Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Count Basie

Amazon.com
Like many artists in the series of CDs accompanying Ken Burns's 10-part documentary Jazz, Count Basie did some label hopping through his career. This makes a definitive greatest-hits collection rather difficult. Another complicating factor is Basie's unflappable evenness. His music was almost always on the money, mixing lithe swing with hard-punching riffs and rhythms with awesome balance. This 19-song collection begins with Basie at the piano in Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra for 1932's "Toby." They're kicking much harder than Basie would later advocate in his own bands, but the light's burning no less bright for that. The 10 tracks following "Toby" show Basie the bandleader chugging in the late 1930s with an all-star cast. Lester Young's blowing cool tenor while the band bounces on "John's Idea" and "Jumpin' at the Woodside." The set shifts to the 1940s with "9:20 Special" and then to the 1950s with "Softly, with Feeling." The final five tunes, all dating from the mid-1950s, find Basie laying back, not resting on any laurels, but celebrating the grooves he pioneered two decades before. If there was one missing element here, it might be Decca-era Jimmy Rushing belting out "Sent for You Yesterday," but that's quibbling with an almost bulletproof set that's spectacular. --Andrew Bartlett

Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Count Basie,Count Basie,Polygram Records,Big Band,Classic Jazz,Jazz,Jazz Music,Piano Blues,Pop,Swing

Average customer rating: "One More Once"! Great Introduction. GREAT!!! A great collection of Basie hits Basie is Big, Begin Here

Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Count Basie Count Basie Manufacturer: Polygram Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Contemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Piano | Blues | Styles | Music Similar Items: Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Duke Ellington Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Dizzy Gillespie Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Benny Goodman Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Charlie Parker Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Thelonious Monk ASIN: B000050I3L Release Date: 2000-11-07

Tracks:

1. Toby
2. One O'Clock Jump
3. John's Idea
4. Jumpin' At The Woodside
5. Swingin' The Blues
6. Blue and Sentimental
7. Doggin' Around
8. Dark Rapture
9. Goin' To Chicago Blues
10. Jive At Five
11. Cherokee
12. 9:20 Special
13. Softly, With Feeling
14. Corner Pocket
15. April In Paris
16. Every Day I Have The Blues
17. Shiny Stockings
18. Li'l Darlin'
19. Li'l Darlin'

Amazon.com

Like many artists in the series of CDs accompanying Ken Burns's 10-part documentary Jazz, Count Basie did some label hopping through his career. This makes a definitive greatest-hits collection rather difficult. Another complicating factor is Basie's unflappable evenness. His music was almost always on the money, mixing lithe swing with hard-punching riffs and rhythms with awesome balance. This 19-song collection begins with Basie at the piano in Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra for 1932's "Toby." They're kicking much harder than Basie would later advocate in his own bands, but the light's burning no less bright for that. The 10 tracks following "Toby" show Basie the bandleader chugging in the late 1930s with an all-star cast. Lester Young's blowing cool tenor while the band bounces on "John's Idea" and "Jumpin' at the Woodside." The set shifts to the 1940s with "9:20 Special" and then to the 1950s with "Softly, with Feeling." The final five tunes, all dating from the mid-1950s, find Basie laying back, not resting on any laurels, but celebrating the grooves he pioneered two decades before. If there was one missing element here, it might be Decca-era Jimmy Rushing belting out "Sent for You Yesterday," but that's quibbling with an almost bulletproof set that's spectacular. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

"One More Once"!.......2005-08-26

While other swing bands may have had a lot more hits Count Basie's band had IMHO had the best players. I consider myself very fortunate in having seen Basie & his band several years berfore he died. It was a night I'll never forget they were certified group of solid swing cats, they weren't just tight, but born at the hip. This is probably the best 1 disc CD of Basie's music out there & THE best disc in the Ken Burns series. Enjoy!

Great Introduction........2005-01-13

Although Count Basie released some great albums, his work is better suited to Ken Burn's compilations as there are numerous great individual tracks in Basie's work. In fact the compilations in Ken Burns's series work better for the earlier musicians as the later ones are much more album orientated.

The music on the first half of this album sets the standard for swing. The rolling riffs of 'Toby', Basie's effortlessly cool piano playing on '1 o'clock jump', the loud interjections of 'Topsy' and of course the pure rhythm and heavy riffing of 'Jumpin' at the Woodside' with the brilliant Lester Young. The pace only slows for 'Blue and Sentimental' before the frenetic 'Doggin' Around', where countless riffs are crammed into a shorter space, giving the track a unique dynamism. The 30's close out with the lilting vocal of 'Dark Rapture' and the velvet tones of Cherokee.

The music drops a pace from the 40's on, but there's still the frenzied backing behind Jimmy Rushing's vocal on 'Goin To Chicago' and Basie tried to keep the swing era alive with '9:20 Special' and 'Jive at Five' but unfortunately to no avail.

Once we overlook the bland ballroom dancing of 'Softly Feeling', we discover the old Basie with a sophisticated new sound on 'Corner Pocket' and what about the brilliant song structure of 'April in Paris', with its amusing repeated endings. 'Everyday I Love The Blues' with Joe Williams proved to be a popular hit and 'Shiny Stockings' is another fine example of Basie's sound, original, cool and breezy. The compilation ends with the wonderful 'Lil Darlin' which has an almost Miles Davis-like quality in its halting, haunting melody.

A great introduction to a jazz great.

GREAT!!!.......2003-09-10

A great album! ( In case you do not know, this album is part of a Ken Burns series called "Jazz" )

I honestly do not know how they fit so many songs onto one CD, but they did it!

MUSIC ITSELF: 5
SOUND QUALITY: 5
COVER, INSIDE: 5
JUST PLAIN COOL: YES

A great collection of Basie hits.......2001-08-26

A terrific overview of the Count's career, spanning the years 1932 to 1957. This cd does as much as one cd can possibly do, for an artist as popular and prolific as Basie and his Orchestra. It is a great place to start discovering their music. Included are a couple of vocals, one with Jimmy Rushing, "Goin' to Chicago", and the immensely popular hit "Every day I have the Blues" with Joe Williams. And the sound is pretty good too, even the songs from the '30's. There is a very little hiss on some, but nothing too noticable, unlike some of the other Ken Burn's releases. The 12 page booklet contains a couple of photos and a 3 page essay on Basie.

Basie is Big, Begin Here.......2001-08-15

Count Basie has to be my favorite Bigband. His music has a very distinct style that I really like. If you are new to music of the swing era, Basie is a good way to start your collection off. And this CD is a good way to start your Basie collection off. This CD is excellent.

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