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Aretha Franklin‘s ‘Aretha: With The Ray Bryant Combo’ is her second album also known as ‘Right Now It’s Aretha’ and released on February 27, 1961 by Columbia.
Abbey Lincoln‘s ‘Straight Ahead’ is an album recorded on February 22, 1961 with Eric Dolphy, Coleman Hawkins, Max Roach and others and released the same year by Candid.
‘Basin Street East Proudly Presents Miss Peggy Lee‘ is a live album arranged by Jack Marshall, recorded on February 9 & March 8, 1961 and released the same year by Capitol.
‘An Electrifying Evening with the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet’ is a live album recorded on February 9, 1961 at Museum of Modern Art in New York City and released the same year by Verve.
Tony Bennett‘s ‘Tony Sings for Two’ is a studio album recorded with the pianist Ralph Sharon and released on February 6, 1961 by Columbia,
Bill Evans‘ ‘Explorations’ is an album recorded on February 2, 1961 with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian and released in March 1961 by Riverside.
Sam Cooke‘s ‘Twistin’ the Night Away’ is his tenth studio album (and one of his most successful) recorded on January 30, 1961 and released in April 1962 by RCA
Julian ‘Cannonball’ Adderley’s ‘Know What I Mean?’ is an album recorded on January 27, February 21, March 13, 1961 with Bill Evans & the rhythm section of the Modern Jazz Quartet.
Ella Fitzgerald‘s ‘Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie!’ is a studio album recorded on January 23, 1961 &June 22-23, 1961 with a jazz quartet led by Lou Levy and released the same year By Verve.
Anita O’Day‘s ‘Trav’lin’ Light’ is an album (tribute to her idol Billie Holiday) recorded on January 18, 19, 1961 and released in 1961 By Verve.
Elvin Jones‘ ‘Elvin!’ is an album recorded on July 11 & December 27, 1961 and January 3, 1962 and released the same year by Riverside.
Bobby Bland‘s ‘Two Steps from the Blues’ is his debut album released on January 1, 1961 by Duke.
‘Backwater Blues’ by Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee is a live album recorded on December 29, 1961 at Sugar Hill in San Francisco and released on June 29, 1999 By Fantasy.
Ella Fitzgerald‘s ‘Ella Swings Brightly with Nelson’ is a studio album recorded on January 5, 1959–December 27, 1961 with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra and released in 1962 by Verve.
‘Bags Meets Wes!’ by Milt Jackson & Wes Montgomery is a collaboration album recorded in December, 1961 and released in 1962 By Riverside.
Quincy Jones‘ ‘The Quintessence’ is an album recorded with his orchestra on November 29, December 18 and 22, 1961.
Frank Sinatra‘s ‘Sinatra and Strings’ is an album (his first with arranger Don Costa) recorded on November 20, 21, 22, 1961 and released in January 1962 by Reprise.
John Coltrane‘s ‘Ballads’ is an album recorded on December 21, 1961; September 18 and November 13, 1962 and released in 1963 by Impulse!
Charles Mingus ‘Oh Yeah’ is an album recorded on November 6, 1961 with Mingus singing on three tracks and playing piano and released in 1962 by Atlantic.
John Coltrane‘s ‘Live at the Village Vanguard’ is his tenth album, recorded on November 2–3, 1961 with McCoy Tynerr, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones and released In March 1962 by Impulse! Records.