The Basie Big Band (20 Bit Mastering) [Original recording remastered]

Count Basie | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 1, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Pablo
• ASIN: B000000XJ3
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,044 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Full Throttle, March 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Basie Big Band (20 Bit Mastering) (Audio CD)

This album was released in the mid-late 1970's and represents the the final chapter in Basie recordings. What a chapter! The whole thing just flat out cooks a groove. I was in high school back then and we used to play the record over and over just listening to the trumpets on "The Heat is On." Most of the tracks are contemporary for their time and most are Sammy Nestico numbers. If you only know Basie from his earlier recordings I urge you to buy this CD. The band is solid as usual, and the sound quality is excellent. What will surprise you is how totally crazy and wild Basie at this late stage! Some of these songs are just over the top and he's right there every step. He's great. Butch Miles does the drumming and is superb. Anyway, buy this CD and enjoy!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Basie swings yet again, September 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Basie Big Band (20 Bit Mastering) (Audio CD)

Basie Big band is a textbook example of Sammy Nestico charts. Easy swinging free flowing music is the specialty here. There is great soloing on this album by Al Grey and many others. All in all it is a great collection of Nestico tunes.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An All "Sammy Nestico" Originals Make This A 5-star For Me......., May 26, 2008

By 

Robert J. Ament "papacoolbreeze" (Ballwin, MO United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Basie Big Band (20 Bit Mastering) (Audio CD)

although most of these are lessor known (I'm guessing) to the average fan.
Nonetheless, after listening to it several times before writing this, I have to upgrade it to a "5" from a "4" because of the really cool colorations (which still sound good after all these years)of the instrument blendings on "Freckle Face" and "Orange Sherbet", four trombones,bari and flute on the former and the same with the addition of trumpet on the latter. This was recorded in 1975 when the Basie orchestra started a big comeback by strengthening the band with the addition of drummer Butch Miles, in the school of Buddy Rich, the additions of Frank Szabo on trumpet, Danny turner, alto sax and the return of Charlie Fowlkes on bari. This was also the time the relationship between Basie and Nestico began.

To me the Basie band recordings have always seemed effortless......because it was always so professional that I, at least, sort of took the music for granted. Since I have really listened to the band more carefully the last ten years it is now apparent to me what a thing of beauty and craftsmanship it really was. Listen to the eloquent solo of Bobby Plater on alto on "Soft As Velvet" if there are any doubts. "Midnight Freight" is at such a slow tempo that as the liner notes state, only Basie could make this swing. Plater and one of my favorite trombonists, Al Grey, are the soloists on this one.....also dig the three unison flute on the entry. The driving tenor of Jimmy Forrest, of "Night Train" fame, is also featured on "Front Burner" and "The Wind Machine".

I picked up my original LP album in Palo Alto, CA in 1989 and since it has a few scratches I noted while transcribing it to cd, I decided tonight to buy the newer cd while I could still afford it.

Anybody who enjoys the music of Basie and/or Sammy Nestico will want this one