Count Basie and His Orchestra Broadway Basie's...Way ABC/Command 1966

Count Basie and His Orchestra Broadway Basie's...Way ABC/Command 1972 CAT# RS905 SD


This is MOR Count Basie. He trudges through 12 show tune standards, thus the title, "Broadway Basie's...Way."

It's unimaginative, but that's not to say it's un-listenable. It'd be pleasant as background music if you don't have to pay attention to it. Of note, it was put out by ABC's Command label which was an early audiophile label founded by Enoch Light, who later to left to do Project 3 recordings. The label employed high tech recording techniques and material for the time which was aimed at getting the best recorded sound possible. So, in that regard, it's some high-quality background music that will sound crisp and clear pumping through a hi-fi system.

Count Basie and Orchestra On the Road Pablo 1980

Count Basie and Orchestra On the Road Pablo 1980 CAT #D2312112


This is a late-era Basie LP, recorded live apparently throughout a 1979 European tour. Features a host of brass players, Mickey Roker on drums, Keter Betts on bass and Freddie Green on guitar.


It's a good sounding recording as most Pablo releases are. It doesn't sound dated or dull. It's Basie bashing out classic tunes with a solid group of players.


In A Mellow Tone

Count Basie and the Kansas City 7 MCA/Impulse! 1986/1962

Count Basie and the Kansas City 7 MCA/Impulse! 1986/1962 (repress) CAT# MCA-5656

Pretty clever album with Count Basie and smaller ensemble...7 as the title implies. It was originally released on the legendary Impulse! label in 1962 and is typically referred to as one of Basie's best outings from the 60s.

This is a MCA Impulse! reissue from the 80's, I guess when Blue Note, Impulse!, and Jazz saw a brief form of coolness in again in the mid-80's. It's a nice pressing, remastered, but it's easy to pick up clean and sounds just fine, although, any snob would tell you an original is the only way to go.

As for the Kansas City 7, it's mostly a namesake and a nod to where Count Basie got his cool from. However, flutist Frank Wess was a native Kansas Citian. Further, most the players did spend time with Basie at his peak in the 50's and throughout the time Basie called KC his home.

Count's Place

Frank Sinatra & Count Basie Orchestra It Might As Well Be Swing Reprise 1964

Frank Sinatra & Count Basie Orchestra It Might As Well Be Swing Reprise 1964

Admittedly, by this point, Count Basie was a long way from Kansas City.  He was big time, putting his name in with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, and Frank Sinatra.  He had gone straight Hollywood by this point, but nevertheless, brought his Kansas City swing everywhere he went.

Outside of the obvious, Basie was teamed with a young Quincy Jones on the ablum.  The arrangements were all put together by Jones.  Jones was able to take then recently wrote pop songs and arrange them as if they were originally swing tunes.  The arrangements were then handed to Sinatra and Basie to perform.

The results are pretty spectacular, albeit very showbiz and very over-the-top.  Is is Sinatra,.though, so that's expected.  I wouldn't mind saying outside the previous album, Sinatra-Basie, it's the "coolest" Sinatra had sounded in years.  All told, it's a pop album, but with some jazz flourishes that Jones threw in to keep it interesting.  Basie just does what he does and held down the band.

Fly Me to the Moon

Count Basie & Joe Williams Count Basie Swings Joe Williams Swings Verve/Polygram 1955

Count Basie & Joe Williams Count Basie Swings Joe Williams Swings Verve/Polygram 1955 Japanese Press CAT #825 770-1

Pretty incredible album.  It was the first of several albums Basie did with blues singer, Joe Williams.  Basie had quite a string of discovering amazing vocal talent and Williams was no different.  Williams was born in Georgia, but spent most of his youth in Chicago, so outside of Basie, he has no Kansas City connections.

