The Essential Count Basie, Vol. 2

Count Basie | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: November 16, 1987
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000026C3
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,726 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars perhaps the best of the 3 volumes -- get it., August 15, 1998

By 

Benj Thomas - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Essential Count Basie, Vol. 2 (Audio CD)

great stuff here -- Easy Does It is a masterpiece for the piano and Lester Young's solo, and the mood overall. Dickie's Dream is a classic. So are they all.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Really excellent, but deserves better mastering, April 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Essential Count Basie, Vol. 2 (Audio CD)

Recent engineering efforts in the classic jazz field have demonstrated that even recordings from the late 1930's can be processed so that they sound both more pleasing and more accurate than the original 78rpm record. Unfortunately, this particular volume does not benefit from such treatment, though the sound quality is certainly acceptable given the age of the masters used (1939 & 40).

This collection contains some of Basie's best songs and is therefore a necessity for classic jazz fans, as are the first and third volumes in this series. The band swings hard here, and there is a palpable energy that seems to have been toned down in his later recordings.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, all on one CD buy it, if you can't, steal it, April 19, 2005

By 

Tony Thomas (SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Essential Count Basie, Vol. 2 (Audio CD)

Though I have had this stuff on vinyl, tape, and now CD it boggles the mind that I could have lived my life about 30 years without ever owning or hearing most of these sides. These are the height of Columbia period with Basie, the greatest pieces done when the band was smoothed out, organized, and arrange to act as a platform for Lester, blowing his greatest music.

I could just salute the acknowledged world-class masterpieces on this CD like Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie, Lester Leaps in, Tickle Toe, and Dickie's Dream. But then, a person who doesn't know that that these sides should be possessed by anyone with ears, is in need of serious counselling and rehabilitation.

What I like is some of the lesser known Gems here that shine so bright. Jimme Rushing's "I can't believe that You're in Love with Me", is THE recording of this song. Once you hear it, it will grow on you and stay with you and you will realize Jimmie is putting the real feeling into that song. Jimmie always saw himself as a ballad singer, not a bluesman, though, he is of course one of the greatest blues singers ever to walk the Earth.

Volcano and Louisiana are two great hard blowing hard arranged musical pieces that belong in the same category of Jumpin at the Woodside, Swinging the Blues, etc, and really show off the powers of the sax sections and trumpet leads by Clayton, Edison, and I believe Al Killian. However, on Louisiana, we have the rare treat of a hard core solo by Jack Washington, Basie's baritone saxist who rarely took solos, although members of the band have testified that even Lester Young was afraid of Washington in a cutting contest.

Sad to say, there are other things I must do in my life besides write about this marvelous CD. I just want you to share the pleasure too.