1961 studio album by Count Basie and His Orchestra
Count Basie Story is a double album by pianist, composer and bandleader Count Basie featuring tracks originally performed by his orchestra in the 1930s and 1940s rerecorded in 1960 as a celebration of its 25th anniversary
and first released on the Roulette label.[ 1] [ 2] Selections from the 2-LP set were also released as Roulette's The Best of Basie in 1962 and The Best of Basie Vol. 2 in 1964.[ 3] [ 4] The album was rereleased with bonus tracks in 2004 to commemorate Basie's 100th birthday.[ 5]
Reception
AllMusic awarded the album 3½ stars and its review by Scott Yanow states, "These sides were hotly contested when originally issued because of the contrast in accents between the 1937 band and the later one. The sound is so different that it cannot be compared to the pure and bluesy dance band swing of the originals; it is amped up and brassy, with charts (written by Royal or Neal Hefti) that stress tempo and sophisticated ensemble playing rather than riff-based solos, busyness, and dynamics. For any serious Basie fan, these sides are essential".[ 6]
Track listing
Disc One:
"Broadway " (Billy Bird, Teddy McRae , Henri Woode ) – 3:23
"Down for Double" (Freddie Green) – 2:59
"Lester Leaps In" (Lester Young ) – 4:17
"Topsy " (Edgar Battle , Eddie Durham ) – 3:42
"Jumpin' at the Woodside " (Count Basie) – 3:11
"Taps Miller" (Basie, Bob Russell ) – 3:22
"Shorty George" (Basie, Andy Gibson ) – 2:56
"Doggin' Around" (Battle, Herschel Evans ) – 3:01
"Avenue C" (Buck Clayton ) – 2:33
"Jive at Five" (Basie, Harry Edison ) – 3:02
"Rock-a-Bye Basie" (Basie, Shad Collins , Young) – 3:37
"Moten Swing " (Bennie Moten , Buster Moten) – 4:50 Bonus track on CD reissue
Disc Two:
"Swingin' the Blues" (Basie, Durham) – 3:17
"Sent for You Yesterday (And Here You Come Today)" (Basie, Durham, Jimmy Rushing ) – 3:09
"Tickle Toe" (Young) – 2:36
"Blue and Sentimental " (Basie, Mack David , Jerry Livingston ) – 4:07
"Time Out" (Battle, Durham) – 2:46
"9:20 Special " (Earle Warren , William Engvick ) – 3:49
"Red Bank Boogie" (Basie, Clayton) – 2:15
"Every Tub" (Basie, Durham) – 3:11
"Dickie's Dream" (Basie, Young) – 4:09
"Texas Shuffle" (Battle, Evans) – 3:12
"Out the Window" (Basie, Durham) – 2:52
"Boogie Woogie" (Basie, Rushing) – 3:06
"Good Morning Blues" (Basie, Durham, Rushing) – 2:52 Bonus track on CD reissue
"Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You " (Andy Razaf , Don Redman ) – 2:31 Bonus track on CD reissue
Personnel
Count Basie – piano
John Anderson (Disc Two, track 13), Sonny Cohn (out on Disc One, track 12 and Disc Two, tracks 13 & 14), Wendell Culley (Disc One, track 12 and Disc Two, track 14), Thad Jones (out on Disc One track 10, Disc Two Track 5), Joe Newman , Jimmy Nottingham (Disc One track 10, Disc Two Track 5), Snooky Young – trumpet
Henry Coker , Al Grey (out on Disc Two, track 14), Bill Hughes (Disc Two, track 14), Benny Powell – trombone
Marshal Royal – alto saxophone , clarinet
Frank Wess – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone , flute
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (Disc Two, track 14), Frank Foster (out on Disc One track 10, Disc Two Track 5), Billy Mitchell (out on Disc Two, track 14), Seldon Powell (Disc One track 10, Disc Two Track 5) – tenor saxophone
Charlie Fowlkes – baritone saxophone
Freddie Green – guitar
Eddie Jones – bass
Gus Johnson (Disc One, track 1, Disc Two, tracks 2 & 12), Sonny Payne (all others) – drums
Joe Williams – vocals (Disc Two, tracks 2 & 12–14)
References
^ Edwards, D. & Callahan, M. Roulette Album Discography, Part 4 , accessed November 5, 2015
^ Kitora, R., Count Basie Discography , accessed November 5, 2015
^ Yanow, Scott. The Best of Basie, Vol. 1 – Review at AllMusic . Retrieved November 5, 2015.
^ Yanow, Scott. The Best of Basie, Vol. 2 – Review at AllMusic . Retrieved November 5, 2015.
^ a b Bowers, J., All About Jazz Review , September 25, 2004
^ a b Yanow, Scott. The Count Basie Story – Review at AllMusic . Retrieved November 3, 2015.
