Jump to content

COUNT BASIE ZONE....


EKE BBB

Recommended Posts

We have a Lester Young thread (thanks, ubu!) but, after some research, I didn´t find any "general" thread on this jazz giant, COUNT BASIE... and I couldn´t stand it! ;)

Just to start, I´ll resume my feelings on this matter:

-the OLD TESTAMENT BAND IS THE SWINGIN´EST BAND EVER

-the NEW TESTAMENT BAND IS ONE OF THE SWINGIN´EST BAND EVER

His organizations (the big band and the small combos) were a "who is who" in jazz. I´m amazed the incredible ammount of wonderful musicians that went in and out his band through the years.

And I really dig his work as a pianist, his skeleton and swingin´ style.

A true giant. God bless him!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 144
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Thanks for starting this, EKE!

The swingingest indeed!

My exploring of Pres (thanks to Milan, my dear friend, and thanks to Lon for being so generous!) has led me to explore early Basie (first testament). Before that, all I had was some Verve albums and the Live Mosaic box.

Now I had the pleasure of hearing for the very first time the Decca set, and I also bought that 4CD Columbia set (I sure wish they'd give us all in such great sound, though!). And this is really a revelatory trip for me!

No rhythm section was that tight and swinging in such an easy, floating way in the thirties, I guess.

Then there's all the great soloists: Prez, Herschel Evans, Clayton, Sweets, Washington (wish he'd have more solo space), Warren (as long as he stick to alto he's fine with me), and all the great trombone men, Trummy Young, Dickie Wells, Vic Dickenson... later Byas, Jacquet, etc. I'd love to beam me back to the Savoy, 1937, and catch them in full flight, accompanying the Pres (which is what they were there for, no? ;) )

ubu

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ubu, welcome to Basieland!

Small correction, Trummy Young was with Jimmy Lunceford, not Basie.

Benny Morton was another great Basie trombone player...

Thanks brownie! I should know that, as I have an LP set of Lunceford with lots of fine Trummy Young. I did indeed mix Young and Morton up - strange thing to happen :wacko: (at least I know I never was good with names...)

ubu

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was lucky enough to find a copy of "Live at the Royal Roost" at the ol' Borders Outlet a few months ago ... highly recommended. According to AMG, Dinah Washington and Anita O'Day, both of whom sing on the disc, hadn't otherwise recorded w/Basie.

It's a recording of live radio performances from 1948, but the sound is really pretty good and the band just, well, rocks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

UP!

Count Basie was my first jazz concert experience. I was very young and my dad thought I should see some good jazz. I loved it and decided right there and then that I wanted to be a musician. Before I went to see just about everyone that was still alive and big at the end of the seventies, beginning eighties, my dad took me to see Basie again, Ellington, Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson and many of the other larger-than-life jazz greats, but also, for example, Pierre Dørge & New Jungle Orchestra. If it hadn't been for my dad's collection and these concerts, I don't think I would have been such a jazz buff today.

I'm paying him back today by supplying him with a steady stream of CDs, many of which he wouldn't buy himself anymore today. Just sent him the Teddy Wilson Mosaic which he loves, Mulligan (Village Vanguard), Basie (Chairman ...), and Oscar Peterson (Exclusively ...) and after many years of actually having been to lazy to simply put on a CD, I think I got him hooked again. :g

Like crack, the stuff.

Cheers!

P.S.: I think I'll start another thread on jazz and your parents' influence, if any. CU there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since Columbia messed up their Basie reissue for a second time, should us fans send them a petition to do it properly (i.e complete chronological reissue) or allow a dedicated party (e.g. Mosaic) do the job or is this going to be an exercise in futility? :angry:

Edited by LAL
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Deccas had better sound!

:o:o:o

The complete Decca's were issued, the complete Columbia's probably never will be!

:huh:

LAL, can I sign your's petition first?

And, I am with John also on this one (as for much other cases): although they have no perfect intonation at times, although so much riff based material and head arrangements can be repetitios at times, although Lester left band and Hershel died, yes...

that OT was greatest band of all times!

Edited by mmilovan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

No posts in the "Count Basie Zone" since March 2004. :wacko::wacko::wacko:

I should talk, after pretty much ignoring his music for years; I have become a real convert to both the Old and New Testaments.

I really love this photo of the man himself;

P55776E5ACP.jpg

if anyone has a better quality version of it, please post it.

I found this kinda interesting page on the one and only Freddie Green.

Freddie Green.

I am constantly amazed by the way he makes himself heard in both the Old and New Testament bands, (without an amplifier???). It really does add to the overall sound of the band and I can't believe he got lucky with ALL the sound engineers that recorded the various groups, it had to be his own work.

green2.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...