Marvin Jenkins – Big City (Palomar G 24001, 1965)

 

 

 Big City

 

 

updated 10/03/2026

 

 

Palomar records 1965 – G 24001

 

 Description:

Marvin Jenkins – Big City is a distinctive 1965 Palomar Records album 
that combines jazz, blues, soul and sophisticated vocal interpretations.
 Led by pianist, vocalist and composer Marvin Jenkins, the album moves 
through a varied collection of city-themed standards and original material,
 including “Big City,” “City Blues,” “I’m Always Drunk in San Francisco,”
 “Kansas City,” “Autumn in New York,” “Chicago,” and “Memphis Tennessee.”

Jenkins brings an intimate vocal style and a strong rhythmic approach to the session,
 while the arrangements feature an impressive group of West Coast jazz musicians. 
The personnel includes trumpeters Carmell Jones and Freddie Hill, flutist and 
saxophonist Buddy Collette, tenor saxophonist Clifford Scott, organists 
Richard “Groove” Holmes and Charles Kynard, guitarists Ray Crawford 

and John Gray,
 bassists Al McKibbon and Lewis Large, and drummers Donald Dean 

and Frank Severino.

Recorded in Hollywood in January 1965, Big City is an excellent example of the 
crossover between West Coast jazz, blues, soul-jazz and sophisticated R&B during 
the mid-1960s. Jenkins later became known for his work as an accompanist 
to Della Reese and for his piano contribution to Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On.

Line-up :

The album used different combinations of musicians from track to track,
 ranging from quartet to octet rather than one fixed band.

Marvin Jenkins – piano, vocals, clarinet
Carmell Jones – trumpet
Freddie Hill – trumpet
Buddy Collette – flute, tenor saxophone
Clifford Scott – tenor saxophone
Richard “Groove” Holmes – organ
Charles Kynard – organ
Ray Crawford – guitar
John Gray – guitar
Al McKibbon – bass
Lewis Large – bass
Donald Dean – drums
Frank Severino – drums

Recording date & studio

Recorded: January 1965
Location: Hollywood, California
Studio: Hollywood recording session — the available discographic sources
 identify the sessions as recorded in Hollywood, 
but do not give a more specific studio name.

tracklist:

A1        Big City
Written-By – Jenkins*
2:45
A2        I Love Paris
Written-By – Porter*
2:15
A3        I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco
Written-By – Wolf*
2:48
A4        Kansas City
Written-By – Lieber; Stoller*
3:27
A5        A Long Way From St. Louis
Written-By – Russell*, Brooks*
2:17
A6        City Blues
Written-By – Jenkins*
4:25
B1        A Rainy Day In L.A.
Written-By – Jenkins*
2:30
B2        Autumn In New York
Written-By – Duke*
2:50
B3        Chicago
Written-By – Fisher*
2:33
B4        Small Town
Written By – Camarata
3:00
B5        Memphis Tennessee
Written-By – Berry*
2:37
B6        Visit Me Today
Written-By – Jenkins*
1:52

 

 

Link available upon request