Yessir, That's My Baby

Performer: Count Basie
Engineer: Angel Balestier
Producer: Norman Granz
Distributor: Fantasy (distributor)

Notes: Personnel: Count Basie, Oscar Peterson (piano); John Heard (bass); Louis Bellson (drums). Recorded at Group IV Recording Studios, Hollywood, California on February 21, 1978. Includes original liner notes by Benny Green. Digitally remastered by George Horn (1986, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California). Count Basie was in his mid 70s when he went into the studio to record these eight performances with another famous pianist, Oscar Peterson. These two artists work well together in an atmosphere of intimacy. Although their styles are different, their masterful abilities contrast and compliment each other in a satisfying way. Basie's manner of piano playing is succinct, sticking to and exploiting the melody with an exquisite economy. Paraphrasing the songs with emphasis in all the right places, he whittles the tune into a more profound version of itself. Peterson's playing is busier, with a sense of exploration. His lyrical work is especially distinctive on the electric keyboard in "After You've Gone." Basie's work on this number is just as affecting, his short, repeating flourishes of notes create pleasing patterns.

Simply put, Count Basie led the most swinging of the classic big bands. His youthful education in playing stride piano in New York was meshed with a deep immersion in the hard-swinging Kansas City jazz scene of the early 1930s. As Basie moved from sideman to bandleader, his tight-knit ensemble eventually came to rival Duke Ellington's group. The Basie orchestra's perfectly interlocking rhythm section provided a springboard for a succession of jazz giants--most notably tenor man Lester Young--to launch their solo excursions. Basie's big-band vision was so strong that his group continued for decades after his passing.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25