Product Description:
Personnel: Count Basie (piano); Marshall Royal (alto saxophone, clarinet); Eric Dixon, Frank Wess (tenor saxophone, flute); Marshall Royal (tenor saxophone, clarinet, reeds); Charlie Fowlkes (baritone saxophone, flute, bass clarinet); Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Bobby Plater (reeds); Sonny Cohn, Albert Aarons, Thad Jones, F.P. Richard, Edward Preston, Wallace Davenport, Sam Noto (trumpet); Henry Coker, Benny Powell, Urbie Green, Grover Mitchell, Henderson Chambers, Al Grey, Bill Hughes, Gordon Thomas (trombone); Freddie Green (guitar); Buddy Catlett, Wyatt Ruther (bass); Sonny Payne, Louis Bellson (drums).
Producer: Teddy Reig.
Compilation producer: Matt Pierson.
Recorded in January 1965. Includes liner notes by Marc Crawford & Leonard Feather.
These 16 songs, released on two albums of the mid-'60s, feature a hi-fi, high volume batch of contemporary hits such as "Moon River" and "Oh, Pretty Woman." Basie's orchestra once again displays its abilities to execute music custom-fitted for its time, adding power, grace, and some whimsy to these pop tunes. Quincy Jones' lively arrangements are played with aplomb.
The selections are filled with juicy musical tidbits, like Basie's ever-subtle and persuasive piano playing on "The Hucklebuck." Flutes bring a touch of the mod feel to the orchestra's sound on "Swingin' Shepherd Blues." The wire brush and string bass intro to "Fly Me to the Moon" is a subtle, yet telling aspect of a forever-fresh band that fine-tunes these pop pieces while retaining its musical credibility. For all their novelty, these performances are timeless.
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