Count Basie - The Count Basie Collection 1937-39 (CD)

William "Count" 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 "One O'Clock Jump", "Blue And Sentimental", Blues In The Dark", 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.

Track List:

Disc: 1

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 (Someone I Should Forget)
19. Out the Window
20. Georgianna
21. Blues in the Dark

Disc: 2

1. Every Tub
2. Now Will You Be Good?
3. Don't You Miss Your Baby
4. Topsy
5. Sent for You Yesterday, and Here You Come Today
6. Swinging the Blues
7. Blue and Sentimental
8. Doggin' Around
9. Stop Beatin' Round the Mulberry Bush
10. Stop Beatin' Round the Mulberry Bush (Alt. Take)
11. London Bridge Is Fallin' Down
12. Texas Shuffle
13. Mama Don't Want No Peas An' Rice An' Coconut Oil
14. Jumping at the Woodside
15. Dark Rapture
16. Do You Wanna Jump, Children?
17. Panassie Stomp
18. My Heart Belongs to Daddy
19. Sing for Your Supper
20. Blame It on My Last Affair
21. Blame It on My Last Affair (Alt. Take)

Disc: 3

1. The Blues I Like to Hear
2. Thursday
3. Shorty George
4. Boogie Woogie
5. How Long, How Long Blues
6. Cherokee
7. Cherokee (Pt.2)
8. The Dirty Dozens
9. When the Sun Goes Down
10. When the Sun Goes Down (Alt. Take)
11. Oh Lady Be Good
12. You Can Depend on Me
13. Hey Lawdy Mama
14. The Fives
15. Oh Red
16. Fare Thee Honey, Fare Thee Well
17. Fare Thee Honey, Fare Thee Well (Alt. Take)
18. Evil Blues
19. Jive at Five
20. Dupree Blues
21. Red Wagon