Customer Reviews

Sing a Song of Basie

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

One of the Desert Island discs in the genre of group vocals - which have included the Boswell Sisters, Andrew Sisters, and various teams otherwise depicted as Barbershop Quartets etc. Lambert, Hendricks and Ross managed to combine a delicious sound - not too sweet; a sensibility attuned to the jazz idiom; the feeling which is palpable that they loved what they were doing and you can HEAR that joy; a powerful swing; a poetic intelligence and understanding of lyrics and the dedication to get the music of Count Basie right for transposition to vocals. A gem of a re-issue. A classic. To listen to at regular intervals.

This would have been a five star album, if it were not for the distortion present. I have heard certain of these selections on at least 3 CD releases. It is my belief that the distortion comes from the master tapes and the overdubbing techniques used at the time. The end of "Down for Double" is a good example, when Annie goes for the big finish.

The earlier "bonus" tracks on the album sound better, as they were not overdubbing like mad. Les Paul recordings of this era suffer the same fate.

If you want me to grade on the performance holding the recording quality aside, I would give it the 5/5 grade as so many others have.

GOD, THIS ALBUM IS GREAT! LH&R found a way to reinvent vocals and make the human voice into a true jazz instrument instead of just harmony over the rest of the music. Listening to these three amazing vocalists weave their voices into the instruments of the classic Basie Band is a thrilling experience. Each member has his or her special role: Lambert created the idea and made the incredible arrangements, Hendricks provided the hippest lyrics in history and a voice that can speed along like a Ferrari, and Ross gave them humor and vocal range that could follow along the highest pitched trumpet solos. The whole album is superb, but I go nuts everytime I hear their version of Count Basie's greatest piece, "One O'Clock Jump." What a party, what a par-teee!

Beautiful music!
If you like either Basie, be-bop, vocalese or vocal bands in jazz in general, this is perfect cd for you...
Why be-bop? Because singing Basie band's arrangements makes them more prominent and less "backgroundish" with respect to the main solistic line.
As Jimmy Rushing once said (exagerrating, ofcourse), be-bop is nothing but using back-harmonies of swing as main content of music... He was not quite on the ball, but in this case his explanation has merrits.
Is this interpretation right? Have no idea.
But I like the sound of this crazy album very very much!
Hendricks voice (and performance) is my favorite in the group, but all in all it is a great collective performance.
Excellent bonus tracks - three songs of Hendricks with Lambert singers - enrich this CD - they are not mere timefillers, typical for cd reissues of good old LP's that generally contained less music than this overrated new digital format...

When the original LP disc was issued in 1957, Jon Hendrick's lyrics were printed on the back of the record jacket. Because the notes pass so quickly on some of the tunes, it is impossible to know the meaning of Hendrick's lyrics without the printed lyrics. I spent some enjoyable time listening to the LP and following along with the printed lyrics. Hendrick's lyrics really do tell interesting stories, if you can follow their meaning with this kind of printed visual assistance.

This recording is a legendary gem. Jon Hendricks' phenomenal talent is brought to us with sheer perfection ... and is a MUST for any vocalese fan's collection. "Sing a Song of Basie" not only captures the brilliance and energy of Basie's band, songs and arrangements -- but Hendricks' impeccable timing combined with his great talent and ability, gives us what he does best ... a story within a story (which was originally a horn solo). Listening to the words is tricky enough since the be-bop-pace and full arrangement are vocalized perfectly and entirely. This CD is will give much listening pleasure .. it is a sound and style that has not been surpassed since. This CD will not only please and educate newcomers to jazz but is certain to be an all time favorite of long-time jazz fans. I've owned this album for 25 years ... and appreciate it more everytime I hear it. Enjoy!!

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Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross are exemplary on this recording. This is the winner of DownBeat Jazz Poll -2011.
I was amazed at the clarity of this cd recording in monaural, and not electronically enhanced stereo sound.
The original LP recording, "Sing A Song of Basie" was L,H,R first recording together in 1957. The Stereo Fidelity
recordings were released sometime in 1958. This cd is jam-packed with 23 selections, of which: 1-10 are "Sing A
Song of Basie," and selections 11-20 are "Sing Along With Basie." Added Bonus Tracks: 21-23 are included.
The original vocal group of Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross were together until 1962 when Annie Ross departed
to be replaced by Yolande Bavan. The group then became Lambert, Hendricks and Bavan never having achieved
the stardom of the original group with Annie Ross. Enough about the history of this vocal group.
All I have to add to this review is that you will not be dissappointed when you purchase this cd. It is
well worth the money and surely to become a "collector's item," in the near future. With today's modern
recording and remastering technology you will enjoy the vocal group of Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross.