Count Basie Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band
, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era
, founded by Count Basie
. The band survived the late '40s decline in big band popularity and went on to produce notable collaborations with singers such as Frank Sinatra
and Ella Fitzgerald
in the '50s and '60s. The group continues to perform and record even after Basie's death in 1984.
arrived in Kansas City
, Missouri
in 1927, playing on the Theater Owners Bookers Association
(TOBA) circuit. After playing with the Blue Devils, he joined rival band leader Bennie Moten
's band. Upon Moten's death, Basie left the group to start his own band, taking many of his colleagues from the Moten band with him. This nine-piece group consisted of Joe Keyes
and Oran 'Hot Lips' Page
on trumpet, Buster Smith
and Jack Washington
on alto saxophone, Lester Young
on tenor saxophone, Dan Minor
on trombone, and a rhythm section
made up of Jo Jones
on drums, Walter Page
on bass and Basie himself on piano. With this band, then named 'The Barons of Rhythm', Basie brought the sound of the infamous and highly competitive Kansas City 'jam session
' to club audiences, coupling extended improvised solos
with riff
-based accompaniments from the band. The group's first venue was the Reno Club in Kansas City, later moving to the Grand Terrace in Chicago
.
When music critic and record producer John Hammond
heard the band on a 1936 radio broadcast, he sought them out and offered Basie the chance to expand the group to the standard 13-piece big band
line up. He also presented the opportunity to move the group to New York City
in order to play at venues such as the Roseland Ballroom
. Basie agreed, hoping that with this new band he could retain the freedom and spirit inherent in the Kansas City style
of his nine-piece.
The band, which now included Buck Clayton
on trumpet and famous blues 'shouter' Jimmy Rushing
, demonstrate this style in their first recordings with the Decca label in January 1937: in pieces such as 'Roseland Shuffle' we can hear that the soloists are at the foreground with the ensemble effects and riffs playing a strictly functional backing role. This was a fresh big band sound for New York, contrasting the complex jazz writing of Duke Ellington
and Sy Oliver
and highlighting the difference in styles that had emerged between the east and west coasts.
and Bobby Moore replaced Keyes and Smith, and alto saxophonist Coughey Roberts was replaced by Earl Warren
. Significantly, March 1937 saw the arrival of guitarist Freddie Green
, who replaced Claude Williams
to complete one of the most respected rhythm section
s in big band history. Billie Holiday
also sang with the band during this period, although never recorded with them.
Hits such as "One O'clock Jump
" and "Jumpin' at the Woodside" (from 1937 and 1938 respectively) helped to gain the band, now known as the Count Basie Orchestra, national and international fame. These tunes were what was known as 'head-arrangements'; not scored in individual parts but made up of riffs memorised by the band's members. Although some of the band's players, such as trombonist Eddie Durham
, did contribute their own written arrangements at this time, it was these 'head-arrangements' that captured the imagination of the audience in New York and communicated the spirit of the band's members.
In 1938, Helen Humes
joined the group, replacing Billie Holiday as the female singer. She sang mostly pop ballads, including "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" and "Blame it on my Last Affair", acting as a gentle contrast to the blues
style of Jimmy Rushing
.
to provide its music. These varied from players within the band, such as Eddie Durham
and Buck Clayton
, to professional arrangers from outside the group, who could bring their own character to band with each new piece. External arranger Andy Gibson
brought the band's harmonic style closer to the forward looking music of Duke Ellington
, with arrangements from 1940 such as "I Never Knew" and "Louisiana" introducing increased chromaticism
to the band's music. Tab Smith
also contributed important arrangements at this time such as "Harvard Blues", and others including Buster Harding
and veteran arranger Jimmy Mundy
also expanded the group's repertoire at this time.
However, this influx of new arrangements led to a gradual change in the band's sound, distancing the group musically from its West Coast roots
. Rather than structuring the music around the soloists with memorised 'head arrangements' and riffs, the group's sound at this time became more focused on ensemble playing; closer to the traditional East Coast big band sound. This can be attributed to the increasing reliance on arrangers to assert their own character on to the band with their music; an indicator perhaps that Basie's ideal of a big band sized group with the flexibility and spirit of his original Kansas City 8-piece was not to last.
The World War II
years saw some of the key members of the band leave: drummer Jo Jones
and tenor saxophone player Lester Young
were both conscripted in 1944, leading to the hiring of drummers such as Buddy Rich
and extra tenor saxophonists including Illinois Jacquet
, Paul Gonzalves and Lucky Thompson
. Some, such as musicologist Gunther Schuller
, have claimed that when Jo Jones left he took some of the smooth and relaxed style of the band with him, due to his replacements, such as Sonny Payne
, drumming a lot louder and therefore raising the whole dynamic of the band to a 'harder, more clamorous brass sound'. The ban on instrumental recordings of 1942 to 44 had a financial impact on the Count Basie Orchestra, as it did on all big bands in America, and despite taking on new soloists such as Wardell Gray
, Basie was forced to temporarily disband the group for a short period in 1948, before dispersing again for two years in 1950. For these two years Basie led a reduced band of between 6 and 9 people, featuring players such as Buddy Rich
, Serge Chaloff
and Buddy DeFranco
.
, Frank Sinatra
, Ella Fitzgerald
and Billy Eckstine (Michael G. Nastos said: "When the Count Basie Orchestra consented to team up with vocalist Billy Eckstine, choruses of angels must have shouted hallelujah. The combination of Basie's sweet jazz and Eckstine's low-down blues sensibilities meshed well on this one-shot deal, a program mostly of downtrodden songs perfectly suited for the band and the man.); and all reliant on music provided by arrangers, some of whom are now synonymous with the Basie band: Neal Hefti
, Quincy Jones
and Sammy Nestico
to name a few.
This new band became known as 'The Second Testament'., and achieved a new surge of popularity with albums such as 1958's The Atomic Mr. Basie.
