Basie Swings, Bennett Sings

Performer: Count Basie
Artist: Ralph Sharon; Frank Wess; Thad Jones; Frank Foster; Joe Newman; Freddie Green
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Count Basie (piano); Tony Bennett (vocals); Marshall Royal, Frank Wess, Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell, Charles Fowlkes (saxophone); Thad Jones, Snooky Young, Wendell Culley, Joe Newman (trumpet); Henry Coker, Al Grey, Benny Powell (trombone); Ralph Sharon (piano); Freddie Green (guitar); Eddie Jones (bass); Sonny Payne (drums). Producer: Teddy Reig. Reissue producer: Michael Cuscuna. Recorded at Capitol Studios, New York, New York from January 3-5, 1959. Includes liner notes by Barry Ulanov. The Roulette half of the two Bennett/Basie sessions is a band singer's paradise, with the Basie band caught at a robust and swinging peak and Bennett never sounding happier or looser in front of a microphone. The Count himself, alas, appears on piano only on two numbers ("Life Is a Song" and "Jeepers Creepers"), while Bennett's perennial pianist Ralph Sharon takes over on the remaining ten tracks and does all the charts. Yet Sharon writes idiomatically for the Count's style, whether on frantic rave-ups like "With Plenty of Money and You" and "Strike Up the Band" or relaxed swingers like "Chicago." Though not a jazz singer per se, the flavor of jazz is everywhere in Bennett's voice, which in those days soared like a trumpet. The 1990 CD included an atmospheric unissued Neal Hefti ballad "After Supper," but even this bonus track does little to extend the skimpy playing time (about 31 minutes) of what is still a great, desirable snapshot from American showbiz of the late 1950s. ~ Richard S. Ginell This 1959 collaboration between Count Basie and Tony Bennett is truly a gem. While Basie himself plays only on two out of the 12 selections, his spirit is present throughout the entire album, apparent in the way the band swings, and even in Bennett's inspired singing. On BASIE SWINGS, BENNETT SINGS we hear a variety of tunes from ballads to up-tempo and vigorous swinging charts. The opening track, "Life is a Song" is simply rapture-filled. Basie noodles bluesy licks in just the right spaces, while Bennett soars with vitality, zeal, and of course great technical skill. Other highlights include the big band anthem "Chicago," and "Growing Pains"; on the latter, Bennett's subtlety gives the music a delicate sheen. A superb album, BASIE SWINGS, BENNETT SINGS is one of the Basie orchestra's most expressive collaborations with a vocalist.

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.

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