COUNT BASIE ZONE....

[Ted O'Reilly]

I could not disagree more. I love Steve Allen.

I'm with you, flat5...

I guess one needs be of a certain age (I'm 70), but I know in my mid-'50s high school days Steve Allen was one of the hippest guys around. I think Free-for-all is taking a look at his 'look' -- the suit, slicked-back hair, the hornrimmed glasses and seeing 'dork'. Allen was a lot of things, but not a dork -- TV/radio host, very quick wit, pianist, composer, author, producer, raconteur -- AND a huge jazz fan, who put black artists on his shows regularly.

You have no idea of how complex it would have been to do what this clip shows...a LIVE remote insert on a late night entertainment show...believe me, that was rare. Everything was done in-studio because of technical considerations -- bulky cameras, lighting needs, etc...

And speaking of other considerations (Free-for-all, you're likely too young to remember the shit that flew when Harry Belafonte merely touched the arm of Petula Clark), to feature a black band like this was rare. And that was because of Steve Allen, no one else.

Edit/Correction -- I misremembered! It was Clark who touched Belafonte: http://www.pophistorydig.com/?tag=harry-belafonte-petula-clark

Edited August 10, 2011 by Ted O'Reilly

[Free For All]

I apologize for ruffling any feathers, but IMHO he often comes off as an "elitist" type, trying too hard to be hip (I feel the same way about Dick Cavett). I read his (Allen's) book Dumbth, which was his commentary on the "dumbing down" of America, and to me he kind of came off like a jerk.

I do recognize his love of jazz and appreciate his efforts to further jazz on his shows, though!

Just one person's opinion, that's all.

[JSngry]

Here y'all go!

[romualdo]

I always associate Steve Allen with Frank Zappa - that was my first exposure, being a big FZ fan (way before my real exposure to jazz)

He was on Allen's show in the late 50's (59?)playing a bicycle wheel

[flat5]

Hi romualdo, that can be found on You-Tube.

When I was in Jr. High school (1962) I went to two Tapeings of the Steve Allen Show.

Both were fantastic! Jerry Lewis was a guest on one show. He & Steve made a phone call to a Jewish Deli in Chicago to cater a Christmas party. It was great. Louie Nye was the guest on the other show. That may be the one where he auditioned over the phone as a nervous 19 year old singing "Where Or When". Amazing.

The world needs more people like Steve Allen. He was also a TV inventor.

Perhaps the wrong word. One effect his team did first was the Vaseline on the edge of the camera lens to get the dream look.

Edited August 17, 2011 by flat5

[gmonahan]

What struck me is that he gave Basie NINE minutes on network TV. Carson loved jazz too, but I don't know that he ever gave a jazz musician or band that much air time just to play. Different era, for sure!

gregmo

[romualdo]

Hi romualdo, that can be found on You-Tube.

When I was in Jr. High school (1962) I went to two Tapeings of the Steve Allen Show.

Both were fantastic! Jerry Lewis was a guest on one show. He & Steve made a phone call to a Jewish Deli in Chicago to cater a Christmas party. It was great. Louie Nye was the guest on the other show. That may be the one where he auditioned over the phone as a nervous 19 year old singing "Where Or When". Amazing.

The world needs more people like Steve Allen. He was also a TV inventor.

Perhaps the wrong word. One effect his team did first was the Vaseline on the edge of the camera lens to get the dream look.

wow - thanks for the link : I've never seen any footage of that show with FZ, only stills

[poetrylover3]

This morning I'm listening to Classic Leter Young With Count Basie (Mosaic), Disc 1 and The Complete Roulette Live Count Basie (Mosaic), Disc 1. I was lucky enough to see the Basie Band in 1966 or 1967 with my father in St Louis and again at the University of Illinois-Urbana in the early 70s. This latter was also the time of the documentary "The Last of The Blue Devils", the release of Basie's autobiography, and the various small group aggregations produced by Norman Granz. For some inexplicable reason, I've only got the Pablo anthology "Count Basie/ The Golden Years". Can anyone recommend the best Basie Big Band recordings from this final period?

Also, while I own the Naxos "Count Basie Live in '62" are there any must own DVDs of Basie in concert out there. Christmas is coming, after all and while I'm hoping for the Chu Berry Mosaic Box, there's always room for a stocking stuffer or two.

Thanks in advance.

Blue Trane

[John Tapscott]

This morning I'm listening to Classic Leter Young With Count Basie (Mosaic), Disc 1 and The Complete Roulette Live Count Basie (Mosaic), Disc 1. I was lucky enough to see the Basie Band in 1966 or 1967 with my father in St Louis and again at the University of Illinois-Urbana in the early 70s. This latter was also the time of the documentary "The Last of The Blue Devils", the release of Basie's autobiography, and the various small group aggregations produced by Norman Granz. For some inexplicable reason, I've only got the Pablo anthology "Count Basie/ The Golden Years". Can anyone recommend the best Basie Big Band recordings from this final period?

Also, while I own the Naxos "Count Basie Live in '62" are there any must own DVDs of Basie in concert out there. Christmas is coming, after all and while I'm hoping for the Chu Berry Mosaic Box, there's always room for a stocking stuffer or two.

Thanks in advance.

Blue Trane

Here are three Pablos I enjoy:

The first one with arrangements by Bill Holman is, IMHO, the best Basie recording of the Pablo years. I don't know that any of them are real classics - the studio sessions needed more rehearsal time (according to band musicians), and the live sessions are occasionally weighed down by a couple of vocals or a strange chart or two, like "Left Hand Funk" on the Japan CD. But overall, they're quite enjoyable.

Edited August 20, 2011 by John Tapscott

[BillF]

Difference of opinion here, I see. I'm hugely enthusiastic about both Basie and Holman, but together I don't think it works out, though I concede the album does have a very high reputation. I feel completely happy about Basie and Nestico on the other hand, and have four of their albums. Hope you like that combination, John.

[John Tapscott]

Difference of opinion here, I see. I'm hugely enthusiastic about both Basie and Holman, but together I don't think it works out, though I concede the album does have a very high reputation. I feel completely happy about Basie and Nestico on the other hand, and have four of their albums. Hope you like that combination, John.

Hi Bill: Yes, I enjoy Basie and Nestico ("Freckle Face" from the Japan album is a favorite), though I can't say that Sammy's my favorite Basie composer/arranger. There are several Nestico items on the live CD's I cited.

Edited August 20, 2011 by John Tapscott

[Free For All]

I've always thought Billy Byers wrote really well for the Basie band.

So many great writers- Thad, Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Ernie Wilkins, Neal Hefti.....

[flat5]

I want to add Kansas City Suite by Benny Carter.

[B. Goren.]

Today is Basie's Birthday. CB was born on August 21, 1904.

[king ubu]

coming up in the fine "Jazz at the Concertgebouw" series by the Dutch Jazz Archives:

Count Basie - Blues Backstage: Live in Amsterdam 1956 (NJA1502)

can't find a tracklist or any other details yet, but the site gives Oct 27 as release date and it's listed (without cover, info or release date) on some yurpeen amazon sites (i.e. http://www.amazon.de/Blues-Backstage-Count-Basie/dp/B016JE8F84/)

the blurb on the NJA site mentions a few classics that seem to be included: "Shiny Stocking", "April in Paris", Ernie Wilkins' "Flute Juice" (with Frank Wess on flute, of course)

http://www.jazzarchiefwinkel.nl/jazz-at-the-concertgebouw/NJA1502.html

13 tracks in all, as can be read here:

http://www.jazzarchief.nl/category/jazz-at-the-concertgebouw/

(news section of the NJA website)

[Peter Friedman]

I am entering the Basie Zone very late. Not sure how I missed it in it's previous periods?

2 key differences to me between the Old Testament Band and what came after. First is

Lester Young. His many solos are true classics that knock me out whenever i hear them.

Second, there is a freshness and enthusiastic feeling I hear from the Old Testament Band.

