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Count Basie/Zoot Sims
Basie & Zoot
Pablo Original Jazz Classics OJCCD 822-2
Amazon
UK midprice
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- I Never Knew
- It’s Only a Paper Moon
- Blues for Nat Cole
- Captain Bligh
- Honeysuckle Rose
- Hardav
- Mean to Me
- I Surrender Dear
Count Basie – Piano/Organ Zoot Sims – Tenor Sax John Heard – Bass Louis
Bellson – Drums
When this album was recorded in 1975, Zoot was 50 and Basie was 71.
It was probably a long time since the Count had worked with a jazz quartet,
but it was what Zoot did most of the time. It is not surprising therefore
that Zoot sounds the most relaxed of the two jazz superstars.
The music is straightforward Mainstream Swing played with great flair
by the two leaders, with superb support from Louis Bellson and Bass
player John Heard. The record was produced by Norman Granz and no doubt
came from his method of putting some good jazz musicians in a studio
and seeing what happens! It sounds crude, but it produced some superb
albums.
Basie always gave Fats Waller a lot of credit for teaching him to play
stride piano and also organ; both these skills are in evidence on this
album. Zoot first came to the notice of the public in the Woody Herman
‘Four Brothers Band’; his ability to play with any kind of band was
exceptional. I heard him play many times and he always gave 110%, no
matter with whom he had to play. He in fact wandered the world playing
with local musicians and in nearly every case they; they rose to the
occasion.
His timing is incredible, just listening to him on ‘I Never Knew’ made
me realise what a sad loss it was for the jazz world when he died in
1985.
Louis Bellson and John Heard provide the kind of support every front
line player would like to have, always listening to the soloist and
complementing his/her performance.
As you would expect there is a generous helping of the blues here,
the Basie Band always had that in it’s repertoire and it was nice to
hear ‘Honeysuckle Rose’ Fats Waller’s tune again, as well as ‘I Surreder,
Dear’.
A pleasant album of easy listening jazz.
Don Mather
Don Mather is a Saxophone Player
and Bandleader based in Coventry
CD Reviews
