Count Basie April in Paris

"April in Paris" (1956), "King of Swing" (1954), "The Atomic Mr. Basie" (1957) and "The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards" (1956) are presented here on a superbly remastered double CD.
April in Paris (1956). One of the staples in the Count Basie discography, April in Paris is one of those rare albums that makes its mark as an almost instant classic in the jazz pantheon. April in Paris represents the reassembly of the original Count Basie orchestra that define swing in the 1930s and 1940s. The title track has come to define elegance in orchestral jazz. Recorded in 1955 and 1956, April in Paris proved Count Basie's ability to grow through modern jazz changes while keeping the traditional jazz orchestra vital and alive…

The eight CDs that make up this collection document the second rise of Count Basie's big band. The second band had been created at the urging of Billy Eckstine, who convinced Basie that even though the era of the large jazz-swing orchestra – an era he was an architect of – was by all appearances over, he could make a real go of it with his brand of blues and swing.

“Sinatra-Basie”; “Count Basie and the Kansas City 7”; “The Atomic Mr. Basie”; “Basie Plays Hefti” plus five previously unissued mono tracks from Newport 1956.
“Sinatra-Basie” continues our new series revealing the hidden qualities of stereo sound and here we again quote from the original liner notes to give you a flavour of what to expect within the grooves. “I’ve waited twenty years for this moment” said Frank Sinatra as the recording session for this historic meeting of two genuine musical giants of the 20th Century began on the 2nd October 1962. A few more quotes… With arrangements by Neal Hefti… ”it is the balance of power (between Sinatra and Basie) “that is so successful”…

When Count Basie returned to Verve Records in 1962, Neal Hefti was contracted to write the tunes and arrangements, a revival of their partnership from the 1958 Roulette LP Basie Plays Hefti. While none of these selections is as famous as his songs like "Cute," "Little Pony," "Splanky," "Li'l Darlin'," and "Repetition," the substantial originality of this music is hard to deny, not to mention that the expert musicians playing his music bring these tracks fully to life in a livelier fashion than most laid-back Basie studio sessions. In fact, it has the feeling of a concert date that trumps the more clean, controlled environment of a session that was recorded on a three-track reel-to-reel…

This is one of popular entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr's best jazz-oriented albums, featuring Davis with the Count Basie Orchestra performing arrangements by Quincy Jones. Unfortunately, the personnel of the Basie band is not given, but the orchestra mostly acts as a prop behind Davis much of the time anyway. The singer is heard in top form on "Teach Me Tonight," "Work Song," and "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" and adding a bit of tap dancing to a lighthearted "Bill Basie Won't You Please Come Home." Some of the more poppish tunes, such as "Blues for Mr. Charlie" and "She's a Woman," are a bit dated, but, in general, fans of Sammy Davis, Jr will want this set.