In Person! (Live)

by Tony Bennett / Count Basie

Bargain Audio CDs & Priceless Collection (series)

/Count Basie & His Orchestra.

Personnel: Tony Bennett (vocals); Count Basie (conductor); Frank Wess (flute, saxophone); Charlie Fowlkes, Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell, Marshall Royal (saxophone); Wendell Culley, Joe Newman, Thad Jones, Snooky Young (trumpet); Al Grey, Henry Coker, Benny Powell (trombone); Ralph Sharon (piano); Fred Green (guitar); Eddie Jones (bass); Sonny Payne (drums); Candido Camero (bongos).

Recorded at CBS 30th Street Studios, New York, New York on December 22 & 30, 1958. Originally released on CBS (8104). Includes liner notes by Didier C. Deutsch.

Photographer: Seymour Mednick.

The story with this 1959 release is that the original live recording proved unusable, so a substitute studio session was scheduled with applause etc. tacked on afterwards. The session is certainly up to the high standards of both prime Tony Bennett and Basie's "New Testament" band, if slightly constrained by the artificial set-up. Still, as always, Bennett gives his all, especially on the impassioned near-gospel renditions of "Without A Song" and Kurt Weill's "Lost In the Stars."