Customer Reviews

1938-39

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This is the second volume in Chronological Classics' complete Count Basie recordings, which collects a handful of Decca sessions. The masterpieces continue to roll off the cutting machines: "Sent for you yesterday," (with Jimmy Rushing taking the vocal), "Every tub," "Swingin' the blues," "Doggin' around," "Jumpin' at the Woodside," and "Shorty George" to name just a few. Lester Young and his alter ego Herschel Evans are here in force, as are Buck Clayton, Sweets Edison, Dicky Wells, and Jack Washington. Bands today should hope to be half as good as this Basie contingent. More must-have recordings.

Volume two of this great series which reissues all of Basie's classic early material in chronological order. In all honesty, I have to admit that I find most of Basie's instrumental material a bit monotonous -- the horn sections are way too punchy and the arrangements, while undeniably swank, are also quite repetitive. But the vocals...? OH BABY! With Helen Humes and Jimmy Rushing splitting the microphone time, what's there to complain about? Her voice is oh-so-sweet and he's got the soulful blues 'way down deep inside. And yeah, the singin' non-vocal tunes are also not to be ignored... With Lester Young, Jo Jones, Don Byas and all those other Kansas City jazz cats running around, this is music that has to be checked out by the true student of jazz... no matter *what* I think!