Disc 1: 1. Bill's Mill 2. Brand New Wagon 3. One O'Clock Boogie 4. Futile Frustration 5. Swingin' the Blues 6. St. Louis Boogie 7. Basie's Basement 8. Backstage at Stuff's 9. My Buddy 10. Shine on Harvest Moon 11. Lopin' 12. I Never Knew 13. Sugar 14. Jungle King, The 15. I Ain't Mad at You 16. After You've Gone 17. House Rent Boogie 18. South
Disc 2: 1. Don't You Want a Man Like Me 2. Seventh Avenue Express 3. Sophisticated Swing 4. Guest in a Nest 5. Your Red Wagon 6. Money Is Honey 7. Just a Minute 8. Robbin's Nest 9. Hey Pretty Baby 10. Bye Bye Baby 11. Just an Old Manuscript 12. She's a Wine-O 13. Shoutin' Blues 14. Wonderful Thing 15. Mine Too 16. Walking Slow Behind You 17. Normania 18. Rat Race 19. Sweets
Personnel includes: Count Basie (piano, organ); Taps Miller, Jimmy Rushing (vocals); Preston Love, Rudy Rutherford, Charlie Price (alto saxophone); Buddy Tate, Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone); Jack Washington (baritone saxophone); Ed Lewis, Emmett Berry, Clark Terry, Snooky Young, Harry Edison (trumpet); Ted Donnelly, George Matthews, Eli Robinson, Bill Johnson, Dickie Wells, George Washington (trombone); Freddie Green (guitar); Rodney Richardson, Walter Page (bass); Shadow Wilson, Jo Jones (drums).
Recorded in Los Angeles, California; New York, New York; Chicago, Illinois between January 3, 1947 and February 2, 1950. Includes liner notes by Don Waterhouse.
William “Count” Basie (1904 – 1984) had a long successful career over a span of six plus decades leaving an enormous legacy in the history of jazz. The existence of this live recording from Copenhagen in 1962 has never been public, not even in the most extensive bio-discography by the late journalist/author Chris Sheridan. The concert here was a part of Basie’ New Testament Orchestra’s frequent European tours in the late 50’s and early 60s, an era that’s called The Atomic Period.
Count Basie - The Legendary New Testament Band 1952-55 - Count Basie was one of the most celebrated and influential personalities in jazz, as pianist, organist, bandleader, composer and innovator, both during his stellar career which spanned half a century across the middle decades of the 20th century, and in the years since then. That career encompassed several musical and stylistic eras, and one of the most notable of those was the period in the early 50s, when, after a creative re-think, he formed a new orchestra, which became known as "The New Testament Band", which adopted a musical approach which was fresh and distinctive. That approach was captured on recordings which were done at sessions covering a period of around four years, with the titles being issued on several albums which came out on Norman Granz's Clef and Verve labels during the mid-1950s. This 63-track 3-CD collection comprises just about all the recordings which were released on the albums "The Count", "Basie Jazz", Basie Rides Again", "The Swinging Count", "Dance Session", "Dance Session No. 2", and "Basie". As one would expect, the performances feature some notable jazz names, including vocalist Al Hibbler, as well as renowned arrangers like Neal Hefti, Buster Harding and Manny Albam. It's a collection which offers an enlightening, entertaining and substantial snapshot of Basie's music at a key moment in his career. - It's a collection which offers an enlightening, entertaining and substantial snapshot of Basie's music at a key moment in his career.
William "Count" Basie was one of the most important, innovative and influential personalities in jazz during the middle decades of the 20th century, both as pianist, composer and bandleader, his music transcending the worlds of small group jazz, big band music, swing and R&B, and with many future stars of the genre coming to prominence playing with his orchestra. Having honed his skills with Bennie Moten's band in Kansas City, he formed his own orchestra in 1936 after Moten's death and after a lengthy engagement in Chicago signed to Decca, recording for them until almost the end of the decade. This 63-track 3-CD set comprises his releases for Decca during those years, which laid down a marker as to the talent and style of his bands, and constitute a significant and satisfying body of work. The collection features many of his well-known compositions like "One O'Clock Jump", "Blue And Sentimental", Blues In The Dark", along with some of the classic standards of the era. A number of the tracks feature vocals by the great singers Jimmy Rushing and Helen Humes, and among the predominantly big band recordings are some by Basie with a trio comprising Fred Green, Walter Page and Jo Jones. Among the other musicians in his line-up were Buck Clayton, Lester Young, Harry Edison and Dickie Wells. It's a substantial, entertaining and enlightening overview of this key era of Basie's career.
At any given time in the past few decades, saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, bassist Christian Weber and drummer Michael Griener have been members of genre-defining trios across Europe and the US, proving just how vital jazz is today in it's historical form as well as in free playing styles. In the trio Ellery Eskelin, Christian Weber and Michael Griener play free music and traditional jazz. They do not melt down the playing styles, but alternate, contrast and deepen them. With the new album The Pearls they present the second studio record after their critically acclaimed release "Sensation of Tone". Ellery Eskelin writes in the liner notes: "In jazz we talk about playing time and playing free. Playing time usually means expressing a steady pulse and playing free usually means not adhering to a steady pulse. Either way there is still the sensation of movement, time. In making this recording I was struck by the ways in which time can simultaneously be so exacting, so malleable and so multi-dimensional. In these performances you'll hear free improvisations (with no preconceived forms or steady time pulse) as well as renditions of classic compositions from an earlier musical form directly addressing time, Ragtime."
A beautiful pairing of two legendary pianists - Count Basie and Oscar Peterson - heard late in Basie's career, in a setting that let's both of them open up nicely! Basie also plays a bit of organ. Freddie Green, Basie's longtime guitarist in his band - he stayed 50 years with Basie - cannot be missed on this recording. 10 track stereo LP. Mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab from the original analog master tape, and pressed at Quality Record Pressings for optimal sound quality, this Analogue Productions 180-gram reissue sounds exceptional! Housed in a gatefold Stoughton Printing tip-on jacket. Musicians: Count Basie, piano Oscar Peterson, piano Freddie Green, guitar Ray Brown, double bass Louie Bellson, drums 180-gram vinyl Mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab from the original analog tape Pressed at Quality Record Pressings Housed in Stoughton Printing tip-on jacket Tracklist: Side 1 1. Buns 2. These Foolish Things 3. 'RB' 4. Burning 5. Exactly Like You Side B 1. Jumping At The Woodside 2. Louie B 3. Lester Leaps In 4. Big Stockings 5. S & J Blues
Recorded in Paris in 1957, 1960 and 1962, this set presents three concerts by Count Basie, the jazz legend and King of Big Band Swing, who modernized jazz during his whole career. Count Basie, like Duke Ellington, will always be remembered for writing some of the finest chapters in orchestral jazz; and Basie was at his peak in the early 60’s, an iconic figure after albums like “April in Paris” or “Atomic Basie”. Here we have some of the greatest big-band pieces in Basie’s book, by composers like Thad Jones, Neal Hefti or Quincy Jones. Today these are unavoidable standards, and this set swings generously, “live” in concert, led by one of the greatest conductors in jazz. Patrick FReMEAUX
The Live in Paris collection by Michel Brillie allows listeners to hear previously-unreleased recordings (made at concerts and private- or radio-sessions) by the great 20th stars in jazz, rock & roll and song. These “live” takes, and the artists’ rapport with their audiences, gives these performances an additional soul and sensibility in counterpoint to the rigorous demands of studio recordings. Particular care was taken when restoring the sound of these tapes in order to meet CD standards while preserving the original colours of the period. Patrick FReMEAUX & Gilles PeTARD