With this album and others of the late fifties, such as April in Paris and Basie Plays Hefti, we can hear the epitome of the new Count Basie Orchestra sound, thanks largely to the work of the aforementioned arrangers. The sound of the band was now that of a tight ensemble: heavier and full bodied, and a contrast to the riff based band of the late thirties and early forties. Whereas previously the emphasis had been on providing space for exemplary soloists such as Lester Young
and Buck Clayton
, now the focus had shifted to the arrangements themselves, despite the presence of notable soloists such as trumpeter Thad Jones
and saxophonist Frank Foster
. This orchestral style was to remain the typical sound of the band, even up to the present day; a fact that has attracted criticism from some musicologists, notably Gunther Schuller
who, in his book 'The Swing Era', described the group as 'perfected neo-classicism...a most glorious dead end'.
, Thad Jones
, Frank Foster
, Grover Mitchell
, Bill Hughes
, and now drummer and arranger Dennis Mackrel
. It continues to release new recordings, for example Basie is Back from 2006 which features new recordings of classic tunes from the Basie Orchestra's back catalogue, including "April in Paris" and even the band's early hit "One O'clock Jump
". The group also continues to produce notable collaborations, such as with singer Ray Charles
in Ray Sings, Basie Swings
of 2006, and with arranger Allyn Ferguson
on the 1999 album Swing Shift.
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era
Swing Era
The Swing era was the period of time when big band swing music was the most popular music in the United States. Though the music had been around since the late 1920s and early 1930s, being played by black bands led by such artists as Duke Ellington, Jimmie Lunceford, Benny Moten, Ella Fitzgerald,...
, founded by Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
. The band survived the late '40s decline in big band popularity and went on to produce notable collaborations with singers such as Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
in the '50s and '60s. The group continues to perform and record even after Basie's death in 1984.
Early years
Count BasieCount Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
arrived in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
in 1927, playing on the Theater Owners Bookers Association
Theater Owners Bookers Association
Theater Owners Booking Association, or T.O.B.A., was the vaudeville circuit for African American performers in the 1920s and 1930s. The theaters all had white owners and collaborated in booking jazz, blues, comedians, and other performers for black audiences...
(TOBA) circuit. After playing with the Blue Devils, he joined rival band leader Bennie Moten
Bennie Moten
Bennie Moten was a noted American jazz pianist and band leader born in Kansas City, Missouri.He led the Kansas City Orchestra, the most important of the itinerant, blues-based orchestras active in the Midwest in the 1920s, and helped to develop the riffing style that would come to define many of...
's band. Upon Moten's death, Basie left the group to start his own band, taking many of his colleagues from the Moten band with him. This nine-piece group consisted of Joe Keyes
Joe Keyes
Joe Keyes was an American jazz trumpeter who played in several leading bands in the 1930s and 1940s, including those of Bennie Moten, Count Basie, and Oran "Hot Lips" Page.-Life and career:...
and Oran 'Hot Lips' Page
Oran Page
Oran Thaddeus Page was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader born in Dallas, Texas, United States. He was better known as Hot Lips Page by the public, and Lips Page by his fellow musicians...
on trumpet, Buster Smith
Buster Smith
Henry "Buster" Smith , also known as Professor Smith, was an American jazz alto saxophonist and mentor to Charlie Parker. Smith was instrumental in instituting the Texas Sax Sound with Count Basie and Lester Young in the 1930s...
and Jack Washington
Jack Washington
Ronald "Jack" Washington was an American jazz saxophonist, who was best known for his time in the Count Basie orchestra in the 1930s and 1940s.-Life and career:...
on alto saxophone, Lester Young
Lester Young
Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
on tenor saxophone, Dan Minor
Dan Minor
Dan "Slamfoot" Minor was an American jazz trombonist who featured in the bands of Count Basie, Cab Calloway and many others from the 1920s to the 1940s.-Life and career:...
on trombone, and a rhythm section
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
made up of Jo Jones
Jo Jones
Jo Jones was an American jazz drummer.Known as Papa Jo Jones in his later years, he was sometimes confused with another influential jazz drummer, Philly Joe Jones...
on drums, Walter Page
Walter Page
Walter Sylvester Page , nicknamed "Hoss," was an African American jazz bassist and leader of the Oklahoma City Blue Devils jazz orchestra from 1925–1931...
on bass and Basie himself on piano. With this band, then named 'The Barons of Rhythm', Basie brought the sound of the infamous and highly competitive Kansas City 'jam session
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
' to club audiences, coupling extended improvised solos
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
with riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
-based accompaniments from the band. The group's first venue was the Reno Club in Kansas City, later moving to the Grand Terrace in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
When music critic and record producer John Hammond
John H. Hammond
John Henry Hammond II was an American record producer, musician and music critic from the 1930s to the early 1980s...
heard the band on a 1936 radio broadcast, he sought them out and offered Basie the chance to expand the group to the standard 13-piece big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
line up. He also presented the opportunity to move the group to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in order to play at venues such as the Roseland Ballroom
Roseland Ballroom
The Roseland Ballroom is a multi-purpose hall, in a converted ice skating rink, with a colorful ballroom dancing pedigree, in New York City's theatre district, on West 52nd Street....
. Basie agreed, hoping that with this new band he could retain the freedom and spirit inherent in the Kansas City style
Kansas City Jazz
Kansas City Jazz is a style of jazz that developed in Kansas City, Missouri and the surrounding Kansas City Metropolitan Area during the 1930s and marked the transition from the structured big band style to the musical improvisation style of Bebop...
of his nine-piece.
The band, which now included Buck Clayton
Buck Clayton
Buck Clayton was an American jazz trumpet player who was a leading member of Count Basie’s "Old Testament" orchestra and a leader of mainstream-oriented jam session recordings in the 1950s. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong...
on trumpet and famous blues 'shouter' Jimmy Rushing
Jimmy Rushing
James Andrew Rushing , known as Jimmy Rushing, was an American blues shouter and swing jazz singer from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, best known as the featured vocalist of Count Basie's Orchestra from 1935 to 1948.Rushing was known as "Mr...
, demonstrate this style in their first recordings with the Decca label in January 1937: in pieces such as 'Roseland Shuffle' we can hear that the soloists are at the foreground with the ensemble effects and riffs playing a strictly functional backing role. This was a fresh big band sound for New York, contrasting the complex jazz writing of Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
and Sy Oliver
Sy Oliver
Melvin "Sy" Oliver was a jazz arranger, trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader...
and highlighting the difference in styles that had emerged between the east and west coasts.
In New York City
Following the first recording session the band's line up was reshuffled, with some of players being replaced on the request of Hammond as part of a 'strengthening' of the band. Trumpeters Ed LewisEd Lewis (musician)
Ed Lewis was an American jazz trumpeter.Lewis played early in his career in Kansas City with Jerry Westbrook as a baritone hornist, then switched to trumpet in 1925...
and Bobby Moore replaced Keyes and Smith, and alto saxophonist Coughey Roberts was replaced by Earl Warren
Earl Warren
Earl Warren was the 14th Chief Justice of the United States.He is known for the sweeping decisions of the Warren Court, which ended school segregation and transformed many areas of American law, especially regarding the rights of the accused, ending public-school-sponsored prayer, and requiring...
. Significantly, March 1937 saw the arrival of guitarist Freddie Green
Freddie Green
Frederick William "Freddie" Green was an American swing jazz guitarist. He was especially noted for his sophisticated rhythm guitar in big band settings, particularly for the Count Basie orchestra, where he was part of the "All-American Rhythm Section" with Basie on piano, Jo Jones on drums, and...
, who replaced Claude Williams
Claude Williams
Claude Williams may refer to:*Claude Williams , American jazz musician*Claude Williams , Canadian politician*Claude Williams , Major League Baseball player known as Lefty Williams...
to complete one of the most respected rhythm section
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
s in big band history. Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...
also sang with the band during this period, although never recorded with them.
Hits such as "One O'clock Jump
One o'Clock Jump
One O'Clock Jump is a 1957 album by Joe Williams, with the Count Basie Orchestra. Ella Fitzgerald is featured in duet with Williams on the first track....
" and "Jumpin' at the Woodside" (from 1937 and 1938 respectively) helped to gain the band, now known as the Count Basie Orchestra, national and international fame. These tunes were what was known as 'head-arrangements'; not scored in individual parts but made up of riffs memorised by the band's members. Although some of the band's players, such as trombonist Eddie Durham
Eddie Durham
Eddie Durham was an American jazz guitarist, trombonist, composer and musical arranger of the swing music medium born in San Marcos, Texas, probably best known for his work with musicians like Cab Calloway, Willie Bryant, Andy Kirk, Glenn Miller, Jimmie Lunceford and Count Basie, among others...
, did contribute their own written arrangements at this time, it was these 'head-arrangements' that captured the imagination of the audience in New York and communicated the spirit of the band's members.
In 1938, Helen Humes
Helen Humes
Helen Humes was an American jazz and blues singer.Humes was successively a teenaged blues singer, band vocalist with Count Basie, saucy R&B diva and a mature interpreter of the classy popular song.-Career:...
joined the group, replacing Billie Holiday as the female singer. She sang mostly pop ballads, including "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" and "Blame it on my Last Affair", acting as a gentle contrast to the blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
style of Jimmy Rushing
Jimmy Rushing
James Andrew Rushing , known as Jimmy Rushing, was an American blues shouter and swing jazz singer from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, best known as the featured vocalist of Count Basie's Orchestra from 1935 to 1948.Rushing was known as "Mr...
.
The 1940s
As time went on, the band became increasingly dependent on arrangersArrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
to provide its music. These varied from players within the band, such as Eddie Durham
Eddie Durham
Eddie Durham was an American jazz guitarist, trombonist, composer and musical arranger of the swing music medium born in San Marcos, Texas, probably best known for his work with musicians like Cab Calloway, Willie Bryant, Andy Kirk, Glenn Miller, Jimmie Lunceford and Count Basie, among others...
and Buck Clayton
Buck Clayton
Buck Clayton was an American jazz trumpet player who was a leading member of Count Basie’s "Old Testament" orchestra and a leader of mainstream-oriented jam session recordings in the 1950s. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong...
, to professional arrangers from outside the group, who could bring their own character to band with each new piece. External arranger Andy Gibson
Andy Gibson
Albert "Andy" Gibson was an American jazz trumpeter, arranger, and composer....
brought the band's harmonic style closer to the forward looking music of Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, with arrangements from 1940 such as "I Never Knew" and "Louisiana" introducing increased chromaticism
Chromaticism
Chromaticism is a compositional technique interspersing the primary diatonic pitches and chords with other pitches of the chromatic scale. Chromaticism is in contrast or addition to tonality or diatonicism...
to the band's music. Tab Smith
Tab Smith
Talmadge "Tab" Smith , was an American swing and rhythm and blues alto saxophonist. He is best known for the tracks, "Because Of You" and "Pretend". He variously worked with Count Basie, the Mills Rhythm Boys and Lucky Millinder.-Biography:Smith was born in Kinston, North Carolina, United States...
also contributed important arrangements at this time such as "Harvard Blues", and others including Buster Harding
Buster Harding
Lavere "Buster" Harding was a Canadian-born American jazz pianist, composer and arranger.-Biography:Born to Benjamin "Ben" and Ada Harding in North Buxton, Ontario...
and veteran arranger Jimmy Mundy
Jimmy Mundy
Jimmy Mundy was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, arranger, and composer, best known for his arrangements for Benny Goodman, Count Basie and Earl Hines....
also expanded the group's repertoire at this time.
However, this influx of new arrangements led to a gradual change in the band's sound, distancing the group musically from its West Coast roots
Kansas City Jazz
Kansas City Jazz is a style of jazz that developed in Kansas City, Missouri and the surrounding Kansas City Metropolitan Area during the 1930s and marked the transition from the structured big band style to the musical improvisation style of Bebop...
. Rather than structuring the music around the soloists with memorised 'head arrangements' and riffs, the group's sound at this time became more focused on ensemble playing; closer to the traditional East Coast big band sound. This can be attributed to the increasing reliance on arrangers to assert their own character on to the band with their music; an indicator perhaps that Basie's ideal of a big band sized group with the flexibility and spirit of his original Kansas City 8-piece was not to last.
The World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
years saw some of the key members of the band leave: drummer Jo Jones
Jo Jones
Jo Jones was an American jazz drummer.Known as Papa Jo Jones in his later years, he was sometimes confused with another influential jazz drummer, Philly Joe Jones...
and tenor saxophone player Lester Young
Lester Young
Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
were both conscripted in 1944, leading to the hiring of drummers such as Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich
Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.-Early life:...
and extra tenor saxophonists including Illinois Jacquet
Illinois Jacquet
Jean-Baptiste Illinois Jacquet was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on "Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo....
, Paul Gonzalves and Lucky Thompson
Lucky Thompson
Eli "Lucky" Thompson was a United States jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist...
. Some, such as musicologist Gunther Schuller
Gunther Schuller
Gunther Schuller is an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, and jazz musician.- Biography and works :...
, have claimed that when Jo Jones left he took some of the smooth and relaxed style of the band with him, due to his replacements, such as Sonny Payne
Sonny Payne
Sonny Payne was an American jazz drummer, best known for his work with Count Basie and Harry James.His father was Wild Bill Davis's drummer Chris Columbus...
, drumming a lot louder and therefore raising the whole dynamic of the band to a 'harder, more clamorous brass sound'. The ban on instrumental recordings of 1942 to 44 had a financial impact on the Count Basie Orchestra, as it did on all big bands in America, and despite taking on new soloists such as Wardell Gray
Wardell Gray
Wardell Gray was an American jazz tenor saxophonist who straddled the swing and bebop periods.Today often overlooked, Gray's playing displays a unique style, an unmatched tone and a strong presence.-Early years:...
, Basie was forced to temporarily disband the group for a short period in 1948, before dispersing again for two years in 1950. For these two years Basie led a reduced band of between 6 and 9 people, featuring players such as Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich
Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.-Early life:...
, Serge Chaloff
Serge Chaloff
Serge Chaloff was an American jazz baritone saxophonist.The son of noted Boston piano teachers, Margaret and Julius Chaloff, he was among the few major jazz performers on his instrument. Until Chaloff the only prominent baritone player in jazz was Harry Carney of the Duke Ellington Orchestra...
and Buddy DeFranco
Buddy DeFranco
Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco is an American jazz clarinet player.-Biography:DeFranco began his professional career just as swing music and big bands — many of which were led by clarinetists like Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and Woody Herman — were fading in popularity...
.
The 'Second Testament'
Basie reformed the jazz orchestra in 1952 for a series of tours, not only in America but also in Europe in 1954 and Japan in 1963. The band also released new recordings; some featuring guest singers such as Joe WilliamsJoe Williams (jazz singer)
Joe Williams was a well-known jazz vocalist, a baritone singing a mixture of blues, ballads, popular songs, and jazz standards.-Early life:...
, Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
and Billy Eckstine (Michael G. Nastos said: "When the Count Basie Orchestra consented to team up with vocalist Billy Eckstine, choruses of angels must have shouted hallelujah. The combination of Basie's sweet jazz and Eckstine's low-down blues sensibilities meshed well on this one-shot deal, a program mostly of downtrodden songs perfectly suited for the band and the man.); and all reliant on music provided by arrangers, some of whom are now synonymous with the Basie band: Neal Hefti
Neal Hefti
Neal Hefti was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, tune writer, and arranger. He was perhaps best known for composing the theme music for the Batman television series of the 1960s, and for scoring the 1968 film The Odd Couple and the subsequent TV series of the same name.He began arranging...
, Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
and Sammy Nestico
Sammy Nestico
Samuel "Sammy" Louis Nestico is a prolific and well known composer and arranger of big band music...
to name a few.
This new band became known as 'The Second Testament'., and achieved a new surge of popularity with albums such as 1958's The Atomic Mr. Basie.
With this album and others of the late fifties, such as April in Paris and Basie Plays Hefti, we can hear the epitome of the new Count Basie Orchestra sound, thanks largely to the work of the aforementioned arrangers. The sound of the band was now that of a tight ensemble: heavier and full bodied, and a contrast to the riff based band of the late thirties and early forties. Whereas previously the emphasis had been on providing space for exemplary soloists such as Lester Young
Lester Young
Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
and Buck Clayton
Buck Clayton
Buck Clayton was an American jazz trumpet player who was a leading member of Count Basie’s "Old Testament" orchestra and a leader of mainstream-oriented jam session recordings in the 1950s. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong...
, now the focus had shifted to the arrangements themselves, despite the presence of notable soloists such as trumpeter Thad Jones
Thad Jones
Thaddeus Joseph Jones was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader.-Biography:Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan to a musical family of ten . Thad Jones was a self taught musician, performing professionally by the age of sixteen...
and saxophonist Frank Foster
Frank Foster (musician)
Frank Foster was an American tenor and soprano saxophonist, flautist, arranger, and composer. Foster collaborated frequently with Count Basie and worked as a bandleader from the early 1950s.-Biography:...
. This orchestral style was to remain the typical sound of the band, even up to the present day; a fact that has attracted criticism from some musicologists, notably Gunther Schuller
Gunther Schuller
Gunther Schuller is an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, and jazz musician.- Biography and works :...
who, in his book 'The Swing Era', described the group as 'perfected neo-classicism...a most glorious dead end'.
The continuing band
After Basie's death in 1984, the band has continued to play under the direction of some of the players he had hired, including Eric DixonEric Dixon
Eric Dixon was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, flautist, and arranger.Dixon's professional career extended from 1950 until his death in 1989, during which time he was credited on perhaps as many as 200 recordings...
, Thad Jones
Thad Jones
Thaddeus Joseph Jones was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader.-Biography:Thad Jones was born in Pontiac, Michigan to a musical family of ten . Thad Jones was a self taught musician, performing professionally by the age of sixteen...
, Frank Foster
Frank Foster (musician)
Frank Foster was an American tenor and soprano saxophonist, flautist, arranger, and composer. Foster collaborated frequently with Count Basie and worked as a bandleader from the early 1950s.-Biography:...
, Grover Mitchell
Grover Mitchell
Grover Curry Mitchell was a jazz trombonist and bandleader. He was born in Alabama, but his parents moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was eight...
, Bill Hughes
Bill Hughes (musician)
William Henry "Bill" Hughes is an American jazz trombonist and bandleader. He has spent most of his career with the Count Basie Orchestra and was the director of that ensemble until September 2010.- Early life and career :...
, and now drummer and arranger Dennis Mackrel
Dennis Mackrel
Dennis Mackrel is an American jazz drummer, composer, and arranger. He is also known for his work as a bandleader and music educator...
. It continues to release new recordings, for example Basie is Back from 2006 which features new recordings of classic tunes from the Basie Orchestra's back catalogue, including "April in Paris" and even the band's early hit "One O'clock Jump
One o'Clock Jump
One O'Clock Jump is a 1957 album by Joe Williams, with the Count Basie Orchestra. Ella Fitzgerald is featured in duet with Williams on the first track....
". The group also continues to produce notable collaborations, such as with singer Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
in Ray Sings, Basie Swings
Ray Sings, Basie Swings
Ray Sings, Basie Swings is a posthumously created album that mixes previously unreleased Ray Charles vocal performances, recorded at live concerts in the mid-1970's, together with newly recorded instrumental tracks by the contemporary Count Basie Orchestra....
of 2006, and with arranger Allyn Ferguson
Allyn Ferguson
Allyn Malcolm Ferguson Jr. was an American composer, best known for the themes for 1970s television programs Barney Miller and Charlie's Angels, which he co-wrote with Jack Elliott...
on the 1999 album Swing Shift.
Awards
- Awarded the Grammy AwardGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
17 times, including in 1999 for the album Count Plays Duke and in 1997 for the album Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild - Included in the Down BeatDown BeatDown Beat is an American magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois...
Reader's Poll in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1997 (the last time as 'Best Big Band') - Included in the Down Beat Critic's Poll 1984, 1986, 1991, 1993 and 1994
- Included in the Jazz Times Critic's and Reader's Poll in 1994 and 1995
Discography
For recordings by Count Basie without his big band, see Count Basie discography.1939–50, Columbia and RCA
- Super Chief (1936–42, Columbia RecordsColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
) - Count Basie and His Great Vocalists (1939–45, Columbia)
- America's #1 Band: The Columbia Years (1936-64, Columbia)
- Complete Original American Victor Recordings (1941–50, RCA RecordsRCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
sessions, reissued on Definitive) - Kansas City Powerhouse (ca. 1947-50, RCA)
The 1950s
- The Count (1952, Clef RecordsClef RecordsClef Records was an American Jazz record label founded by Norman Granz in 1946. It was later absorbed into Verve Records....
) - Basie Rides Again! (1952, Clef)
- Dance Session (1952–54, Clef)
- King of Swing (1953-54, Clef)
- The Band of Distinction (1954, Clef)
- Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams SingsCount Basie Swings, Joe Williams SingsCount Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings is a 1956 album by the American jazz and blues singer Joe Williams, with the Count Basie Orchestra.-Track listing:# "Every Day I Have the Blues" – 5:29# "The Come Back" – 5:28...
(with Joe WilliamsJoe Williams (jazz singer)Joe Williams was a well-known jazz vocalist, a baritone singing a mixture of blues, ballads, popular songs, and jazz standards.-Early life:...
) (1955, Clef) - April in ParisApril in Paris (album)April in Paris is a 1957 jazz album by Count Basie. Released on the Verve label, it was recorded in 1955 and 1956. The album is one of the first to include an arrangement by Neal Hefti, who would go on to write many of the Basie band's most acclaimed songs, including many on the famous album Atomic...
(1955–56, Verve RecordsVerve RecordsVerve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
) - Holl of Fame (1956, Verve)
- The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings StandardsThe Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings StandardsThe Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards is a 1956 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra, and Joe Williams. -Track listing:#"Thou Swell" – 2:19...
(with Joe Williams) (1956, Verve) - Basie in LondonBasie in LondonBasie in London is a 1956 live album by Count Basie and his orchestra, recorded in Sweden. - Track listing :# "Jumpin' at the Woodside" – 3:38# "Shiny Stockings" – 5:19...
(live) (1956, Verve) - One O'Clock Jump (with Joe Williams and Ella FitzgeraldElla FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
) (1957, Verve) - Count Basie at Newport (live) (1957, Verve)
- The Atomic Mr. Basie (1958, Roulette RecordsRoulette RecordsRoulette Records is an American record label, which was founded in late 1956, by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Khals, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed as director...
) - Basie Plays Hefti (1958, Roulette)
- No Count SarahNo Count SarahNo Count Sarah is a 1958 studio album by the American jazz singer Sarah Vaughan.The title refers to the fact that Vaughan was accompanied by the Count Basie Orchestra, but without Count Basie.- Track listing :...
(with Sarah VaughanSarah VaughanSarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
) (1958, EmArcy) - Chairman of the BoardChairman of the Board (album)The Chairman of the Board is a 1959 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra. - Track listing :# "Blues in Hoss' Flat" – 3:13# "H.R.H...
(1958, Roulette) - Sing Along With Basie (with Joe WilliamsJoe Williams (jazz singer)Joe Williams was a well-known jazz vocalist, a baritone singing a mixture of blues, ballads, popular songs, and jazz standards.-Early life:...
&Lambert,Hendricks & Ross) (1958, Roulette) - Breakfast Dance and Barbeque (1958, Roulette)
- Welcome to the ClubWelcome to the Club (Nat King Cole album)Welcome to the Club is a 1959 album by Nat King Cole, arranged by Dave Cavanaugh. Cole is accompanied by an uncredited Count Basie Orchestra, without Count Basie himself...
