Count Basie

Featuring: Reunald Jones, Joe Newman (tp), Henry Coker (tb), Marshall Royal (cl), Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, Paul Quinichette (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (bs), Count Basie (p, org), Oscar Peterson (p), Freddie Green (g), Ray Brown (b), Gus Johnson, Buddy Rich (d)

In this set an original entitled “Basie Beat” is the key to the whole business of these Count Basie sessions from 1952. The Basie beat permeates everything, a lithe, light, swinging thing whose insinuating power only gradually makes itself felt.

It’s a fusion of sound and beat—adding up to a weightless, polished, rolling, swinging jazz. And it runs through the quintet, sextet, septet and nonet sides here, some of which include Oscar Peterson on piano with Basie on organ.

Among the main soloists are Joe Newman, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, and Paul Quinichette, who, along with the men in the rhythm section, Gus Johnson, Ray Brown, Gene Ramey, Buddy Rich, and Freddie Green, provide a constantly swinging force and ease that animates the whole set and lives up to the name -The Swinging Count!.

Tracklisting:

01 Blues for the Count and Oscar
2 Extended Blues 5
3 I Want a Little Girl
4 Song of the Islands
5 Blue and Sentimental
6 Oh, Lady Be Good
7 Basie Beat
8 She’s Funny that Way
9 Count’s Organ Blues
10 K.C. Organ Blues
11 Stan Short Hair
12 As Long as I Live
13 Royal Garden Blues

Total time: 43:35 min.


Track #1 taken from "Basie Jazz" (Clef MG C-633).
Tracks #2-13 issued on "The Swinging Count!" (Clef MG C-706).


Personnel on #1:
Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, Paul Quinichette (ts), Count Basie (org), Oscar Peterson (p), Freddie Green (g), Ray Brown (b), Gus Johnson (d).

Recorded at Fine Sound Studios, New York City, on July 26, 1952.


Personnel on #2:
Count Basie (org), Oscar Peterson (p), Freddie Green (g), Ray Brown (b), Gus Johnson (d).

Same location and date as in #1.


Personnel on #3:
Reunald Jones (tp), Henry Coker (tb), Marshall Royal (cl), Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, Paul Quinichette (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (bs), Count Basie (p), Freddie Green (g), Gene Ramey (b), Buddy Rich (d). Ernie Wilkins (arr).

Recorded at Fine Sound Studios, New York City, on December 12, 1952.


Personnel on #4-5:
Paul Quinichette (ts), Count Basie (org), Freddie Green (g), Gene Ramey (b), Buddy Rich (d).

Recorded at Fine Sound Studios, New York City, on December 12 (#4) & 13 (#5), 1952.


Personnel on #6-13:
Joe Newman (tp), Paul Quinichette (ts), Count Basie (p on #6,11-13, org on #7-10), Freddie Green (g), Gene Ramey (b), Buddy Rich (d)

Recorded at Fine Sound Studios, New York City, on December 12 (#6) & 13 (#7-13), 1952.


Original studio recordings produced by Norman Granz.
Reissue produced by Jordi Pujol and 'Beethoven' Jean-Michel Reisser.

24-Bit Digitally Remastered