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Transition label discography

This is a discography of albums released on the Transition label in the late 1950's.

The main section of the page lists the main series of albums released in 1956 and 1957. The series runs from Transition TRLP 1 to Transition TRLP 30. There are gaps in this sequence of catalog number - presumably catalog numbers that were not used or albums that have not been identified.

The second section of the page lists albums from the 1950s that appear to be the only releases in other planned series of Transition albums.

The final section lists later releases that collect tracks from Transition albums.

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Transition main series

Jazz in a Stable, Herb Pomeroy, 1956, Transition TRLP 1

Tracks : It Might As Well Be Spring, Honey Bunny, Moten Swing, Porta Desks And Tuxedos, One Bass Hit, Black Coffee, Taboo, Off Minor, Sweet And Lovely, Ray's Idea, Dear Old Stockholm

Musicians : Herb Pomeroy, Varty Haroutunian, Ray Santici, John Neves, James Zitano

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Jazz at Columbus Ave., Johnny Windhurst, 1956, Transition TRLP 2

Tracks : Back In Your Own Backyard, You Do Something To Me, Memphis Blues, Strut Miss Lizzie, Lover Come Back To Me, Georgia On My Mind, When You're Smiling

Musicians : John Windhurst, Hamilton Carson, Bud Blacklock, Jim Andrews, Buell Neidlinger, Walter Gifford

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Byrd's Eye View, Donald Byrd, 1956, Transition TRLP 4

Tracks : Doug's Blues, El Sino, Everything Happens To Me, Hank's Tune, Hank's Other Tune

Musicians : Donald Byrd, Joe Gordon, Hank Mobley, Horace Silver, Doug Watkins, Art Blakey

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Byrd Jazz, Donald Byrd, 1956, Transition TRLP 5

Tracks : Blues, Tortion Level, Woody 'N You, Dancing In The Dark, Parisian Thoroughfare, Yusef, Shaw 'Nuff

Musicians : Donald Byrd, Yusef Lateef, Bernard McKinney, Barry Harris, Alvin Jackson, Frank Grans

Subsequently released on Delmark as First Flight.

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Jazz by Sun Ra, Sun Ra, 1956, Transition TRLP 10

Tracks : Brainville, Call for all Demons, Transition, Possession, Street Named Hell, Lullaby for Realville, Future, New Horizons, Fall off the Log, Sun Song

Musicians : Sun Ra, Art Hoyle, Dave Young, Julian Priester, James Scales, John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, Richard Evans, Wilburn Green, Robert Barry, Jim Herndon

Subsequently released on Delmark as Sun Song. Also released on Sonet.

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Quartet for Flute and Strings, Russell Woollen, 1956, Transition TRLP 15

Tracks : I: Comodo, II: Andante, III: Rondo - Allegro Comodo

Musicians possibly: Wallace Mann, George Steiner, Norman Lamb, John Martin

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Byrd Blows on Beacon Hill, Donald Byrd, 195?, Transition TRLP 17

Tracks : Little Rock Getaway, Polka Dots And Moonbeams, People Will Say We're In Love, If I Love Again, What's New, Stella By Starlight

Musicians : Donald Byrd, Ray Santisi, Doug Watkins, Jim Zitano

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Jazz Advance, Cecil Taylor, 1956, Transition TRLP 19

Tracks : Bemsha Swing, Charge 'Em Blues, Azure, Song, You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To, Rick Kick Shaw

Musicians : Cecil Taylor, Steve Lacy, Buell Neidlinger, Dennis Charles

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Watkins at Large, Doug Watkins, 1956, Transition TRLP 20

Tracks : Return To Paradise, Phinupi, Phil T. McNasty's Blues, More Of The Same

Musicians : Doug Watkins, Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, Duke Jordan, Kenny Burrell, Arthur Taylor

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Lucky Strikes!, Lucky Thompson, 195?, Transition TRLP 21

