At Newport [Live]

Count Basie | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B00000476C
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #224,702 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of Basie, April 8, 2000

By 

Peter Haefs "Buchhändler" (Düsseldorf) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: At Newport (Audio CD)

You want to hear Basie? Than i just can say: BUY THIS RECORD! This is swinging, living and cooking Big Band music at it`s best (and there are a lot bad one...believe me.) I had the luck to talk to Mr. Joe Newman (with Basie in the 40th and 50th), who has a few solos on this record, in 1981 and he told me that it was one of the most memorable nights in his life (which realy was not poor of memorable nights...just remember "Live At Newport" with Mr. Hampton). Prez playing his heart out (Polka Dots and Moonbeams), "Little" Jimmy Rushing shouting the Kansas City Blues, Freddie Green popping his strings, Little David wailing to the stars, Joe Williams having the blues and nothing but the blues ("nobody loves him"), Jo Jones swinging the drums, the Count pretending not being able to play "real piano" (what a joke), not to forget John Hammond (who brought Basie from KC to NY) introducing the band one by one (but mixing up Lester Young and Jimmy Rushing)...what a night it must have been at July 7th, 1957...I wish to have been there that night. I listen to it since 1979 when i bought it the first time. As Lester Young said when he listened to this record 2 years after it was recorded: "Man...it burst my nuts" My point. Oh...not to forget... the sound is so fine that you wouldn`t believe that it is from 1957...just five stars for the sound! SO BUY THAT RECORD AND HAVE A LOT OF FUN!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Goosebumps, September 7, 2006

By 

jive rhapsodist (NYC, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: At Newport (Audio CD)

1957. And the Last Reunions had already begun. Was this Lester's last time playing with Basie? Maybe not, but it's the last one readily available. So often in Jazz these kind of records are more impressive for who is on them than for what actually happens musically. Not here. Maybe Jo Jones' drumming was considered passe by some of the audience, and even by some of the musicians. If so, they were crazy. He burns his way through the tracks he plays on and goads and gooses Lester Young to some of his last great moments. Roy Eldridge plays clean-up on One O'Clock Jump and he plays to the cheap seats. When this kind of thing works from Roy (Flyin'Home - Metronome All-Stars Concert, 1944) it's amazing, but here it's a bit too over the top. But the sense of occasion is all over this disc and if you have ANY Jazz nostalgia whatsoever, you have to own it. The '50's Basie band and Joe Williams sound positively mechanical and empty next to all of this, but that's OK. You can study their tracks as a primer on the change and evolution of Jazz styles.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy This Now!, December 5, 2001

By 

"prezgirl" (PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: At Newport (Audio CD)

This is an amazing CD that will show you why the Count Basie bands stood out from all others in the genre. Lester Young is in incredible form, blowing tenor like mad in one of his last great appearances, with Jo Jones' drumming swinging him into the next dimension! When the great blues shouter Jimmy Rushing comes out and the band swings into some great 30's tunes ("Sent for you Yesterday" "Evenin"), it gets even better! Plus you get the "new testament" Basie band with Joe Williams in delicious form. Add to that an all-star One O'Clock Jump with Illinois Jacquet and Roy Eldrige joining in and you can rock the night away!