SwingDJs

The Complete Clef, Mercury and Verve Studio Recordings of Count Basie and his Orchestra (1952-1957). (8 CDs) #229 - $136
Includes Basie's "New Testament" band that featured Frank Wess, Frank Foster, Benny Powell and Thad Jones with arrangements by Ernie Wilkins and Neal Hefti. Covers the hit albums "April and Paris" and "Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings" as well as the 1956 Metronome All Star album with Ella Fitzgerald.

It's not too likely that it'll make sense for anyone here to buy this set, because most of this music can be obtained at a much lower price, but here you go. I'm surprised that it's only eight discs of music.

-yakov

That Metronome '56 record is awesome! I have it on vinyl.

Swifty wrote:That Metronome '56 record is awesome! I have it on vinyl.

Cool. When I heard this release announced a while back, that recording alone peaked my interest and will probably make me buy the collection.

Jesse

I have it on vinyl too. I was wondering why such great recordings with such famous people hadn't been put on CD yet.

Does anybody have a track list on this yet?

There's a discussion about the Basie set on www.bigband-era.com .

The track list for Metronome All-Stars '56 is as follows:

Metronome All-Stars 1956

Track / Title / Time / BPM
1. Billie's Bounce 20:10 228
2. April in Paris 4:44 127
3. Every Day I Have the Blues 5:12 110
4. Party Blues 3:59 240
5. Basie's Back in Town 3:54 208
6. Lady Fair 3:01

"Billie's Bounce" takes up the entire Side 1 of the record!

"Every Day I Have the Blues" is a duet with Ella & Joe Williams, which I played Friday Night of the Basie100/Y6A weekend during the 2nd HRO break.

Swifty wrote:Metronome All-Stars 1956

Track / Title / Time / BPM
4. Party Blues 3:59 240

I always wondered where that killer tune came from originally. Love it!

Jesse

Basie was prolific.

you aren't joking!
i was flipping through the Bio-Discography by Chris Sheridan today at the library. gosh, it makes me feel small, with all of my twelve or fifteen Basie CDs.

Just got my Mosaic catalog.

This is a MUST HAVE set. THey have the complete discography on the Mosaic web site.

FYI,

Jerry

The Link is here, I almost pasted it in, but it is quite long.
http://www.mosaicrecords.com/discograph ... =229-MD-CD

The album index is below:
Album Index:

EPs
Clef EPC 132 Count Basie and His Orchestra
Clef EPC 142 Count Basie and His Orchestra
Clef EPC 185 The Count Basie Sextet
Clef EPC 186 The Count Basie Sextet & Orchestra
Clef EPC 195 Count Basie Big Band
Clef EPC 196 Count Basie Big Band Album #2
Clef EPC 220 Count Basie Dance Session
Clef EPC 229 Count Basie
Clef EPC 251 Basie Jazz
Clef EPC 252 Basie Jazz Album #2
Clef EPC 279 Various Artists - Our Best Vol.3
Clef EPC 339 Count Basie Dance Session Album #4
Clef EPC 364 Basie
Clef EPC 372 Count Basie Swings And Joe Williams Sings
Clef EPC 375 Count Basie Swings And Joe Williams Sings
Verve EPV 5062 Jamboree

10" LPs
Clef MGC 120 Count Basie and His Orchestra
Clef MGC 146 The Count Basie Sextet
Clef MGC 148 Count Basie Big Band

12" LPs
Clef MGC 626 Count Basie Dance Session
Clef MGC 633 Basie Jazz
Clef MGC 639 Various Artists - Our Best
Clef MGC 647 Count Basie Dance Session Album #2
Clef MGC 666 Basie
Clef MGC 678 Count Basie Swings and Joe Williams Sings
Clef MGC 685 The Count
Clef MGC 706 The Swinging Count
Clef MGC 729 Basie Rides Again
Clef MGC 743 Various Artists - Metronome All Stars 1956
Verve MGV 2016 (mono) The Greatest! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards
Verve MGVS 6006 (stereo) The Greatest! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards
Verve VE2 - 2542 Paradise Squat
Verve MGV 4000 Al Hibbler - Al Hibbler Sings Love Songs
Verve MGV 8012 April in Paris
Verve MGV 8207 Various Artists - Here Come The Swinging Bands
Verve MGV 8288 Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Joe Williams - One O'Clock Jump
Verve MGV 8291 Hall of Fame

CDs
Verve 519852 Count Basie Swings and Joe Williams Sings
Verve 521402 April in Paris

Just received my advanced-order copy today! I was actually so excited that I came out of the woodwork to see if anyone else had received theirs!

Two of the Eight CDs re-hash stuff that most of us already have--April In Paris & the two Joe Williams Sings CDs--but even those CDs have some new extras. There's a fantastic, third alternate take of "Magic" that I really love. They slowed down the rhythm a bit and relaxed into the song, which always sounded a bit rushed.

The rest of the set is great so far. There is some 1952 material that many of the traditional-swing fans would love: with a light, but almost Ellington-like chonk-chonky rhythm that is quite different from the late 50s Basie recordings.