On the Road

Count Basie | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 30, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ojc
• ASIN: B000000Z1B
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #86,792 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dennis Rowland, August 23, 2007

By 

Nobuhiko Yonekura "Sonny the Cat" (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: On the Road (Audio CD)

Dennis Rowland is the featured vocalist in this album. He now lives in Phoenix, Arizona and still is very active. He and his jazz combo will be the guest artists at the Opening Night concert of The Phoenix Symphony on September 8, 2007. He is still best known for his association with the Count Basie Orchestra. From 1977 to 1984, he toured the world as the featured vocalist with the Count Basie Orchestra, sharing the stage with such luminaries as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, and Tony Bennett. Rowland's smooth, powerful voice also graces two tunes on Basie's 1980 Grammy winning album On The Road. Rowland continued his recording career on the Concord label in 1995. Some of his Concord recordings include Rhyme Rhythm & Reason, Get Here, Now Dig This (a tribute to Miles Davis), and A Concord Jazz Christmas: Volume 2. Rowland has also appeared in a variety of theatrical stage productions including "Chicago," "The Seven Deadly Sins (with Cleo Laine)," "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Big River," and "Little Shop Of Horrors." In April 1997, he was invited by Wynton Marsalis to perform with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra for "Swingin' The Blues For Count Basie." Rowland's performance was met with raucous audience approval, inspiring New York Times writer Peter Watrous to exclaim, "He's a spectacular blues singer...It was most honest and liberating; what Mr. Rowland dispenses should be sold in drugstores."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is vintage Basie., August 4, 2002

By 

J. E. Billmann (West Bend, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: On the Road (Audio CD)

If you really want to get the feeling and experience the essence of this 17 piece Basie organization, consider this one.It's vintage Basie. This a live, studio audience performance.Trombonist Booty Wood is as colorful and flexible as ever. Eric Dixon and Kenny Hing handle the tenor solos fluently and melodiously. And of course, Basie demonstrates is unique flair for injecting his piano accents just at the right time. Since this is a "live" performance, expect the person on the soundboard to be a little slow on the trigger at times.It was recorded orginally in 1979

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Terrific Late-Basie Performance, June 24, 2001

By 

"jdpedersen" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On the Road (Audio CD)

Most of the music on this CD is excellent. John Clayton and Bootie Wood do amazing jobs with their features, "John the III" and "Bootie's Blues" (respectively). "John the III" is unusual in that it is a big band BASS feature (very cool). "Basie" is also very energized. However, the best reason to own this CD is for what I would call the DEFINITIVE version of "In a Mellow Tone." This cut is absolutely awe-inspiring. The only real problem with this CD is the very poor liner notes. John Clayton is not listed anywhere, even though Basie introduces him for "John the III." Basie's typically short introduction doen't help - the vocalist for tracks 8 and 9 is introduced only as "Dennis" (possibly trombone player Dennis Wilson). This is unfortunate, because he does a very fine job, with great range. And I have no idea who is featured on flugelhorn for "There Will Never Be Another You," but whoever it is really wails. But this doesn't detract from the music. Some songs are lighter-weight fare ("Wind Machine", "Splanky"). But the overall quality of the music makes this a must-own for Basie fans.