The Crescendo (music venue)
The Crescendo was a Hollywood music venue on Sunset Boulevard 1954-1964 run by Gene Norman of GNP Crescendo Records. Performers at the Crescendo included Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louie Armstrong, Harry James, Stan Kenton, Perez Prado, Machito, Ella Fitzgerald, George Shearing, June Christy, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Sam Cooke, Anita O'Day, Nina Simone, Mel Torme, Oscar Brown, Jr., Billy Eckstine, Herb Alpert, Tijuana Brass, Gerry Mulligan, Chico Hamilton, Art Tatum, Eddie Cano, Cal Tjader, jazz drummer Shelly Manne, Herbie Mann, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Jordan, and Joey Dee & the Starliters and others of the biggest names in jazz.[1] Folk music was represented with appearances by The Limeliters, Joe & Eddie, Theodore Bikel, Chad Mitchell and Jim McGuinn. The club also headlined comics including Mort Sahl, Don Rickles, Lenny Bruce, Shelley Berman, Lord Buckley, Tom Lehrer, Dick Gregory, Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, Redd Foxx, Jonathan Winters, and Bob Newhart.
Recordings made at the Crescendo
- Art Tatum: Live at the Crescendo, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2, 1954
- Earl Hines: Live at the Crescendo, Volume 2, 1954 [rel. 1992]
- Louis Armstrong at the Crescendo, Vol. 1, Vol. 2 & Vol. 3, 1955 (3CD set)
- Gene Norman Presents: Frank Morgan with Conte Candoli and Machito's Rhythm Section, 1955 [note: the CD reissue of this album has --as a bonus-- 5 tracks recorded August 1956 at "The Crescendo" with Jack Sheldon (trumpet), Frank Morgan (alto sax), James Clay (tenor sax, flute), Bobby Timmons (piano), Jimmy Bond (bass), and Lawrence Marable (drums)]
- Gene Norman Presents: Mr. Black Magic – Billy Daniels at the Crescendo, 1956
- Mel Tormé at the Crescendo, 1957
- George Shearing & The Quintet: On the Sunny Side of the Strip, 1958 [rel. 1960]
- Count Basie & His Atomic Band: Complete Live at the Crescendo, 1958 [rel. 2016] (5CD set)
- René Touzet and His Orchestra Play for Dancing at the Crescendo on the World Famous Sunset Strip, 1959
- Frances Faye: Caught in the Act (Recorded at the Crescendo), 1959
- T. C. Jones – Himself! At the Crescendo on the Sunset Strip, 1959 [rel. 1961]
- Jeri Southern at the Crescendo (An Intimate Live Performance), 1960
- Lambert, Hendricks & Ross with Zoot Sims: The Swingers! (Recorded in Hollywood at the Crescendo), 1960
- Eddie Cano & Jack Costanzo With Tony Martinez And His Orchestra: Dancing On The Sunset Strip, 1960
- Frank Bull and Gene Norman Present: The Teddy Buckner Band on the Sunset Strip, 1960
- Ella Fitzgerald: Ella in Hollywood (Recorded Live at the Crescendo), 1961
- Machito at the Crescendo, 1961
- And Now in Person...Jonah Jones (Recorded Live at the Crescendo on Hollywood's Fabulous Sunset Strip), 1963
- The Exotic Sounds of...Arthur Lyman at the Crescendo, 1963 [note: reissued as Cast Your Fate to the Wind, 1965]
- Wayne Newton: In Person! (Recorded on Stage at the Crescendo in Hollywood), 1964
References
- ↑ Harvey Kubernik, Scott Calamar -Canyon of Dreams: The Magic and the Music of Laurel Canyon 1402765894 2009 His flagship clubs, the Crescendo and the Interlude (from 1954-1964), were the teeming hubs for every major recording ... Performers at the Crescendo included Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louie Armstrong, Harry James, Stan Kenton, Perez Prado, Machito, Ella Fitzgerald, June Christy, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Sam Cooke, Anita O'Day, Nina Simone, Mel