compiled by Michael Fitzgerald
June 24, 1998 – October 10, 1999
This is not a catalog. This is a discographical tool for researchers. I have no idea how to obtain these records.
Thanks to contributors:
John Barrett <johnbarrettjr@yahoo.com>
Pete Giankopoulos <oldschrec@aol.com>
Chuck Nessa <cnessa@earthlink.net>
Elijah Wald <elijah@igc.org>
François Ziegler <ziegler@math.psu.edu>
Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies
Brian Priestley: Mingus
| TRLP | ARTIST | TITLE | RECORDED | STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F-1 | Gary, Sam | Sam Gary Sings | 1955.12.13 | Phoenix |
| F-2 | (Various Artists?) | Chicago Blues | [UNRECORDED?] | |
| F-3 | Gary, Sam | Gary Sings The Gospel | [UNRECORDED?] | |
| F-4 | Boguslav, Raphael | Boguslav | [UNRECORDED?] | |
| F-5 | Mapes, Jo | [UNRECORDED?] | ||
| F-6 | Laurence, Dean | [UNRECORDED?] | ||
| M-1 | Powell, Lovey | Lovelady, Upstairs At The Duplex | 1956.03.19 | Phoenix |
| C-1 | Woollen, Russell | Flute Quartet | 1954.08 | Phoenix |
| 1 | Pomeroy, Herb | Jazz In A Stable | 1955.03.13 | BN |
| 2 | Windhurst, Johnny | Jazz At Columbus Ave. | 1955.04.22 | GHB |
| 3 | ? | Jazz Underground | BN? | |
| 4 | Byrd, Donald | Byrd's Eye View | 1955.12.02 | BN |
| 5 | Byrd, Donald | Byrd-Jazz | 1955.08.23 | DD 407 |
| 6 | Lateef, Yusef | Yusef | [UNRECORDED] | |
| 7 | Adams, Pepper | Pepper | [UNRECORDED?] | |
| 8 | Adams, Pepper | Quintet Introducing Curtis Fuller [UNISSUED] | 1955.04.20 | BN 84437 |
| 9 | ? | Birmingham Jam | [UNRECORDED?] | |
| 10 | Sun Ra | Jazz By Sun Ra | 1956.07.12 | DD 411 |
| 11 | Mingus, Charles | [NOT ACQUIRED] | ||
| 12 | Coleman, Dave | These Things By Dave Coleman | [RECORDED AND ERASED] | See below |
| 13 | ||||
| 14 | ||||
| 15 | Woollen, Russell | Quartet For Flute And Strings | 1954.08 | Phoenix |
| 16 | ||||
| 17 | Byrd, Donald | Byrd Blows On Beacon Hill | 1956.05.07 | BN (J) 5887 |
| 18 | Migliori, Jay | Jazz Down Beat [UNISSUED] | 1955.11.07 | Migliori |
| 19 | Taylor, Cecil | Jazz Advance | 1956.09.14 | BN |
| 20 | Watkins, Doug | Watkins At Large | 1956.12.08 | BN (J) 5885 |
| 21 | Thompson, Lucky | Lucky Strikes! | 1956.03.29, 1956.04.17 | Xanadu 204 |
| 23 | Dartmouth Indian Chiefs | Chiefly Jazz | ||
| 27 | Thorne, Fran | Piano Reflections By Fran Thorne | 1956.05.20 | Thorne |
| 28 | Sun Ra | [UNISSUED] | 1957.11.01 | DD 414 |
| 29 | ||||
| 30 | Smith, Louis | [UNISSUED] | 1957.02.04, 1957.02.09 | BN 52438 |
| 30 | Various Artists | Jazz In Transition (sampler) |
Annotations
All albums (other than first 8 which are folk, mood, classical) may have additional J (jazz) prefix. Masters now variously held by Blue Note (BN), Phoenix, GHB/Jazzology, Delmark (DD), and by the artists in some cases. Questions arise concerning several of these. Those in bold are known to exist. Other information is from (heavily annotated) Transition brochures in the collection of Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies.
