“Gettin’ Together” is an album by Paul Gonsalves, recorded on December 20, 1960, at Bell Sound Studios, New York, produced by Orrin Keepnews with engineer Bill Stoddard. Originally released on Jazzland Records (JLP 936S), it was reissued by Jazz Workshop Vinyl as a 180-gram audiophile LP (JW-050). The lineup features Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone), Nat Adderley (cornet), Wynton Kelly (piano), Sam Jones (bass), and Jimmy Cobb (drums), with some tracks sans Adderley. The album includes standards like Yesterdays and I Cover the Waterfront, originals (J. and B. Blues, Gettin’ Together), and Jelly Roll Morton’s Low Gravy. The music is hard bop with bluesy and swinging elements, with Gonsalves’s saxophone warm and melodic, and Adderley adding bright accents. The Jazz Workshop reissue is lauded for its pristine sound, especially in the saxophone parts. Gettin’ Together is a gem, highlighting Gonsalves’s leadership beyond Ellington’s orchestra.
Paul Gonsalves (July 12, 1920 – May 15, 1974) was an American tenor saxophonist, best known as a soloist with Duke Ellington’s orchestra. Born in Brockton, Massachusetts, to Cape Verdean parents, he started on guitar before mastering saxophone. After serving in the Army during World War II, Gonsalves worked with Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie before joining Ellington in 1950. His 27-chorus solo on Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue at the 1956 Newport Festival revived the orchestra’s career. Gonsalves was a master of lyrical, flowing improvisation, blending a warm tone with energetic swing. As a leader, he recorded several albums, but his fame remained tied to Ellington. He died in London at 53, leaving a legacy as one of jazz’s great tenors.
TRACKLIST
Side One:
1. Yesterdays (Kern-Harbach) 3:35
2. J. And B. Blues (Joe Livramento) 4:57
3. I Surrender Dear (Barris-Clifford) 4:28 *
4. Hard Groove (Unknown) 4:57
Side Two:
1. Low Gravy (Jelly Roll Morton) 7:51
2. I Cover The Waterfront (Green-Heyman) 4:06 *
3. Gettin’ Together (Babs Gonzales) 4:54
4. Walkin’ (Richard Carpenter) 4:47 *
Personnel:
Paul Gonsalves (tenor sax), Nat Adderley (cornet), Wynton Kelly (piano), Sam Jones (bass), and Jimmy Cobb (drums).
Recorded at Bell Sound Studios, New York City, on December 20, 1960
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