Tracks : Quick As A Flash, The Parisian Knight, Street Scene, Angel Eyes, To You Dear One, But Not Tonight, A Distant Sound, Once Upon A Time, Still Waters, Theme For A Brown Rose, A Sunkissed Rose, Portrait Of Django

Musicians : Lucky Thompson, Christian Bellest, Fernand Verstraete, Andre Paquinet, Charles Verstraete, Jo Hrasko, Marcel Hrasko, Martial Solal, Sir John Peter, Benoit Quersin, Dave Pochonet

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Chiefly Jazz, Dartmouth Indian Chiefs, 195?, Transition TRLP 23

Tracks : South Rampart Street Parade, The Joyous Advent Of The Everything Machine, Begin The Beguine, Last Year Blues, Ol' Man River, Body And Soul, It's All Right With Me, Blues Of The Emperor Jones, I Could Have Danced All Night, Barbados

Musicians : Larry Elliott, Al Shapiro, Dave Cook, John Berge, Pete Bullis, Barry Bockus, Cliff Olds

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Piano Reflections, Fran Thorne, 195?, Transition TRLP 27

Tracks : How Long Has This Been Going On, New Orleans, Little Girl Blue, If I Had You, What's New, Lush Life, The Girl Friend, A Sleepin' Bee, Down In The Depths, Prelude To A Kiss

Musicians : Fran Thorne

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Jazz in Transition, Various Artists, 1957, Transition TRLP 30

Tracks : Swing A Little Taste (Sun Ra), Crazy Rhythm (Donald Byrd), Backstreet (Paul Chambers et al), Tiny's Blues (Herb Pomeroy), Train's Strain (Paul Chambers et al), Sweet And Lovely (Cecil Taylor), Something's Gotta Give (Jay Migliori)

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Transition: other albums

Lovelady, Lovey Powell, 1956, Transition TRLP M 1

Tracks : Once In A Blue Moon, Mr. Patterson, What Became Of Me, On The First Warm Day, I'll Remember April, Bidin' My Time, Lazy Afternoon, Moritat, Tea In Chicago, If Love Were All, Miss Otis Regrets, Ten Cents A Dance, Bargain Day, Glad Rag Doll, Poor Pierrot, Lilac Wine Musicians : Lovey Powell, Brooks Morton

This appears to be the only release in a planned "Mood" series of albums.

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Sam Gary Sings, Sam Gary, 1957, Transition TRLP F 1

Tracks : Red Sun, Go Down Moses, Troubles Of The World, Motherless Child, Go Away From My Window, Whirl And Twirl Me, His Eye Is On The Sparrow, Scandalize My Name, A Closer Walk With Thee, Shenandoah Musicians possibly: Sam Gary, Dean Laurence

This appears to be the only release in a planned Folk series of albums.

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Selected CD releases that collect Transition recordings

The Transition Sessions, Donald Byrd & Doug Watkins, 2002, Blue Note

Tracks : Doug's Blues, El Sino, Crazy Rhythm, Everything Happens To Me, Hank's Other Tune, Hank's Tune, Little Rock Getaway, Polka Dots And Moonbeams, If I Love Again, Stella By Starlight, Return To Paradise, Phinupi, Phil T. McNasty's Blues, More Of The Same, Panonica, People Will Say We're In Love, What's New

Notes : This 2 CD release combines 3 LPs originally released on the Transition label: Byrd's Eye View, Byrd Blows On Beacon Hill and Watkins At Large. Crazy Rhythm was originally released on the Jazz In Transition compilation. Hank Mobley plays on the Byrd's Eye View and Watkins At Large albums.

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Jazz Advance (Deluxe Edition), Cecil Taylor, 2008, Fresh Sounds

Tracks : Bemsha Swing, Charge 'Em Blues, Azure, You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To, You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To, Rick Kick Shaw, Sweet And Lovely, Johnny Come Lately, Nona's Blues, Tune 2

Musicians : Cecil Taylor, Steve Lacy, Buell Neidlinger, Dennis Charles

An expanded version of the 1956 Transition album.

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Last updated September 2015