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Liston was a prolific arranger of music for big bands and jazz ensembles, and she wrote, co-wrote, and arranged music for Dizzy Gillespie, Randy Weston, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and other prominent jazz musicians from the 1940s to the 1990s. Unfortunately, her labor was often left uncredited (at least formally), so it is difficult to compile a complete and accurate works list of her arrangements.
The lists in the tables below focus on the musical pieces for which she is credited as composer.
| Song Title | Artist | Album | Year | Duration | Listen/Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Deliberate Speed | Elvin Jones | And Then Again | 1965 | 7:30 | YouTube link |
| Annie's Dance | Dizzy Gillespie | Dizzy in Greece | 1957 | 4:00 | YouTube link |
| Billy | Linda Presgrave | The Journey | 2005 | 4:45 | YouTube link |
| Blues Melba | Melba Liston and Her 'Bones | Melba Liston and Her 'Bones | 1959 | 6:30 | YouTube link |
| Elvin Elpus | Elvin Jones | And Then Again | 1965 | 6:00 | YouTube link |
| Green Street | Bennie Green | Mosaic Select: Bennie Green | 2000 | 5:10 | YouTube link |
| Insomnia | Melba Liston and Her 'Bones | Melba Liston and Her 'Bones | 1959 | 3:30 | YouTube link |
| Just Waiting | Al Grey | Snap Your Fingers | 1962 | 3:00 | YouTube link |
| Late Date | John Coltrane | The Bethlehem Years | 1987 | 3:45 | YouTube link |
| Len Sirrah | Elvin Jones | And Then Again | 1965 | 6:30 | YouTube link |
| Love Me a Long, Long Time | Gerald Wilson | Gerald Wilson and His Orchestra: 1945-1946 | 1998 | 3:00 | Spotify link |
| Marchin' the Blues | Quincy Jones | The Birth of a Band, Vol. 2 | 1959 | 2:45 | YouTube link |
| Melba's Blues | Count Basie | Jazz Casual: Sing and Swing | 2000 | 4:15 | YouTube link |
| Melba's Mood | Bennie Green | Back on the Scene | 1958 | 5:30 | YouTube link |
| Melba's Tune | Ernie Henry | Last Chorus | 1957 | 2:30 | YouTube link |
| Now Ain't It | Dave Burns | Warming Up! | 1964 | 4:00 | YouTube link |
| Rainbow | Abbey Lincoln | Devil's Got Your Tongue | 1993 | 4:45 | YouTube link |
| Tone Poem | Quincy Jones | I Dig Dancers | 1960 | 3:30 | YouTube link |
| Warm Mood | Gerald Wilson | Gerald Wilson and His Orchestra: 1945-1946 | 1998 | 3:00 | YouTube link |
| We Never Kissed | Jimmy Cleveland | Rhythm Crazy | 1959 | 4:00 | YouTube link |
| You Don't Say | Melba Liston and Her 'Bones | Melba Liston and Her 'Bones | 1959 | 4:00 | YouTube link |
| Zagreb This [sometimes listed as "Zagred This"] | Melba Liston and Her 'Bones | Melba Liston and Her 'Bones | 1959 | 4:30 | YouTube link |
| Song Title | Date | Duration | Library Info | Listen/Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billy | 1990 | 4:45 | WorldCat | YouTube link |
| Economy Package | 1990 | ? | WorldCat | |
| Insomnia | 1990 | 3:30 | WorldCat | YouTube link |
| Just Waiting | 1993 | 3:00 | WorldCat | YouTube link |
| Kenny | 1990 | ? | WorldCat | |
| Marchin' the Blues | 1990 | 2:45 | WorldCat | YouTube link |
| Zagreb This | 1990 | 4:30 | WorldCat | YouTube link |
| If You Could See Me Now [arranged] | 1946 | ? | WorldCat |
Note:
Columbia College Chicago's Center for Black Music Research (CBMR) maintains a Melba Liston collection, which includes the manuscripts of scores and lead sheets of Liston's compositions and arrangements. For more information, contact their College Archives & Special Collections.
