Kenneth Ascher - Selected Discography

Selected Discography

As leader

• Kenny Ascher, The Moog Machine, Switched-On Rock (played on Moog by Kenny) Columbia Records (1969)
• Kenny Ascher, Christmas Becomes Electric / The Moog (played on Moog by Kenny) Columbia Records (1970)

As arranger

• Woody Herman And The Thundering Herd, Concerto For Herd (Monterey Jazz Festival), Verve Records (Sep 17, 1967)

Woody's boogaloo, arranged by Ascher

• Paul Williams, Here Comes Inspiration, (LP) (Ascher is producer, conductor, arranger, writer, & pianist) A&M Records, (1974)
• Airto Moreira, Virgin Land (Salvation, 1974)
• Helen Reddy, No Way To Treat A Lady, Capitol Records (1975)

B3 – You Know Me, by Ascher & Williams

• Lori Lieberman, Letting Go, RCA Victor, arrangements by Ascher (19 Jun 1978)

As sideman or band member, on keyboards

• Howard Tate, Keep cool (Don’t be a fool), The Hit Factory (Oct 12, 1971)
• Tom Scott, Smoothin' on down, Epic/Ode, New York (July 1971)
• Patti Labelle, Moon Shadow (Ascher performs on tracks A3, A4, B2, B4), Warner Bros. Records (1972)
• Yvonne Elliman, Yvonne Elliman, Decca Records (1972)
• Bill Quateman, Bill Quatemen, (Ascher plays keyboards, produced the album, and wrote the string arrangements) CBS Records (1972)
• John Lennon, Mind Games (1973)
• Johnny Hartman, I've Been There (1973)
• Cecil Holmes, Cecil Homes Soulful Sounds, The - Black Motion Picture Experience, Buddah Records (1973)
• Bette Midler, Bette Midler, Atlantic Records (1973)
• Morgana King, New Beginnings, Paramount Records (1973)

A4 – The Sands Of Time And Changes (Ascher, piano)

B2 – A Song For You (Ascher, piano)

• Mark Murphy, Mark II, Muse Records (1973)
• John Prine, Sweet Revenge, Atlantic Records (1973)
• Carly Simon, Hotcakes, Electra Records (1974)
• Martha Reeves, Martha Reeves, MCA Records (1974)

B2 – Sweet Misery (Ascher plays clavinet and organ)

• Johnny Winter, John Dawson Winter III Columbia Records (1974)
• John Lennon, Whatever Gets You Through the Night (single) (Ascher plays clavinet) Apple Records (1974)
• John Lennon, Walls and Bridges (Ascher plays keyboards), Apple Records (1974)
• Paul Williams, A Little Bit Of Love, by Ascher & Nice To Be Around, by Williams (Ascher is producer, conductor, arranger, writer, & pianist) 45 RMP, Promo (1974)
• Paul Williams, A Little Bit Of Love (Ascher is producer, conductor, arranger, writer, & pianist), A&M Records (1974)

A1 – A Little Bit Of Love, by Ascher

A4 – Sunday, by Ascher

B2 – She Sings For Free, by Ascher

B5 – Loneliness, by Ascher

B6 – Sad Song, by Ascher

• James Taylor, Walking Man, Warner Bros. Records (1974)
• Harry Nilsson, Pussy Cats (Ascher: piano, conductor, orchestration), RCA Victor (1974)
• Yoko Ono, Feeling The Space (recorded 1974, released 1997)
• Airto, Virgin Land, Salvation (Feb 1974)

B4 – I don't have to do what I don't want to do (Ascher plays melletron on this track)

• Judy Collins, Judith, Elektra Records (1975)
• Merry Clayton, Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow, Ode Records (1975)
• John Lennon, Rock 'n' Roll (Ascher plays keyboards), Capitol Records (1975)
• Paul Simon, Still Crazy After All These Years (Ascher plays organ), Warner Bros. Records (1975)
• Gladys Knight & The Pips, 2nd Anniversary (Ascher plays keyboards) (1975)

B1 – You And Me Against The World, arr Don Hannah, written by Ascher & Williams

• John Tropea, The jingle, West Orange, NJ, Marlin (1975)
• Frankie Valli, Closeup, Private Stock Records (1975)
• Dr. John, Hollywood Be Thy Name, United Artists Records (1975)
• Nanette Natal, The beginning, New York, Evolution (date unknown, prob late 1970s)
• Leslie West, The Leslie West Band Phantom Records, distributed by RCA Records, and later, ESP Management Inc. (1975)
• Barbra Streisand & Kris Kristofferson, A Star Is Born (soundtrack), Columbia Records (1976)

A1 – Watch Closely Now, by Ascher

A5 – Hellacious Acres, by Ascher

B1 – The Woman In The Moon, by Ascher and Williams

B4 – Finale: With One More Look At You / Watch Closely Now, by Ascher and Williams

