Thursday 10 February 2011

Count Basie Swings Joe Williams Sings - Label ID. 33CX 10026


Count Basie Swings Joe Williams Sings - Label ID. 33CX 10026 - The Complete Decca Recordings

Description from the Sleeve -

Back in 1936 a piano player named William "Bill" Basie found himself leading a swinging band in Kansas City Mo. which was a very swinging town. One night the band was doing a remote broadcast over a Kansas City radio station and the announcer turned to Basie. "The music business is always full of royalty" the announcer declared. "Like Duke Ellington or Benny Goodman the King of Swing. Bill from now on I think I'll call you Count Basie!' Basie shrugged and smiled. It seemed on this night like a good joke and Bill Basie then and now was never averse to a good joke.

Almost from the start it seems Basie has always surrounded himself with the very best musicians.
Now once again the Count has another memorable blues singer in Joe Williams born in Cordele Ga. but a Chicagoan for most of his youth. They call Williams a "blues bawler" and they say that when he sings he has a "bawl" which is largely true.

Frank Foster the tenor saxophonist is responsible for seven arrangements—"The Comeback" (on which you can also hear the arranger in a very stirring solo) "Alright O.K. You Win" "In the Evening" "Send Me Someone to Love" "My Baby Upsets Me" and "Ev'ry Day (I Fall in Love)!' Ernie Wilkins arranged "Every Day!' arid "Teach Me Tonight" while "Roll 'Em Pete" (on this one look for Frank Wess' tenor solo) is—in the jargon—a head arrangement. "My Baby Upsets Me" was composed by Joe Williams.

"Every Day" is the song which provided Basie with his first genuine record hit since 1941 and brought singer Joe Williams to the fore. Moreover this is an earthy type vocal in the old blues-shouter tradition that goes back to Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey and beyond. That it might become popular at the peak of the so-called rhythm-and-blues fad is not terribly surprising but to grow into a hit means that the song must have much more than limited appeal which this one most certainly has.

There's little doubt that on this Count Basic's 20th anniversary as a leader he has assembled just about the finest band .around today. Hear it for yourself.

With Basie at the piano this Long Play includes: trumpets Reunald Jones Thad Jones Wendelt Culley Joe Newman; trombones Henry Coker Bill Hughes Ben Powell; saxophones Frank Wess Bill Graham Marshall Royal Frank Fester Charlie Fowlkes; drums Sonny Payne; bass Eddie Jones and guitar Freddie Greene.
 


ID. 100253 - Count Basie Swings Joe Williams Sings - Label ID. 33CX 10026

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