Previously, Basie was working with featured vocalist, Jimmy Rushing.  Rushing was a fantastic shouter and while Williams couldn't match Rushing in that regard, he could sing circles around him.  Joe Williams brought a whole new dimension to Basie's big band, providing soulful ballads that would prove influential in the development of soul music years later.  Further, Williams could handle up-tempo numbers and the blues, his baritone gliding effortlessly in front of Basie's band.

This album, hands down, is a classic.  5 stars, A+, whatever you want to term it, it's an absolute smoker.  You don't have to understand big band, early R&B, or this form of the blues to get it, it's undeniable.  Basie directs the band and keeps the groove, his piano is loose, but keeps everyone in check.  Williams just floats over the top, taking songs in directions Basie couldn't go before.  "Everyday I Have the Blues," "The Comeback," "Roll Em' Pete" are incredible, stand out tracks.  The version of "Alright, Okay, You Win", is a just as classic and the big hit from the LP.

Alright, Okay, You Win

Count Basie & His Orchestra Kansas City Suite The Music of Benny Carter Roulette 1960

Count Basie & His Orchestra Kansas City Suite The Music of Benny Carter Roulette 1960 CAT# R52056

Love this LP and wish I didn't own a beat up later pressing on the Roulette Birdland Series, nice original would fit the bill, but, then again, there's a lot of records I want.

This LP was written by Benny Carter (not from Kansas City or a part of the scene, at least in the way Basie was) for Count Basie and his orchestra.  Carter named his tunes around clubs and areas in Basie's old stomping grounds, Basie gave it his KC swing, and they got a solid later day jazz album.

It's a solid outing and some featured soloist give the recordings an added flourish.  However, I just love it for all the Kansas City in it.  The skyline photo is great.  Song titles are fantastic: "Vine Street Rumble," "Miss Missouri," "Jackson County Jubilee," and the "Paseo Promenade" all still hold immediate relevance today.  The other tracks apparently are centered around KCMO as well, but would likely require more research.  I'm content with the obvious.

Vine Street Rumble

The Count Basie Trio For the First Time Pablo 1974

The Count Basie Trio For the First Time Pablo 1974 CAT # SUPER 2310 712

The Pablo era Basie is interesting, it's not astounding, but it was cool that Pablo was out there still letting guys like Basie throw down in the 1970's.  The label itself was founded by Norman Granz who started it after selling his Verve label to MGM.  Apparently, Pablo Picasso had influence with the label and was also in on the project near his death, that or Granz wanted to do something to incorporate him and thus the name and symbol of the label, who knew?  Granz apparently ran the label as a hobby and took all the old jazz artists that no one cared about it anymore and let them go in the studio setting.  Very loose recordings, lots of improvisation, with some of jazz's greatest artists.  In addition to Basie, this LP has double bassist, Ray Brown, and drummer Louie Bellson.  The Pablo roster also included work by KC native, Joe Turner, Count Basie's Kansas City 7, and non-locals, Ella Fitzgeralrd, Joe Pass, and Oscar Peterson just to name a few.  The pressing and sound quality on the Pablo are superb.  In fact, most there releases have a basic (but, great sounding version) with a black cover and the "super" versions with white cover.  This obviously represents the "super" version of this particular LP.  Also, since no one really cared about these releases much in the 70's (my understanding they were high priced audiophile type albums), no one really cares about them now and you can find them relatively cheap.

There's an absurdly long  write up on the back sleeve, I haven't really taken the time to read it.  I'm sure it gives all the in and outs of the LP.  It probably doesn't tell you how the album is great background, study, or housecleaning music.  Further, it probably declares it triumphant and award winning, but it's pretty mellow and easy to lose focus while listening.  There are some moments Basie rips through some lines just to show off, but there isn't much more than old friends firing it up in the studio setting.  Basie perks ears on his song, "Blues in the Church", as he riffs on an organ.  The rendition of Gershwin's "Lady Be Good" is also worth paying attention to.  The trio's rendition of "As Long As I Live" is a gem and will quickly get lost if you're not paying attention, the track really showcases Basie as a pianist.

