Sing a Song of Basie

Lambert Hendricks & Ross | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 21, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Grp Records
• ASIN: B000003N6B
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #314,088 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Everyday

2. It's Sand, Man!

3. Two for the Blues

4. One O'Clock Jump

5. Little Pony

6. Down for Double

7. Fiesta in Blue

8. Down for the Count

9. Blues Backstage

10. Avenue C

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Sing a Song of Basie marked the birth of the jazz vocal group, the arrival of the Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross trio before they had even found their name and identity. First released in 1958, it's still a joyous romp through some Basie hits, with arranger Dave Lambert, lyricist Jon Hendricks, and lead singer Annie Ross defining the new form for posterity. Will Friedwald's new liner notes chronicle the birth pains, including Lambert and Hendricks's initial struggles to do the material with a choir of pop backing singers before hitting on the potential of new overdubbing technology to multiply three voices that could actually sing jazz. The ultimate results created a sensation, and none of the preliminary struggles show in the finished product. The three singers do some extraordinary simulations of horn parts--both ensembles and solos--with Hendricks's casually tongue-twisting, finger-snapping hip lyrics verbalizing the spirit of jazz in a fresh way. Tunes such as "One O'Clock Jump" and "Blues Backstage" swing with the ease of the Basie band itself, propelled by pianist Nat Pierce and the Basie rhythm section of the day, guitarist Freddie Green, bassist Eddie Jones, and drummer Sonny Payne. The CD also includes Lambert and Hendricks's first collaborations from 1955, their version of "Four Brothers" and "Cloudburst" and a previously unreleased version of Hendricks's "Standin' on the Corner." --Stuart Broomer

Product Description

Digitally remastered two-fer containing a pair of albums from the Jazz greats on one CD. These two releases are splendid collaborations by the vocal trio with Count Basie or members of his band. Sing a Song Of Basie is presented here in its original Mono version, and not the inferior 'electronically rechanneled for stereo' mix. It showcases the vocal trio singing all of the horn parts from the Basie band via multi-track recording, backed only by a rhythm section of Basie-ites (with Nat Pierce filling in for the Count). On the stereo album Sing Along With Basie, the vocalists are accompanied by the whole Basie orchestra with the Count himself at the piano. Poll Winners. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stellar in every way, October 7, 2003

By 

Eric (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sing a Song of Basie (Audio CD)

I lack words to express the way I feel about this album without sounding silly. It really is an extraordinary album, truly a landmark album in jazz.

First of all it presents some of the greatest tunes of Basie. The originals by Basie are already wonderful, but singing the arrangements and putting words on Lester Young solos is just out of this world, it is a mark of genius. Jon Hendricks is truly stellar, with his hip style (ya dig it?). His sidekicks are excellent as well.

I have worn out this album so much it's not even funny. If you are into Basie and/or vocalese, get it now.

Perhaps some people will point out the overlap with the compilation called Everybody's boppin; well I say get that one as well. :-) In fact get everything by LHR while you're at it. And get Double Six albums too because their covers of the Quincy Jones / Basie tunes from the late 50's is the other side of this vocalese coin.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the best, January 13, 2004

By 

Rick Cornell "RC" (Reno, Nv USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Sing a Song of Basie (Audio CD)

Despite the impressive moments of the Manhattan Transfer and The New York Voices, L H & R remains the greatest vocal jazz ensemble ever. And this is the best of their all too few albums. Their covers/re-creations of Basie's "Down for Double", "Avenue C", "Backstage Blues", and of course, the Basie signature tune of "One O'Clock Jump", are wonders to behold. Annie Ross was at her peak in this album, and it shows; without her, this group is "pretty good"; with her, and the group is--well, I just said.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A turning point in life of a music-mad guy, April 18, 2001

By 

Sasha "lampic" (at sea...sailing somewhere) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Sing a Song of Basie (Audio CD)

Finally in print again,this first album by Lambert,Hendricks and Ross deserves to be sent into space as a pride of human race.Not only that Verve restored the original album,added excelllent liner notes (by Will Friewald,author of "Jazz singing" - my Bible) and new photos,but packaged everything in attractive fold-out case and as a special bonus,here are 2 songs that Lambert & Hendricks recorded years before they met Ross - clearly,they had a vision of their future.(Its interesting to compare "Cloudburst" recorded with anonumous group of backing studio singers to a same song recorded later with Annie Ross whose presence give this song something it lacked first time around.)The liner notes give a fascinating glimpse into birth of this album - which forever changed face of vocal jazz - as three singers literally starved while recording it for months,such was their belief in their work.To say that this is the album that changes listeners lives would be a undestatement: its a kind of album that starts life-long relationship with these singers and its just natural that after this,you will search high and low for more of their work.As for me,at the moment when I heard it yesterday,it made me forget where I am coming from,where I am going,what day I had behind me and whats waiting in the future - its simply madness,genius and bliss that brings us closer to something divine.