When this particular edition of Basie's band began rolling in 1953, some observers thought its soloists were not up to the quality of past Basie units. Within a few months, this opinion was shown to be well wide of the mark. Almost single-handedly, Count Basie had given the band business a jolt with this group and, Basie's own immeasurable contributions aside, it was the instrumentalists themselves who made it a band of distinction.
Joe Newman became one of the most consistent trumpeters in jazz; trombonists Benny Powell and Henry Coker had few equals in modern jazz; meanwhile, vigorous tenors Frank Wess and Frank Foster were on their way to a revered place in the Basie jazz pantheon. And the rhythm section, with Freddie Green, Eddie Jones, Gus Johnson, and the Count, was unique in the big band field.
Blazing power and a zest for blowing was how one critic described Basie's band of distinction. In 1955 it was voted the worlds top jazz band in Down Beats annual readers poll. For those who will be hearing this Basie band for the first time we envy you!
Tracklist
Total time: 146:09 min.
CD 1
01. Plymouth Rock (Hefti) 3:42
02. Blues Go Away! (Wilkins) 3:20
03. Peace Pipe (wilkin) 2:28
04. Straight Life (Mandel) 4:31
05. Bubbles (Hefti) 3:59
06. Softly with Feeling (Hefti) 3:06
07. Cherry Point (Hefti) 3:19
08. Basie Goes Wess (Wess) 3:53
09. Right On (Green) 2:38
10. The Blues Done Come Back (Wilkins) 3:36
11. Slow but Sure (Albam) 3:43
12. You for Me (Hefti) 3:10
13. Shes Just My Size (Wilkins) 4:29
14. Soft Drink (Jones) 3:06
15. Two for the Blues (Hefti) 2:48
16. Blues Backstage (Foster) 4:35
17. I Feel Like a Newman (Albam) 2:53
18. Down for the Count (Wilkins) 6:01
CD 2
01. Stereophonic (Wilkins) 2:23
02. Sixteen Men Swinging (Wilkins) 3:03
03. Ska-Di-Dle-Dee-Bee-Doo (Hefti) 3:35
04. Perdido (Tizol) 4:53
05. Mambo Mist (Barnes) 4:05
06. Eventide (Doggett) 4:38
07. Two Franks (Hefti) 3:15
08. Aint Misbehavin (Waller-Razaf-Brooks) 3:41
09. Rails (Gillespie-Harding) 5:55
10. Blee Blop Blues (Basie) 2:50
11. Basie Talks (Basie) 3:57
12. Two Franks (Hefti) 3:08
13. It Could Happen to You (Burke-Van Heusen) 3:33
14. Ska-Di-Dle-Dee-Bee-Doo (Hefti) 3:20
15. Slow but Sure (Albam) 4:26
16. Bubbles (Hefti) 4:08
17. Dont Blame Me (McHugh-Fields) 3:44
18. You for Me (Hefti) 3:39
19. Straight Life (Mandel) 4:59
20. Two for the Blues (Hefti) 3:18
21. Basie Goes Wess (Wess) 2:49
Album details
Sources - CD 1:
Tracks #1-10 issued on "Dance Session" (Clef MG C-626).
Tracks #1,5,7,9-13,14,15 & 17 also issued on "King Of Swing" (Clef MG C-724).
Tracks #11-15 & 17 issued as "Dance Session #2" (Clef MG C-647).
Tracks #16 & 18 from "Basie" (Clef MG C-666), later issued as "The Band of Distinction" (Verve MG V-8103).
Sources - CD 2:
Tracks #1,2 & 5 from "Dance Sessions #2".
Tracks #3,4,6-9 issued on "Basie" and "The Band of Distinction".
Tracks #10-21 are radio broadcasts.
Personnel on CD 1:
Tracks #1-2: Reunald Jones, Paul Campbell, Wendell Culley, Joe Newman (tp), Johnny Mandel (b-tp), Henry Coker, Benny Powell (tb), Marshall Royal (cl, as), Ernie Wilkins (as, ts), Frank Wess, Frank Foster (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (bs), Count Basie (p), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones (b), Gus Johnson (d). Arrangements by Neal Hefti (#1) and Ernie Wilkins (#2).
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Los Angeles, California, on August 13, 1953.
Tracks #3-10: Reunald Jones, Wendell Culley, Joe Newman, Joe Wilder (tp), Henry Coker, Benny Powell (tb), Marshall Royal (cl, as), Ernie Wilkins (as, ts), Frank Wess, Frank Foster (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (bs), Count Basie (p, org on #6), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones (b), Gus Johnson (d). Arrangements by Ernie Wilkins (#3,10), Johnny Mandel (#4), Neal Hefti (#5-7), Frank Wess (#8) and Freddie Green (#9).
Recorded at Fine Sound, New York City, on December 12, 1953.
Tracks #11-18: Reunald Jones, Wendell Culley, Joe Newman, Thad Jones (tp), Henry Coker, Benny Powell, Bill Hughes (tb), Marshall Royal (cl, as), Ernie Wilkins (as, ts), Frank Wess (fl, ts), Frank Foster (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (bs), Count Basie (p), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones (b), Gus Johnson (d). Arrangements by Manny Albam (#11,14,17), Neal Hefti (#12,15), Ernie Wilkins (#13) and Frank Foster (#16,18).
Recorded at Fine Sound, New York City, on August 16, 1954.
Personnel on CD 2:
Tracks #1-9: Reunald Jones, Thad Jones, Wendell Culley, Joe Newman (tp), Bill Hughes (tb, p on #3), Henry Coker, Benny Powell (tb), Marshall Royal (cl, as), Ernie Wilkins (as, ts), Frank Wess (fl, ts), Frank Foster (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (bs), Count Basie (p, out on #3), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones (b), Gus Johnson (d). Arrangements by Ernie Wilkins (#1,2,4,11 & 13), Neal Hefti (#3,7,12,14,16,18,20), Frank Foster (#6,8), Buster Harding (#9), A.K. Salim (#10), Manny Albam (#15), Johnny Mandel (#19), Frank Wess (#17,21), unknown (#5).
Recorded at Fine Sound, New York City, on August 17, 1954.
Tracks #10-21: same personnel, with Bixie Crawford (vcl on #13).
Recorded live at "The Savoy Ballroom," Cleveland, Ohio, July 1954.
Original studio recordings produced by Norman Granz.
Reissue produced by Jordi Pujol and "Beethoven" Jean-Michel Reisser.
24-Bit Digitally Remastered
