You Better Believe It!


You Better Believe It! is an album by Jazz musician and bandleader Gerald Wilson. Recorded in 1961 for the Pacific Jazz label, it featuring a 17 piece orchestra, the music is arranged, directed and mainly composed by Wilson. The orchestra is made up of west coast-based musicians such as Richard "Groove" Holmes, Harold Land, and Carmell Jones.

Reception

rated the album with 4 stars; in his review, Joe Viglion said: "The 17-piece orchestra performs like a trio or quartet, each musician knowing where to be and when to execute, so the tension shifts and the moods change as subtle instrumentation slides in track by instrumental track. Shifting from quiet to quickly dramatic, the ideas keep flowing from Wilson's creative fount ".

Track listing

All compositions by Gerald Wilson except as indicated
  1. "Blues for Yna Yna" - 6:51
  2. "Jeri" - 3:40
  3. "Moody Blue" - 3:05
  4. "Straight Up and Down" - 3:49
  5. "The Wailer" - 7:16
  6. "You Better Believe It" - 5:16
  7. "Yvette" - 3:33

    Personnel