The later bands often sound cleaner and well rehearsed, and though I very much enjoy them,

miss Pres.

The writing by Hefti, Foster, Wess, Wilkins, Thad Jones and many others was terrific, but Nestico's arranging was never all that high on my list. I would agree that the Roulette sessions were a bit better, in my view, than the Verve recordings. The Pablo Big Band albums were a notch lower, but I enjoy them nonetheless.

The Pablo small group Basie recordings are another matter entirely. What a marvelous treat to be able to hear Basie in so many small group sessions joined by a number of  excellent musicians . I would not want to be without any of them.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Peter Friedman
letter left off a word

[bichos]

coming up in the fine "Jazz at the Concertgebouw" series by the Dutch Jazz Archives:

Count Basie - Blues Backstage: Live in Amsterdam 1956 (NJA1502)

can't find a tracklist or any other details yet, but the site gives Oct 27 as release date and it's listed (without cover, info or release date) on some yurpeen amazon sites (i.e. http://www.amazon.de/Blues-Backstage-Count-Basie/dp/B016JE8F84/)

the blurb on the NJA site mentions a few classics that seem to be included: "Shiny Stocking", "April in Paris", Ernie Wilkins' "Flute Juice" (with Frank Wess on flute, of course)

http://www.jazzarchiefwinkel.nl/jazz-at-the-concertgebouw/NJA1502.html

13 tracks in all, as can be read here:

http://www.jazzarchief.nl/category/jazz-at-the-concertgebouw/

(news section of the NJA website)

and there is a second from a different Label:

http://www.doctorjazz.nl/product/count-basie-and-his-orchestra-kurhaus-concert-1954-dj-015/

Keep boppin´

marcel

[king ubu]

interesting! can that be ordered normally? (it says "for subscribers" somewhere)

edit: looks like it works - and looks like I'd even get free shipping

[gmonahan]

I'm bumping this one in search of some info. I recently bought (off a discount bin) Basie's "LET'S GO TO TOWN" on Sounds of Yesteryear. It gives no personnel and no recording dates. Some sites claim the four sequential shows (numbered 237, 238, 239, and 240) are from 1957. Lord lists the first six (of 22) tracks as "poss. 1962" and gives one personnel, then lists other tracks from three different shows as "poss. 1960." I don't think it's '57. Joe Williams is on hand for all four 15-minute shows and is constantly referred to as "one of our graduates" by Basie, so he was just guesting. And it can't be from two different years if the shows are sequential.

Does anyone out there have accurate info for this one? The sound is very good, and there's some especially nice Williams on the disc.

 

 

 

 

gregmo

[John L]

It looks like most of it is from national guard transcriptions from the early 60s.    There may not be a definitive indentification.   

[gmonahan]

On 6/22/2022 at 5:53 PM, John L said:

It looks like most of it is from national guard transcriptions from the early 60s.    There may not be a definitive indentification.   

Yes, it was, and you're probably right, but hope springs eternal! Thanks for the response.

 

 

gregmo

[Teasing the Korean]

Does anyone have the complete Basie/Hefti on Fresh Sound, and if so, how is the sound on it?

And don't answer "Fresh!" 

Edited October 7, 2022 by Teasing the Korean

[Teasing the Korean]

The Fresh Sound Complete Basie/Hefti combines the Verve LP where Basie is Driving the Jaguar, the Roulette album with the atomic blast, and the Roulette album where they are dressed as baseball players.  It also includes several early singles on Clef/Norgran/Mercury, IIRC.

[jazzbo]

The sound of the original recordings is quite good, and 2013 Fresh Sound borrowing/mastering is generally pretty good so I suspect that it will sound nice.

I have all this material on Mosaic etc. and it's great music.

[Teasing the Korean]

5 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

The sound of the original recordings is quite good, and 2013 Fresh Sound borrowing/mastering is generally pretty good so I suspect that it will sound nice.

I have all this material on Mosaic etc. and it's great music.

Thanks!  Was there a Basie/Hefti Mosaic, or was it part of a larger Basie collection?