Count Basie - The Count Basie Collection 1937-39 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

William InchCountInch Basie was one of the most important, innovative and influential personalities in jazz during the middle decades of the 20th century, both as pianist, composer and bandleader, his music transcending the worlds of small group jazz, big band music, swing and R&B, and with many future stars of the genre coming to prominence playing with his orchestra. Having honed his skills with Bennie Moten's band in Kansas City, he formed his own orchestra in 1936 after Moten's death and after a lengthy engagement in Chicago signed to Decca, recording for them until almost the end of the decade. This 63-track 3-CD set comprises his releases for Decca during those years, which laid down a marker as to the talent and style of his bands, and constitute a significant and satisfying body of work. The collection features many of his well-known compositions like InchOne O'Clock JumpInch, InchBlue And SentimentalInch, Blues In The DarkInch, along with some of the classic standards of the era. A number of the tracks feature vocals by the great singers Jimmy Rushing and Helen Humes, and among the predominantly big band recordings are some by Basie with a trio comprising Fred Green, Walter Page and Jo Jones. Among the other musicians in his line-up were Buck Clayton, Lester Young, Harry Edison and Dickie Wells. It's a substantial, entertaining and enlightening overview of this key era of Basie's career. Album Tracks 1. Pennies from Heaven 2. Swinging at the Daisy Chain 3. Honeysuckle Rose 4. Roseland Shuffle 5. Boo Hoo 6. The Glory of Love 7. Boogie Woogie (I May Be Wrong) 8. Exactly Like You 9. One O'Clock Jump 10. John's Idea 11. Listen My Children and You Shall Hear 12. (You Know It All) Smarty 13. Good Morning Blues 14. Good Morning Blues (Alt. Take) 15. Our Love Was Meant to Be 16. Let Me Dream 17. Time Out 18. I Keep Remembering