Plays Mack The Knife and Other Kurt Weill Songs (2 LPs on 1 CD)

This release contains the complete LP "Plays Mack the Knife" (1961), appearing here on CD for the first time ever. It presents Johnson fronting a quartet that includes André Previn on piano, Red Mitchell on bass and Frank Capp on drums -quartet recordings are not especially common in Johnsons discography- playing songs by the celebrated Kurt Weill.

As a bonus, another complete LP by Johnson, "Trombone and Voices" (1960), which also appears here on CD for the first time. Although we are aware that the concept and arrangements on this bonus album might seen outdated, we believe that J.J.s solos clearly merit it being reissued.


Tracklisting:

01. BILBAO SONG [From Happy End] (4:05)
02. BARBARA SONG [From The Threepenny Opera] (6:06)
03. OVERTURE [From The Threepenny Opera] (5:03)
04. SEERÄUBER JENNY [From The Threepenny Opera] (4:20)
05. MACK THE KNIFE [aka Moritat; From The Threepenny Opera] (4:52)
06. SURABAYA-JOHNNY [From Happy End] (4:14)
07. WIE MAN SICH BETTET [From Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny] (6:07)
08. UNZULÄNGLICHKEIT [From The Threepenny Opera] (4:52)
09. PORTRAIT OF JENNY (3:31)
10. ONLY THE LONELY (2:31)
11. SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE A MOTHERLESS CHILD (3:11)
12. IN A SENTIMENTAL MOOD (2:35)
13. GET OUT OF TOWN (2:16)
14. IM GLAD THERE IS YOU (3:56)
15. YOURE MY GIRL (2:57)
16. TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH (2:20)
17. WHAT IS THERE TO SAY (2:24)
18. LAZY BONES (2:58)

Total Time: 68:25 min.


Tracks #1-8 from "Plays Mack the Knife" (Columbia CL 1741)
Tracks #9-18 from "Trombone and Voices" (Columbia CL 1547)


Personnel on "Plays Mack the Knife" :
J.J. Johnson (tb), André Previn (p), Red Mitchell (b) and Frank Capp (d). Recorded in Los Angeles, on December 31, 1961.

Personnel on "Trombone and Voices" :
J.J. Johnson (tb soloist) with orchestra & chorus conducted and arranged by Frank De Vol. Recorded in New York, on June 23 [#9,11 & 18], June 24 [#13 & 15] & June 28 [#10,12,14 & 16-17], 1960.