(Nat King ColeNat King ColeNathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
) (1959, Capitol) - One More Time (1959, Roulette)
- Basie and Eckstine, Inc.Basie and Eckstine, Inc.Basie/Eckstine Incorporated is a 1959 album featuring Billy Eckstine and the Count Basie Orchestra. It was released by Roulette Records, then later reissued by Capital Records.- Track listing :# "Stormy Monday Blues" - 3:11...
(with Billy EckstineBilly EckstineWilliam Clarence Eckstine was an American singer of ballads and a bandleader of the swing era. Eckstine's smooth baritone and distinctive vibrato broke down barriers throughout the 1940s, first as leader of the original bop big-band, then as the first romantic black male in popular...
) (1959, Roulette) - Strike Up the Band (with Tony BennettTony BennettTony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
) (1959, Roulette) - In Person!In Person!In Person! is a 1959 live album by Tony Bennett, accompanied by the Count Basie Orchestra.Basie and Bennett recorded two albums together in 1959; In Person! was released by Bennett's record label, Columbia, and Strike Up the Band was released by Basie's label, Roulette.-Track listing:Side one#"Just...
(with Tony Bennett) (1959, Columbia) - Everyday I Have the Blues (with Joe Williams) (1959, Roulette)
- Dance Along with Basie (1959, Roulette)
The 1960s-pre Pablo
- I Gotta Right to SwingI Gotta Right to SwingThe Allmusic review by Nick Dedina awarded the album four stars and said that the album "is an invigorating mix of up-tempo swing and hard-hitting rhythm & blues...a must-have for fans of classic pop and vocal jazz".-Track listing:...
(with Sammy Davis, Jr.Sammy Davis, Jr.Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
) (1960, Decca RecordsDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
) - Just the Blues (with Joe Williams) (1960, Roulette)
- The Count Basie Story (1960, Roulette)
- Not Now,I'll Tell You When (1960, Roulette)
- First Time! The Count Meets the DukeFirst Time! The Count Meets the DukeFirst Time! The Count Meets the Duke is an album by American pianists, composers and bandleaders Duke Ellington and Count Basie with their combined Orchestras recorded and released on the Columbia label in 1961.-Reception:...
(with Duke EllingtonDuke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
) (1961, Columbia) - The Legend (1961, Roulette)
- Kansas City Suite - The Music of Benny Carter (1961, Roulette)
- Basie at BirdlandBasie at BirdlandBasie at Birdland is a 1961 live album by Count Basie and his orchestra, recorded at Birdland in New York City. - Track listing :# "Little Pony" – 2:22# "Basie" – 3:23# "Blues Backstage" – 4:58...
(live) (1961, Roulette) - Count Basie/Sarah VaughanCount Basie/Sarah VaughanCount Basie/Sarah Vaughan is a 1961 album by American jazz singer Sarah Vaughan, accompanied by the Count Basie Orchestra, with arrangements by Frank Foster, Thad Jones and Ernie Wilkins. According to James Gavin's liner notes to the 1996 CD release, Basie himself does not perform on any of the...
(with Sarah VaughanSarah VaughanSarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
) (1961, Roulette) - Back with Basie (1962, Roulette)
- Easi'n itEasi'n itEasin' It is a studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra recorded between 1960 and 1962. The album contains a collaboration by Frank Foster, a well known member from Basie's big band. All tracks were composed, arranged and conducted by Foster and is a mixture of jazz and blues.The tune Easin'...
(1962, Roulette) - Basie in Sweden (1962, Roulette)
- Sinatra-Basie: An Historic Musical FirstSinatra-Basie: An Historic Musical FirstSinatra-Basie: An Historic Musical First is a 1962 studio album by Frank Sinatra, arranged by Neal Hefti.As the title indicates, this was the first recording that Sinatra made with the Count Basie Orchestra...
(with Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
) (1962, Reprise) - On My Way and Shoutin' Again!On My Way and Shoutin' Again!On My Way and Shoutin' Again! is a 1963 album by Count Basie and his orchestra. -Track listing:# "I'm Shoutin' Again" – 3:50# "Ducky Bumps" – 3:35# "The Long Night" – 3:42# "Jump for Johnny" – 3:16# "Ain't That Right" – 2:50...
(1963, Verve) - More Hits of '50's and '60's (1963, Verve)
- Li'l Ol' Groovemaker...Basie!Li'l Ol' Groovemaker...Basie!Li'l Ol' Groovemaker...Basie! is a 1963 album by Count Basie, composed and arranged by Quincy Jones.-Track listing:# "Li'l Ol' Groovemaker" – 2:48# "Pleasingly Plump" – 4:03# "Boody Rumble" – 3:36# "Belly Roll" – 2:29# "Count 'Em" – 5:21...
(1963, Verve) - This Time by Basie: Hits of the '50s and '60s (1963, Verve)
- Ella and Basie!Ella and Basie!Ella and Basie! is a 1963 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by the Count Basie Orchestra, with arrangements by Quincy Jones...
(with Ella FitzgeraldElla FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
) (1963, Verve) - Basie LandBasie LandBasie Land is a 1964 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra, of music composed and arranged by Billy Byers. - Track listing :# "Basie Land" – 2:16# "Big Brother" – 3:43# "Count Me In" – 4:32# "Wanderlust" – 2:38# "Instant Blues" – 4:54...
(1964, Verve) - Pop Goes the Basie (1964, Reprise)
- It Might as Well Be SwingIt Might as Well Be SwingIt Might as Well Be Swing is a 1964 studio album by Frank Sinatra, accompanied by Count Basie and his orchestra. It was Sinatra's first studio recording with Quincy Jones.This was Sinatra and Basie's second collaboration after 1963's Sinatra-Basie....
(with Frank Sinatra) (1964, Reprise) - Basie Picks the WinnersBasie Picks the WinnersBasie Picks the Winners is a 1965 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra. - Track listing :# "Watermelon Man" – 3:11# "That's All" – 3:20# "I Won't Cry Anymore" – 2:22...
(1965, Verve) - Our Shining HourOur Shining HourOur Shining Hour is a 1965 studio album by Sammy Davis, Jr., accompanied by the Count Basie Orchestra, arranged by Quincy Jones.In 1973 Davis re-recorded his vocal lines from Our Shning Hour, it was released by MGM Records as Sammy Davis Jr...