Members 1951–1960
Dance Session (1952–54, Clef)
Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings (with Joe Williams ) (1955, Clef)
April in Paris (1955–56, Verve)
The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards (with Joe Williams ) (1956, Verve)
Basie in London (live) (1956, Verve)
One O'Clock Jump (with Joe Williams and Ella Fitzgerald ) (1957, Verve)
Count Basie at Newport (live) (1957, Verve)
E = MC² (1958, Roulette)
Basie Plays Hefti (1958, Roulette)
No Count Sarah (with Sarah Vaughan ) (1958, EmArcy)
Breakfast Dance and Barbecue (1959, Roulette)
Welcome to the Club (Uncredited) (Nat King Cole ) (1959, Capitol)
In Person! (with Tony Bennett ) (1959, Columbia)
Chairman of the Board (1959, Roulette)
Strike Up the Band (with Tony Bennett ) (1959, Roulette)
Basie/Eckstine Incorporated (with Billy Eckstine ) (1959, Roulette)
Everyday I Have the Blues (with Joe Williams ) (1959, Roulette)
The Count Basie Story (1960, Roulette)
I Gotta Right to Swing (Uncredited) (Sammy Davis Jr. ) (1960, Decca)
1961–1970
First Time! The Count Meets the Duke (with Duke Ellington ) (1961, Columbia)
The Legend (1961, Roulette)
Count Basie/Sarah Vaughan (with Sarah Vaughan ) (1961, Roulette)
Basie at Birdland (live) (1961, Roulette)
Easin' It (1962, Roulette)
Sinatra–Basie: An Historic Musical First (with Frank Sinatra ) (1962, Reprise)
On My Way & Shoutin' Again! (1963, Verve)
Li'l Ol' Groovemaker...Basie! (1963, Verve)
This Time by Basie! (1963, Verve)
Ella and Basie! (with Ella Fitzgerald ) (1963, Verve)
Basie Land (1964, Verve)
It Might as Well Be Swing (with Frank Sinatra ) (1964, Reprise)
Basie Picks the Winners (1965, Verve)
Our Shining Hour (with Sammy Davis Jr. ) (1965, Verve)
Arthur Prysock and Count Basie (with Arthur Prysock ) (1965, Verve)
Basie's Beatle Bag (1965, Verve)
Broadway Basie's...Way (1966, Command)
Basie Meets Bond (1966, United Artists)
Hollywood...Basie's Way (1966, Command)
Sinatra at the Sands (live, with Frank Sinatra ) (1966, Reprise)
Basie's Beat (1967, Verve)
Half a Sixpence (1967, Dot)
The Board of Directors (with The Mills Brothers ) (1968, Dot)
The Board of Directors Annual Report (with The Mills Brothers ) (1968, Dot)
Basie Straight Ahead (1969, Dot)
Standing Ovation (1969, Dot)
Afrique (1970, RCA Victor)
Basie on the Beatles (1970, Happy Tiger )
1971–1980
Have A Nice Day (1971, Daybreak)
Bing 'n' Basie (with Bing Crosby ) (1972, Daybreak)
Jazz at Santa Monica Civic '72 (live) (1972, Pablo)
The Bosses (with Big Joe Turner ) (1973, Pablo)
Basie Big Band (1975, Pablo)
Fun Time (1975, Pablo)
I Told You So (1976, Pablo)
Prime Time (1977, Pablo)
Montreux '77 (live) (1977, Pablo)
Live in Japan '78 (live) (1978, Pablo)
On the Road (1979, Pablo)
Digital III at Montreux (live) (1979, Pablo)
A Classy Pair (with Ella Fitzgerald ) (1979, Pablo)
A Perfect Match (live, with Ella Fitzgerald ) (1979, Pablo)
Kansas City Shout (1980, Pablo)
1981–1990
Warm Breeze (1981, Pablo)
Send in the Clowns (Sarah Vaughan ) (1981, Pablo)
Farmer's Market Barbecue (1982, Pablo)
88 Basie Street (1983, Pablo)
Me and You (1983, Pablo)
Fancy Pants (final album with Count Basie ) (1983, Pablo)
Long Live the Chief (1987, Denon)
Diane Schuur & the Count Basie Orchestra (live, with Diane Schuur ) (1987, GRP)
The Legend, the Legacy (1990, Denon)
1991–2000
The George Benson Big Boss Band featuring The Count Basie Orchestra (1991, Warner Bros.)
The Count Basie Orchestra Live at El Morocco (1992, Telarc)
Joe Williams and the Count Basie Orchestra (1993, Telarc)
Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild: The Count Basie Orchestra (1997, Blue Jackel)
At Long Last (with Rosemary Clooney ) (1998, Concord)
Count Plays Duke (1998, MAMA)
Swing Shift (1999, MAMA)
2001–present Small-group sessions
Basie Jam (1973, Pablo)
For the First Time (1974, Pablo)
Basie & Zoot (with Zoot Sims ) (1975, Pablo)
For the Second Time (1975, Pablo)
Basie Jam 2 (1976, Pablo)
Basie Jam 3 (1976, Pablo)
Kansas City 5 (1977, Pablo)
The Gifted Ones (with Dizzy Gillespie ) (1977, Pablo)
Basie Jam: Montreux '77 (live) (1977, Pablo)
Satch and Josh...Again (with Oscar Peterson ) (1977, Pablo)
Night Rider (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo)
Count Basie Meets Oscar Peterson – The Timekeepers (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo)
Yessir, That's My Baby (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo)
Kansas City 7 (1980, Pablo)
Kansas City 6 (1981, Pablo)
Mostly Blues...and Some Others (1983, Pablo)
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