Two upcoming Basie Centennial releases

[jazzbo]

Original two lp set plust three additional tracks

Two cd Roulette collection.

Release date: August 24

[Dan Gould]

The Count Basie Story was one of those box set things, with a real nice booklet, if I recall correctly. I wonder if the booklet will be fully reproduced or not-I'd be surprised if it is. And if I remember correctly, these were, essentially, covers of the Decca hits by the Basie band of the Roulette years, which makes it kind of cool on its own terms.

[jazzbo]

It's neat material for sure, I have the Roulette boxes by Mosaic so I have the material. . . . Never saw the two lp set, so I wonder if it will have really nice notes or not. Probably would I would guess. Other recent reissues of box sets from the past have (I'm thinking of the Jack Teagarden "King of the Blues Trombone" Columbia set that Collectors Choice reissued with original notes included).

[Dan Gould]

I'll have to check my dinged up LP box to see just how nice the notes were, but I seem to recall a lot of words and pictures, like this was a real "deluxe" Roulette issue, the kind of verbiage that would make for a super-thick CD insert. That's why I'd be surprised if they reproduce the whole thing.

Then again, it is the centennial, so how can they not?

[jazzbo]

It's pretty amazing how much they can stuff in a cd booklet (Jazz Oracle may get the prize!) and I bet they do it. . . .(photos may suffer from "downsizing" quite a bit.

The music is great, if I'm remembering correctly most of the arrangements are by Frank Foster, who took the original "head arrangements" and tweaked them for the New Testament band. A nice choice to reissue I think! I bet Cuscuna (if as I suspect he is the reissue producer) does a smash up job.

The other collection looks great too, seeming to encompass the vocal and strings albums as well. . . good stuff.

[montg]

Are both of these compiliations of the Roulette years or are they original lps reproduced on CD?

[jazzbo]

The Basie Story was a two lp set that is getting an expanded cd reissue.

I'm pretty sure that Basie and Friends 100th Birthday Bash is a new compilation.

Edited August 9, 2004 by jazzbo

[Tjazz]

Have the Mosaic Basie boxes been re-issued by any off-beat label?

[jazzbo]

Luckily, no, but it's a matter of time.

[montg]

Thanks Lon. I was hoping for a reissue of the Benny Carter-arranged album (Kansas City Suite) for the centennial, but I guess it's not to be. Still, the 'Basie Story' sounds like an intriguing choice from the Roullette years.

[jazzbo]

Yes, quite an interesting two collections. At least they're doing something. Come on Columbia!

[Sundog]

  Dan Gould said:

I'll have to check my dinged up LP box to see just how nice the notes were, but I seem to recall a lot of words and pictures, like this was a real "deluxe" Roulette issue, the kind of verbiage that would make for a super-thick CD insert.  That's why I'd be surprised if they reproduce the whole thing.

Then again, it is the centennial, so how can they not?

I have this LP set also. Although the booklet is thick, there's relatively little text. Should fit in a CD booklet just fine.

[Brad]

That's very exciting, for me. Slowly but surely, a lot of the Roulette sessions seem to be coming out so I'll be getting these (I don't have the studio box).

[chris olivarez]

Looking forward to this.