" by
Will Hudson
William Robert Hudson (born March 30, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Oakland University where he broke the school record with 137 games played and 345 offensive rebounds.
High school ...
.
Background
In 1959, after several years of suggestion by
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
,
alto saxophonist
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...
Buster Smith put together a band to perform a session of Jazz pieces. The album was recorded in a single studio session on June 7, 1959 and was released the next month on August 15. The lineup featured mostly Dallas based musicians, including Smith's own brother Boston Smith.
The album was digitally remastered, remixed and produced in 1999 and released for the first time on
compact disc on October 19 of that year.
Track listing
#"Buster's Tune" – 3:35
#"E Flat Boogie" – 6:53
#"September Song" (
Maxwell Anderson,
Kurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...
) – 3:52
#"King Alcohol" – 4:34
#"Kansas City Riffs" – 5:17
#"Late Late" – 7:42
#"Organ Grinder's Swing" (
Will Hudson
William Robert Hudson (born March 30, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Oakland University where he broke the school record with 137 games played and 345 offensive rebounds.
High school ...
) – 6:35
All compositions by Buster Smith except as indicated.
Personnel
Performing musicians
*Henry "Buster" Smith - Alto saxophone and guitar
*Eddie Cadell - Tenor saxophone
*Leroy "Hog" Cooper - Baritone saxophone
*Charles Gillum - Trumpet
*Clinton Smith - Trombone
*Herman Flowers or Boston Smith - Piano
*Josea Smith - Bass
*Robert Cobbs - Drums
Production
*Robert Sullivan - Engineer
*Gunther Schuller - Liner notes
*Donald Elfman - 1999 Reissue producer
*Naomi Yoshii - 1999 Reissue producer
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Legendary Buster Smith, The
1959 albums
Buster Smith albums
Atlantic Records albums