(with Sammy Davis, Jr.) (1965, Verve) - Arthur Prysock and Count BasieArthur Prysock and Count BasieArthur Prysock and Count Basie is a 1965 studio album by Arthur Prysock and Count Basie and his orchestra.- Track listing :# "I Could Have Told You" – 3:44# "Ain't No Use" – 2:45...
(with Arthur PrysockArthur PrysockArthur Prysock was an American jazz singer best known for his live shows and his baritone influenced by Billy Eckstine....
) (1965, Verve) - Basie's Beatle BagBasie's Beatle BagBasie's Beatle Bag is a 1966 album by Count Basie and his orchestra. He released a second album of Beatles songs, Basie on the Beatles, in 1969.- Track listing :# "Help!" – 2:15# "Can't Buy Me Love" – 3:21# "Michelle" – 2:43...
(1965, Verve) - Basie Meets Bond (1966, Capitol)
- Sinatra at the SandsSinatra at the SandsSinatra at the Sands is a 1966 live album by Frank Sinatra, accompanied by Count Basie and his orchestra, conducted and arranged by Quincy Jones, recorded live at the Copa Room of the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas....
(live, with Frank Sinatra) (1966, Reprise) - Basie's Beat (1967, Verve)
- Broadway Basie's...Way (1967, Command)
- Hollywood...Basie's Way (1967, Command)
- Basie's in the Bag (1967, Brunswick)
- The Happiest Millionaire (1967)
- Half a Sixpence (1967, Dot)
- Manufacturers of Soul (with Jackie WilsonJackie WilsonJack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
) (1968, Brunswick) - The Board of DirectorsThe Board of Directors (album)The Board of Directors is a LP album recorded at the A & R Recording Studios in New York on November 20-21 1967 and released in 1968, featuring the Mills Brothers with Count Basie and orchestra...
(with The Mills Brothers) (1968, Dot) - The Board of Directors Annual Report (with The Mills Brothers) (1968, Dot)
- Evergreens (1969, Groove Merchant)
- Basic Basie (1969, MPS)
- Basie Straight Ahead (1969, Dot)
- Standing Ovation (1969, Dot)
- High Voltage (1970, MPS)
- How About This (with Kay StarrKay StarrKay Starr is an American pop and jazz singer who enjoyed considerable success in the 1940s and 50s. She is best remembered for introducing two songs that became #1 hits in the 1950s, "Wheel of Fortune" and "The Rock And Roll Waltz"....
) (1970, MCA) - Basie on the Beatles (1970, Happy Tiger)
- AfriqueAfrique (album)Afrique is a 1971 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra, with conductor/arranger Oliver Nelson.- Track listing :# "Step Right Up" – 4:15# "Hobo Flats" – 6:13# "Gypsy Queen" – 4:00 # "Love Flower" – 2:53...
(1970, RCA Victor) - Have a Nice DayHave a Nice Day (Count Basie album)Have a Nice Day is a 1971 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra, with all music composed and arranged by Sammy Nestico. This was Basie's debut recording for Daybreak....
(1971, Daybreak) - Bing 'n' BasieBing 'n' BasieBing 'n' Basie is a 1972 album by Bing Crosby, accompanied by Count Basie. - Track listing :# "Gentle On My Mind" # "Everything Is Beautiful"# "Gonna Build a Mountain"# "Sunrise, Sunset"# "Hangin' Loose"...
(with Bing CrosbyBing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
) (Daybreak, 1972)
The Pablo Years
- Flip,Flop & Fly (live,with Joe TurnerJoe TurnerJoe Turner is the name of:* Big Joe Turner , blues singer* Joe Turner , jazz/stride pianist* Joe Lynn Turner , rock musician* Joe Turner , English footballer...
) (1972) - Jazz at Santa Monica Civic '72Jazz at Santa Monica Civic '72Jazz at Santa Monica '72 is a 1972 live album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by a jazz trio led by the pianist Tommy Flanagan, and the Count Basie Orchestra....
(live) (1972) - The Songs of Bessie Smith (with Tersa Brewer) (1973, Doctor Jazz)
- Basie Big Band (1975)
- Fun TimeFun Time (Count Basie album)Fun Time is a 1975 live album by Count Basie and his orchestra, recorded at the 1975 Montreux Jazz Festival. -Track listing:#"Fun Time" – 3:28#"Why Not?" – 3:29#"Lil' Darlin" – 5:32...
(1975) - I Told You SoI Told You So (Count Basie album)I Told You So is a 1976 album recorded at RCA studios, New York City on January 12, 13 and 14 1976 and released in 1976, featuring Count Basie and his orchestra. All the titles were arranged by Bill Holman. Sound engineer was Bob Simpson and the tape editor was Ben Jordan...
(1976) - Prime TimePrime Time (Count Basie album)Prime Time is a 1977 studio album by Count Basie. At the 20th Grammy Awards, Count Basie won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band for Prime Time.-Track listing:#"Prime Time" – 7:33#"Bundle O'Funk" – 5:16...
(1977) - Montreux '77Montreux '77 (Count Basie album)Montreux '77 is a 1977 live album by Count Basie and his orchestra, recorded at the 1977 Montreux Jazz Festival. - Track listing :# "The Heat's On" – 3:39# "Freckle Face" – 6:04# "Splanky" – 4:34...
(live) (1977) - Milt Jackson + Count Basie + The Big Band Vol.1 (live) (1978)
- Milt Jackson + Count Basie + The Big Band Vol.2 (live) (1978)
- Live in Japan '78Live in Japan '78Live in Japan '78 is a 1978 live album by Count Basie and his orchestra.-Track listing:#"The Heat's On" – 3:13#"Freckle Face" – 5:39#"Ja-Da" – 5:28...
(live) (1978) - On the RoadOn the Road (Count Basie album)On the Road is a 1979 studio album by Count Basie. At the 23rd Grammy Awards, Count Basie won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band for On the Road.-Track listing:#"Wind Machine" – 3:16...
(1979) - Digital III at MontreuxDigital III at MontreuxDigital III at Montreux is a 1979 live album featuring a compilation of performances by Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Joe Pass, and Ray Brown, recorded at the 1979 Montreux Jazz Festival...
(live) (1979) - A Classy PairA Classy PairThe Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album three stars and said that "Basie's sidemen are unfortunately restricted in the Benny Carter arrangements to backup work but Basie has a few piano solos and Fitzgerald is in good voice and in typically swinging form" -Track listing:-Personnel:*...
(with Ella FitzgeraldElla FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
) (1979) - A Perfect Match (live, with Ella Fitzgerald) (1979)
- Kansas City ShoutKansas City ShoutKansas City Shout is a 1980 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra with singer Big Joe Turner and saxophonist Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson.-Track listing:#"Just a Dream " – 3:44...
(1980) - Warm BreezeWarm BreezeWarm Breeze is a 1980 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra. At the 25th Grammy Awards, Count Basie won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band for Warm Breeze.-Track listing:#"C.B...
(1981) - Send in the ClownsSend in the Clowns (1981 album)Send in the Clowns is a 1981 studio album by Sarah Vaughan, accompanied by the Count Basie Orchestra. This was Vaughan's third album with the Count Basie Orchestra, her previous two were No Count Sarah and Count Basie/Sarah Vaughan .-Reception:The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album...
(with Sarah VaughanSarah VaughanSarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
) (1981) - Farmer's Market BarbecueFarmer's Market BarbecueFarmer's Market Barbecue is a 1982 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra. -Track listing:#"Way Out Basie" – 4:24#"St. Louis Blues" Farmer's Market Barbecue is a 1982 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra. -Track listing:#"Way Out Basie" (Ernie Wilkins) – 4:24#"St. Louis Blues"...
(1982) - 88 Basie Street88 Basie Street-Personnel:* Count Basie – piano* Sonny Cohn - trumpet* Dale Carley* Jim Crawford* Bob Summers* Frank Szabo* Bill Hughes - trombone* Grover Mitchell* Dennis Wilson* Mitchell "Booty" Wood* Danny Turner - alt saxophne* Chris Woods...
(1983) - Me and YouMe and You (Count Basie album)Me and You is a 1983 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra. - Track listing :# "Mr. Softie" – 5:39# "Moten Swing" – 5:29# "She's Funny That Way" Me and You is a 1983 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra. - Track listing :# "Mr. Softie" (Nat Pierce) – 5:39# "Moten Swing" (Benny...
(1983) - Fancy PantsFancy Pants (Count Basie album)For other uses, see Fancy Pants Fancy Pants is a 1983 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra. This is the last recording that Basie made with his big band...
(final album with Count Basie) (1983)
Post Count Basie albums
- Long Live the Chief (1987, Denon)
- Diane Schuur & the Count Basie OrchestraDiane Schuur & the Count Basie OrchestraDiane Schuur & the Count Basie Orchestra is a 1987 live album by Diane Schuur, accompanied by the Count Basie Orchestra, arranged by Frank Foster....
(live, with Diane SchuurDiane SchuurDiane Schuur is an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Deedles", she has won two Grammy Awards, headlined many of the world's most prestigious music venues, including Carnegie Hall and The White House and has toured the world performing with such greats as Quincy Jones, Stan Getz, B. B...
) (1987, GRP) - The Legend, the Legacy (1990, Denon)
- Big Boss Band (with George BensonGeorge BensonGeorge Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
) (1990, Warner Bros.) - Freddie FreeloaderFreddie Freeloader (album)Freddie Freeloader is a 1990 studio album by Jon Hendricks. -Track listing:#"Jumpin' at the Woodside" – 3:31#"In Summer" – 5:48#"Freddie Freeloader" – 9:09...
(with Jon HendricksJon HendricksJon Hendricks is an American jazz lyricist and singer. He is considered one of the originators of vocalese, which adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs and replaces many instruments with vocalists...
) (1990, Denon) - The Count Basie Orchestra Live at El Morocco (live) (1992, Telarc)
- Joe Williams and the Count Basie Orchestra (with Joe WilliamsJoe Williams (jazz singer)Joe Williams was a well-known jazz vocalist, a baritone singing a mixture of blues, ballads, popular songs, and jazz standards.-Early life:...
) (1993, Telarc) - Basie's Bag (live) (1994, Telarc)
- Jazzin' (ith Tito PuenteTito PuenteTito Puente, , born Ernesto Antonio Puente, was a Latin jazz and Salsa musician. The son of native Puerto Ricans Ernest and Ercilia Puente, of Spanish Harlem in New York City, Puente is often credited as "El Rey de los Timbales" and "The King of Latin Music"...
& India) (1996, RMM) - Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild: The Count Basie Orchestra (live) (1997, Blue Jackel)
- At Long LastAt Long LastAt Long Last is a 1998 studio album by Rosemary Clooney, accompanied by the Count Basie Orchestra.This was Clooney's first recording with the Basie band...
(with Rosemary ClooneyRosemary ClooneyRosemary Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian , which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 –...
) (1998, Concord) - Count Plays Duke (1998, MAMA)
- Swing Shift (1999, MAMA)
- Ray Sings, Basie SwingsRay Sings, Basie SwingsRay Sings, Basie Swings is a posthumously created album that mixes previously unreleased Ray Charles vocal performances, recorded at live concerts in the mid-1970's, together with newly recorded instrumental tracks by the contemporary Count Basie Orchestra....
(with Ray CharlesRay CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
) (2006, Concord) - Basie is Back (2007, Village Music)
- A Swingin' Christmas (Featuring The Count Basie Big Band)A Swingin' Christmas (Featuring The Count Basie Big Band)A Swingin' Christmas is a Christmas album by Tony Bennett, released in 2008, that features The Count Basie Big Band. Bennett's daughter Antonia Bennett also duets with him on one track....
(with Tony BennettTony BennettTony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
) (2008, Columbia)