Not to be confused with his Prestige album of the same name, the Lucky Thompson is a reissue of material recorded for the French Swing label. It later appeared on the Xanadu label and is currently available on BMG/Vogue.
In an interview published in Radio Free Jazz, July 1979 p. 20, Sheila Jordan says, “Duke [Jordan] made an album for Transition records in Boston and they signed me to record with him. When the day came, I had a very bad cold and the chance never came around again. Transition went out of business.” No other information is known about a Duke Jordan Transition album (or the planned album with Sheila Jordan).
A test pressing exists with seven outtakes from TRLP-10 by Sun Ra and one track from Dave Coleman (assumedly from the session which was recorded and erased) and two items from a co-led date by Joe Gordon and Roy Haynes (playing Bags Groove: one take with a botched ending and then with an insert of a corrected ending). This disc, produced at Fassett Recording Studio, 24 Chestnut St., Boston, MA, is labeled side 3 and side 4, so it is assumed to be part of a two-Lp set.
Below are excerpts from the Spring 1956 catalogue.
3
Group of dynamic new stars from Boston and Detroit collaborate on Castle Rock, Night Train, et al.
9
Transition premieres some jazz developments in the Deep South that will rock the jazz scene like the advent of West Coast Jazz. No names until we sign exclusive contracts.
11
The tunes that stunned the Newport Jazz Festival last summer…the same songs from the controversial 92nd St. YMHA concert in New York. Featuring the uncrowned leader of the new jazz movement, Charlie Mingus with Teo Macero and John LaPorta.
This album apparently would have included the following (titles and personnel from the July 17, 1955 Newport performance):
Art Farmer-tpt
John LaPorta-asx, cl
Teo Macero-tsx
Britt Woodman, Eddie Bert-tbn
Teddy Charles-vbs
Mal Waldron-p
Charles Mingus-b
Elvin Jones-d
-
- The Emperor
-
- Sounds of April
-
- Minor Intrusion
- Non-sectarian
No later recording of these tunes is listed in Brian Priestley’s Mingus discography. [MF]
12
Guitar, Baritone and Alto Sax, Violin, 2 Trumpets, Bass, and Drums create the new sound the whole East is talking about. Four classics of advanced jazz composition by talented Dave Coleman.
Retitled Later Issues
BN 52438 Louis Smith: Here Comes Louis Smith
BN 84437 Paul Chambers: Chambers’ Music
DD 407 Donald Byrd: First Flight
This was initially issued as Yusef Lateef: Yusef contrary to note in Bruyninckx that it was withdrawn before issue. Yusef coincidentally (?) was the intended name of Transition TRLP-6 (a completely different album?). It was in 1990 that 407 was again credited to Byrd and titled First Flight.
DD 411 Sun Ra: Sun Song
DD 414 Sun Ra: Sound Of Joy
Xanadu 204 Lucky Thompson: Brown Rose
Others are issued with original titles.
From TRLP F-1 booklet:
The inclusion of the letter “F” in the code number of this record indicates that it is one of the albums belonging to TRANSITION’S series of folk records.
In coming months TRANSITION will release several recordings featuring the talents of new and exciting folk artists as well as those of already familiar figures. Among those presented will be albums by ODETTA, SONNY TERRY, JO MAPES, DEAN LAURENCE, PETE STEIN AND RAPHAEL BOGUSLAV. Further titles in the series will be announced within the year.
Also in the offering is a series featuring folk songs at the colleges. It has long been recognized (and lamented) by folk-enthusiasts that the traditional cultures of America which had added voluminously to the mainstream of folk music of the English – The Ozarks, The Southern Appalachians, The Westland Southwest, the Whaling Ports of New England, etc. – were ceasing to produce new material to the rapid technological advances which have penetrated them. Folk music has now become the province of the student – n.b.: the student, not the scholar.
In colleges all over America folk music is enjoying an unparalleled revival which has spread the interest in traditional music even into the popular field. TRANSITION will soon present the folk music heard most often on campus as sung by the enthusiastic folksingers of Harvard, Swarthmore, Black Mountain, etc., and well as the Universities of the mid- and far West.