Johnny Richards was a man of convictions. Hearing the Richards aggregation, one can feel the leader's expansive expressiveness working. His main goal was the creation of interesting, stimulating music, not music of any particular kind. "We are an ORCHESTRA, not a band of sections; an organized orchestra of interested and interesting musicians who play a music of many dimensions and feelings." Richards once said: "Our music is ambitious. That explains why our instrumentation is not exactly standard. Although we are a jazz orchestra, this does not mean that other musical forms and rhythms cannot be incorporated into our music. After all, music is expressed in many languages. We should be aware and learn from that."
Tracklist
Total time: 79:57 min.
01. Waltz, Anyone? (Johnny Richards) 6:06
02. For All We Know (Coots-Lewis) 3:17
03. Dimples (Johnny Richards) 7:12
04. Band Aide (Johnny Richards) 5:06
05. Turn Aboot (Johnny Richards) 6:27
06. Burrito Borracho (Johnny Richards) 4:12
07. Long Ago And Far Away (Kern-Gershwin) 2:56
08. Aijalon (Johnny Richards) 5:46
09. Walk Softly (Johnny Richards) 2:42
10. Run Wild (Johnny Richards) 3:57
11. The Way You Look Tonight (Kern-Fields) 3:47
12. Laura (Raksin-Mercer) 4:01
13. Tempest On The Charles (Johnny Richards) 4:53
14. Sundays Child (Johnny Richards) 3:06
15. Alone Together (Schwartz-Dietz) 2:17
16. Three Cornered Cat (Johnny Richards) 4:06
17. You Go To My Head (Coots-Gillespie) 3:42
18. Yemaya (Johnny Richards) 6:19
Album details
Sources:
Tracks #1-8, from "Something Else by Johnny Richards" (Bethlehem BCP 6011)
Tracks #9-18, from "Walk Softly / Run Wild" (Coral CRL 57304)
Personnel:
Tracks #2-8: Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Childers, Pete Candoli (tp), Stu Williamson (tp, v-tb), Shorty Rogers (b-tp), Vince De Rosa (Frh), Frank Rosolino, Tommy Pederson, Don Nelly (tb), Charlie Mariano (as), Richie Kamuca (ts), Ronny Lang (bs, piccolo), Bill Holman (bs), Marty Paich (p), Buddy Clark (b), Stan Levey (d), Lou Singer (mallets).
Recorded in Hollywood, August 2, 1956
Track #1: John Cave (Frh); Milt Bernardt replaces Don Nelly and Vince De Rosa (tb), Shorty Rogers out.
Recorded in Hollywood, August 3, 1956
Tracks #12-16: Burt Collins, Jerry Kail, John Bello, Ray Copeland (tp), Billy Byers, Jimmy Cleveland, Jim Dahl (tb), Jay McAllister (tuba); Joe Singer (Frh), Gene Quill (as), Frank Socolow (ts), Bill Slapin (bs, fl, piccolo), Shelly Gold (bs), John Kapp (p), Chet Amsterdam (b), Ed Shaughnessy (d), Warren Smith (perc).
Recorded in New York City, May 12, 1959
Track #11: Ted Sommer (perc) replaces Warren Smith.
Recorded in New York City, May 14, 1959
Tracks #10,14,17: Clyde Reasinger (tp), Julius Watkins (fh) and Dave Schildkraut (as) replace John Bello, Joe Singer and Gene Quill.
Recorded in New York City, May 19, 1959
Tracks #13,15,18: Recorded in New York City, June 9, 1959
Produced for CD release by Jordi Pujol