• Paul Williams, Classics, A&M Records (1977)

A2 – You And Me Against the World, by Ascher and Williams

A4 – Loneliness, by Ascher and Williams

B2 – With One More Look at You, by Ascher and Williams

(Ascher produced tracks: A2, A4, B4, B5)

• Phoebe Snow, Never Letting Go, Columbia Records (Ascher performs on keyboards and orchestrates on selections) (1977)
• Frankie Valli, Lady Put The Light Out, Private Stock Records (1977)
• Meat Loaf, Bat out of Hell, Epic Records (1977) (RIAA 14xPlatinum Certified)

A3 – Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad (string arrangement by Ascher)

B1 – Heaven Can Wait (string arrangement by Ascher)

• Tom Scott, Blow It Out, Ode Records (1977)

A2 – Smoothin' On Down (Ascher plays clavinet on this track)

• Maynard Ferguson, Conquistador, Columbia Records (1978)
• The Muppets, Movin' Right Along, (45 RPM) CBS Records Australia (1979)
• The Muppets The Muppet Movie Original Soundtrack Recording (Ascher co-writes, co-arranges, and performs on keyboards), Columbia Records, (1979)
• Perry Como, Perry Como, RCA Victor (1980)
• Earl Klugh, Late Night Guitar
• Yoko Ono, Walking On Thin Ice (45 RPM), Geffen Records (1981)

B – It Happened (Ascher, keyboards on the flipside only)

• Marvin Stamm, Stammpede, New York, Palo Alto (1983)
• Peter Dean, Radio, Inner City Records, New York (1984)
• Pat Williams’ New York Band, 10Th Avenue, New York, Soundwings (Dec 1986)
• Warren Bernhardt, Hands On (Kenny performs on the 2nd and 4th works) (CD) (1987)
• Dr. John, Mos' Scocious: The Dr. John Anthology, Rhino Records (1993)

2-15 – Back By The River (Ascher plays keyboard)

• David Matthews Orchestra, Furuhata Jazz in N.Y., New York, WEA Records (Japan) (1997)
• The Wiz (Original Soundtrack), MCA Records (1997)
• Gary LeMel, Moonlighting (Ascher is assistant conductor), Skylark Atlantic 83178-2 (1998)
• Alex Donner, White Tie, New York & Astoria, Black Tie Records (Mar 10, 1998-Sep 8, 2000)
• Patti LaBelle, Labelle, Wounded Bird Records (2000)

1 – Morning Much Better, Ascher – piano

6 – Running Out Of Fools - If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody, Ascher – piano

10 – Time, Ascher – piano

11 – When The Sun Comes Shining Through (The Ladder), Ascher – piano

• Wally Dunbar, Everything In Time, Nardis Consolidated Artists CAP953 (2000)
• Nelson Foltz, The Longing Hours, New York & Northvale, N.J., Syberdelix (2001)
• Jane Monheit, In the Sun, New York, N Coded Music (March–June 2002)
• Jane Monheit, Live at the Rainbow Room, N Coded Music (Sept 23, 2002)
• Scott Whitfield Jazz Orchestra East, Live at “Birdland,” Summit Records (March 10, 2003)
• Clay Aiken, Merry Christmas With Love, RCA Records (2004)
• Susan Robkin, Surfacing To Breathe (May 2004)
• Don Payne (bass), Rhapsodic Echoes, (Ascher plays piano on tracks 5 & 8) Recycled Notes Music Company (May 5, 2004)

5 – Unscheduled Departures

8 – M.A.P.S. (Bob Mann, Kenny Ascher, Don Payne, Allen Schwartzberg)

• Scott Whitfield, Diamonds for Nat, New York, Summit Records (April 12 & 13, 2005)
• Rod Stewart, Thanks for the Memory: The Great American Songbook, Volume IV, J-Records (Oct. 18, 2005)
• Steve Tyrell, The Disney Standards, Walt Disney Records (2006)

10 – When She Loved Me (Ascher, keyboards)

14 – Baby Mine, (Ascher, keyboards & string arrangements)

• Steve Tyrell, Back To Bacharach, Koch Records (2008)

4 – One Less Bell To Answer (piano, Ascher; arr Bacharach; strings arr, Ascher)

11 – Close To You (Ascher, piano)

12 – A House Is Not A Home (Ascher, piano)

• The Birdland Big Band, The Lew Anderson Tribute Concert (live), I.E.G. Inc. (June 1, 2007)
• Tommy Igoe and the Birdland Big Band, Live from New York (DVD) I.E.G. Inc. (Jan 1, 2009) (OCLC 271753259)
• Andy Farber and His Orchestra, This Could be the Start of Something Big (2009)
• Tommy Igoe and the Birdland Big Band, Eleven (11-11-11)