That would be the major take away from the album.  Throughout his career, Basie primarily did his work as a bandleader.  Choosing to focus on the other parts of his band rather than add embellishments with his own skills.  It's a rare opportunity to hear Basie as a player in a small setting.

As Long As I Live

Count Basie & His Orchestra Green Onions B/W Hang On Sloopy Brunswick 1967

Count Basie & His Orchestra Green Onions B/W Hang On Sloopy Brunswick 1967 CAT# 55352

Couldn't resist this one, latter era Basie doing some soul sides.  Not really familiar with this era of Basie.  He had several successful phases when Jazz was a dominant musical form.  In the 70's near the end of his career he cut some enjoyable albums for Pablo that are loose, but still very much Jazz.

This is very cool, though.  Jazz Soul with Basie throwing in big band elements.  The horns scream and there's a nifty beatnik bass line on "Green Onions".  "Hang On Sloopy," is another uptempo side with some jazz flute thrown in there to give it a 60's jazz sound.  It's all funky without being funk, soulful without crossing over.

Hang On Sloopy

Count Basie Basie Plays Hefti Roulette 1958

Count Basie & His Orchestra Basie Plays Hefti Roulette 1958 CAT # SR-52011

Count Basie's Kansas City origins are a good story.  In 1927 he was performing as a pianist for a vaudeville style act.  The group broke up while touring in Kansas City and Basie was stranded.  His first job in KC was playing accompaniment to silent movies in a film house, however, his talent soon landed him jobs with local R&B and jazz artists, he eventually settled as a member of Bennie Moten's Swing band.  He played with Moten until his death in 1935, for a brief time, Basie played solo until forming and leading the Barons of Rhythm with many members of Moten's now defunct band.

His brand of swing is notable for it's commercial appeal.  As a bandleader from the 30's to 40's he was immensely popular. His band even appearing in numerous Hollywood movies during their peak.  He remained popular as a jazz musician even after the decline of big bands in the late 40's as a performer and leader of smaller troupe's.

Released in 1958, Basie Plays Hefti, marks a resurgence as the leader of a big band.  Arranger Neil Hefti had brought orchestration and large bands back into vogue with Basie.  Keep in mind, it's a very tame sound Hefti created and rooted in pop just as much as it is jazz, it doesn't "swing" much at all, but with Basie, it still has a soul.

Cute

WDAF Radio Presents KC Jazz with Count Basie WDAF RADIO 1965

WDAF Radio Presents Kansas City Jazz '65 With Count Basie & Renowned Jazz Stars Recorded Live from the 1965 Festival
WDAF Radio 1965
CAT# KC-610

This is some Kansas City pride on vinyl.  I've talked to guys that own this album and claimed it to be the Holy Grail of Kansas City Jazz.  It's not, in fact, I got it free at a yard sale.  It does have Count Basie on it and is still readily available and easy to find.  Further, a simple search on eBay shows that the LP was distributed well throughout the states.

It features two performances by Count Basie, who in the intro says, "It's good to be home," and renames 'April in Paris' to 'April in Kansas City'.  Truth be told, Mr. Basie is not from Kansas City.  However, his career starts here, his music developed with Charlie Parker in Kansas City, so he's ours, he's a local talent.  Other than Count Basie, then names on this LP aren't all that big, solid acts but not being a jazz snob myself, most appear to be on the second tier.  The fantastic thing about the LP is that many of the backing artist are local Kansas Citians sitting in.  There's even a track with Raytown South High School players.

As for KC Jazz as a scene, I think it's safe to say, it died with Charlie Parker.  True, the 1930's Kansas City is the birthplace of bebop and what has come to be known as Kansas City Jazz or the transition from Big Band era to improvisation and a more free flowing music.  In the 1930's through the 1940's, KC just had to be an incredible scene.  But, by 1965, the Jazz thing had become more a matter of pride than a true Kansas City art form.  And, this album does the pride thing well.