Count Basie – Chairman Of The Board
(Columbia Records 1960 SCX3304)
UK Pressing
G&L Flipback Sleeve in Nr MINT/Excellent+ condition
– some marks around edges and some discolouration on back cover
Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
William James “Count” Basie (August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. His mother taught him to play the piano and he started performing in his teens. Dropping out of school, he learned to operate lights for vaudeville and to improvise accompaniment for silent films at a local movie theater in his home town of Red Bank, New Jersey. By age 16, he increasingly played jazz piano at parties, resorts and other venues. In 1924, he went to Harlem, where his performing career expanded; he toured with groups to the major jazz cities of Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City. In 1929 he joined Bennie Moten’s band in Kansas City, and played with them until Moten’s death in 1935.
In 1935, Basie formed his own jazz orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. He led the group for almost 50 years, creating innovations like the use of two “split” tenor saxophones, emphasizing the rhythm section, riffing with a big band, using arrangers to broaden their sound, and others. Many musicians came to prominence under his direction, including the tenor saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, the guitarist Freddie Green, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry “Sweets” Edison and singers Jimmy Rushing and Joe Williams.
The Chairman of the Board is a 1959 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra.
Track listing
- “Blues in Hoss’ Flat” (Count Basie, Frank Foster) – 3:13
- “H.R.H. (Her Royal Highness)” (Count Basie, Thad Jones) – 2:40
- “Segue in C” (Frank Wess) – 6:15
- “Kansas City Shout” (Henry Wells) – 3:34
- “Speaking of Sounds” (Thad Jones) – 3:27
- “TV Time” (Frank Foster) – 3:16
- “Who, Me?” (Frank Foster) – 5:13
- “The Deacon” (Thad Jones) – 4:50
- “Half Moon Street” (Frank Wess) – 3:25
- “Mutt & Jeff” (Thad Jones, Jack McDuff) – 3:39
- Recorded at Universal Studios, Chicago on March 4, 1958 (Track 1 & 2) and Capital Studios, New York on April 28 (Track 7, 9, 12), April 29 (Track 4, 10), December 10 (Track 5 & 8) and December 11 (Track 3 & 6), 1958.
Personnel
- The Count Basie Orchestra
- Count Basie – piano
- Frank Foster – arranger, tenor saxophone
- Ernie Wilkins – arranger
- Eddie Jones – double bass
- Charlie Fowlkes – bass clarinet, baritone saxophone
- Marshal Royal – clarinet, alto saxophone
- Sonny Payne – drums
- Frank Wess – flute, arranger, alto saxophone
- Freddie Green – guitar
- Billy Mitchell – tenor saxophone
- Henry Coker – trombone
- Al Grey – trombone
- Benny Powell – trombone
- Thad Jones – trumpet, arranger
- Wendell Culley – trumpet
- Joe Newman – trumpet
- Snooky Young – trumpet
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