Spontooneous Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 (edited) Free For All Paul asked me to do the AOTW honors. I’m grateful. This one is a pick for the Basie centennial, albeit a couple of weeks late. Over the decades I’ve known this music, it hasn’t lost a single bit of its joyous power for me. If you’re not familiar with the sounds herein, you owe it to yourself to experience them. They're a central part of the foundation of so many things that followed — not just in jazz, but also in R&B. They're fun to listen to again and again. And in more than a few moments, they represent the cutting edge of jazz in 1936-39. I picked this anthology because it’s fairly easy to find. The material is also readily available in different packages: the three-disc Complete Decca Recordings, and some other sets on labels such as Classics and Definitive. If you’re using a different set, the cuts are: 1. Honeysuckle Rose 2. Roseland Shuffle 3. Boogie Woogie 4. One O’Clock Jump 5. John’s Idea 6. Good Morning Blues 7. Topsy 8. Out the Window 9. Don’t You Miss Your Baby? 10. Blues in the Dark 11. Sent For You Yesterday 12. Every Tub 13. Swingin’ the Blues 14. Blue and Sentimental 15. Doggin’ Around 16. Texas Shuffle 17. Jumpin’ at the Woodside 18. Shorty George 19. Panassie Stomp 20. Jive at Five 21. Oh, Lady Be Good Some possible lines of discussion: What are your favorite moments here? What have these recordings and these musicians meant to you over the years? And if you’re new to these recordings, what elements here do you connect with most strongly? More later. But right now, let’s swing out. Edited August 24, 2004 by Spontooneous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 A great choice! Can't wait to begin discussing this one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spontooneous Posted August 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2004 (edited) Up for exposure. A few of my favorite moments here: -- Buck Clayton's gorgeous obbligato behind Jimmy Rushing on "Don't You Miss Your Baby?" This entire tune is an overlooked treasure. What other band could make the blues so smooth and beautiful without losing the bluesiness? -- Herschel Evans' earth-shaking entrance on "Sent For You Yesterday." -- Jack Washington's bari solo on "Topsy." Aw, shoot, EVERYTHING on "Topsy." This is another perfect side. -- The "Moten Swing" riffs behind Prez's metal clarinet solo on "Blue and Sentimental." -- Papa Jo's intro to "Panassie Stomp." But Papa Jo was perfect on everything with Basie. -- The last eight bars of Basie's solo on "John's Idea." And note that I only mentioned Prez once. He's the guy who ensures that this is music for all time. But to tune out the others and focus on him would be a dreadful mistake. Edited August 30, 2004 by Spontooneous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunky Posted August 30, 2004 Report Share Posted August 30, 2004 Big omission I know but I don't have any Basie Columbia material, what's the best source, the 4CD box, vinyl ? or just wait for Mosaic to give it the treatment like it's done for Herman? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spontooneous Posted August 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2004 I don't have the 4 CD Columbia box, and it came in for some sharp criticism on the board (if I had a faster computer I'd hunt it down and link it), but we might be stuck with that box for a long time. The old Columbia Jazz Masterpieces CD series had at least two Basie volumes, and they hit a lot of the highlights. I'm making do with them, but dreaming of something better. About 1985, CBS in France issued a fairly complete Basie, with a smattering of unreleased material but none of the alternates, on six 2-LP sets. I've got to admit, a lot of this material dampens my enthusiasm for a complete set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted August 30, 2004 Report Share Posted August 30, 2004 It also depends on how much you're willing to live with. IIRC, a lot of the scorn for the Sony set came from completists who were hoping for a complete set. However, if you're looking for a fantastic-sounding overview, the Sony set is about as nice as they come! Back to the topic at hand, the thing that I love the most about the present set, and for that matter ANY of Basie’s work, is Freddie Green. It’s so subtle as to be almost inaudible, but take it away and it’s like taking away someone’s backbone. It’s THAT important! And does anyone else find Jimmy Rushing an acquired taste? Maybe my aversion has more to do with wanting to hear more of the instrumentalists than having to hear someone sing. Just my two cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted August 30, 2004 Report Share Posted August 30, 2004 Here's a link to the aforementioned discussion on the Sony box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alon Marcus Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 -- Buck Clayton's gorgeous obbligato behind Jimmy Rushing on "Don't You Miss Your Baby?" This entire tune is an overlooked treasure. What other band could make the blues so smooth and beautiful without losing the bluesiness? Hello, what is an obbligato ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeos Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Hello, what is an obbligato ? an elaborate especially melodic part accompanying a solo or principal melody and usually played by a single instrument a song with violin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alon Marcus Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Hello, what is an obbligato ? an elaborate especially melodic part accompanying a solo or principal melody and usually played by a single instrument a song with violin Thank you very much ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 And does anyone else find Jimmy Rushing an acquired taste? In the sense that food and water are an acquired taste, yeah, I suppose so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Too many real highlights to pick just one, but I always get a rush when Jo kicks it up a notch for the out chours of "Honeysuckle Rose". And Lester deconstructing "Lady Be Good", in stark contrast to his earlier, epochal solo(s) w/Jones-Smith, Inc., that one still induces awe and grins at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 And does anyone else find Jimmy Rushing an acquired taste? In the sense that food and water are an acquired taste, yeah, I suppose so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 How about that over-amplified clarinet that sends "Jumpin' at the Woodside" into outer space? SWEEEEEEET!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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