Complete Basie collection - how do I build it?

Message

Swifty · #1 Post by **Swifty** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 12:34 pm

I find I'm starting to double up on lots on Basie recordings.

Is there a definitive (no pun intended) list of recordings out there that I can use to help me decide what to get? I could probably do the research myself but a) keeping labels and dates and song titles straight in this magnitude makes my head spin; b) there's what seems like 40 CDs and a bunch of "complete" sets out there with the same recordings and I have no idea what's the same or different about them; c) if some has already done the work there's no reason to duplicate it; and d) I'm really lazy.

I'm talking about studio stuff not live tracks. That's a whole different ball of wax.

Yakov · #2 Post by **Yakov** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 3:49 pm

I can give you Old Testament (1937-49, at which point he broke up his first band).
Go with Definitive for good recording quality at a low price

1. Complete Decca
2. Complete Columbia (2 sets)
3. Complete RCA-Victor

Odds and ends:
Chronogical Classics: Kansas City 5, 6, and 7

Also:
Radio stuff, V-Discs, etc... (I don't know)

Swifty · #3 Post by **Swifty** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:26 pm

Did I not start this thread or am I losing my mind?

#4 Post by **JesseMiner** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 9:10 pm

I split your post off from the "Definitive Records available on Amazon.com: WOW" thread since it seemed like it should be it's own thread. I was meaning to drop you a line about that. Sorry for the confusion.

Jesse Miner
SwingDJs Moderator

Swifty · #5 Post by **Swifty** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 8:46 am

S'ok, it's just that losing my mind is a constant thread & I thought the fit finally hit the shan.

julius · #6 Post by **julius** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 1:11 pm

If you are looking for a way to get literally every Basie studio recording ever made on CD and NOT wind up buying doubles of some tracks, I am guessing that will be impossible. Maybe you mean doubles of some albums, but I dunno.

I have no real information to share, I just thought I'd poop all over your fondest dream (and mine).

What you really need is some way of uniquely identifying a track as being a particular take on a particular session. Unfortunately those are usually not available on the outside of CDs, and sometimes only the liner notes.

I still have no real information to share.

mousethief · #7 Post by **mousethief** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 1:20 pm

I don't think it can be helped but it can be minimized. Unfortunately, I am one of those impulse buyers, so I can't help you. I have no discipline.

Kalman

CafeSavoy · #8 Post by **CafeSavoy** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 2:15 pm

I think you can get the early basie without too many duplicates if you are just starting your collection. Yakov's idea of starting with box sets is a good one. With his later material you just have to buy compilations judiciously.

Swifty · #9 Post by **Swifty** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 2:54 pm

Yakov wrote:I can give you Old Testament (1937-49, at which point he broke up his first band).
Go with Definitive for good recording quality at a low price

1. Complete Decca
2. Complete Columbia (2 sets)
3. Complete RCA-Victor

Odds and ends:
Chronogical Classics: Kansas City 5, 6, and 7

Here's my problem, consider the Complete Columbia - I've already got the Proper set and the America's #1 Band set. There is significant overlap but I was able to justify the purchase of the #1 Band set due to the rocking liner notes and the 2+ discs of radio and live stuff I wouldn't have otherwise. Plus I've got a couple of single CDs that are almost exactly identical to idividual discs from within one set or the other (that I already had).

Is the stuff that's on the two Complete Columbia sets that's NOT on either the Proper or #1 Band sets worth the purchase of another 4-6 discs with 80% or whatever overlap?

kitkat · #10 Post by **kitkat** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 3:04 pm

Do you want a complete Basie set or not? If you want a complete set, buy it. If not, beg a friend to burn it for you & keep it your little DJ secret.

CafeSavoy · #11 Post by **CafeSavoy** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 3:30 pm

Swifty wrote:
Here's my problem, consider the Complete Columbia - I've already got the Proper set and the America's #1 Band set. There is significant overlap but I was able to justify the purchase of the #1 Band set due to the rocking liner notes and the 2+ discs of radio and live stuff I wouldn't have otherwise. Plus I've got a couple of single CDs that are almost exactly identical to idividual discs from within one set or the other (that I already had).

Is the stuff that's on the two Complete Columbia sets that's NOT on either the Proper or #1 Band sets worth the purchase of another 4-6 discs with 80% or whatever overlap?

The only solution is compare the songs by recording dates on all sets. That was the only way i could determine the dupes in my collection. Maybe we could do a project where list all the songs and recording disks as a resource to members.

julius · #12 Post by **julius** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 4:30 pm

The other quirk to consider is that the audio might be remastered quite a bit better for one version of the same studio take. I recently began ripping all my CDs and for fun I compared two different versions of the same songs from the Blanton-Webster Ellington 3 CD set and the the Proper Box Set. The Proper has far, far better audio quality.

I think you and I are just too lazy and not anal-compulsive enough to do the work necessary. Heck, I don't even know where to find a complete discography of every Basie studio recording ever, much less if one exists. If Rayned can't answer your question, then what mere mortal can?

CafeSavoy · #13 Post by **CafeSavoy** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 5:29 pm

julius wrote: Heck, I don't even know where to find a complete discography of every Basie studio recording ever, much less if one exists.

I don't think this is complete but it's pretty comprehensive. I'm not sure where it's from.

Discography (albums)
1929 Basie's Basement {Bluebird}
1932 Jive at Five {ASV/Living Era}
1936 Super Chief {Columbia}
1937 Good Morning Blues {MCA}
1937 On the Upbeat {Drive Archive}
1938 Rock-A-Bye Basie, Vol. 2 Vintage {Jazz}
1939 Count Basie and His Great Vocalists {Legacy/Columbi}
1939 Blues by Basie {Columbia}
1946 Count Basie: The Orchestra and the Octet
1947 Count Basie, Vols. 1-3 {RCA}
1950 Dance Parade {Columbia}
1950 Count Basie at the Piano {Decca}
1952 Paradise Squat {Verve}
1952 Count Basie/Lester Young - Live at Birdland Jazz Panorama
1952 Dance Session {Clef}
1952 Count Basie and His Orchestra Collates {Mercury}
1953 King of Swing {Verve}
1953 Sixteen Men Swinging {Verve}
1954 Swinging the Fifties {IAJRC}
1954 Class of '54 {Black Lion}
1954 Basie [Clef] Clef
1954 Blues Backstage {Clef}
1954 The Count Basie Sextet {Clef}
1954 Count Basie Big Band {Clef}
1954 Count Basie Dance Session, Vol. 1 {Clef}
1954 Basie Jazz {Clef}
1955 Jazz Royalty {EmArcy}
1955 The Old Count and the New Count {Epic}
1955 Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings {Verve}
1955 April in Paris [Verve] Verve
1955 Lester Leaps In {Epic}
1955 Basie {Roulette}
1955 Basie's Back in Town {Epic}
1955 Let's Go to Prez {Epic}
1955 Rock the Blues {Epic}
1955 Count Basie Dance Session, Vol. 2 {Clef}
1956 Sings Standards {Verve}
1956 Count Basie in London {Verve}
1956 Live in Basel (1956) {Jazz Helvet}
1956 Live {Sequel}
1956 The Count [Clef] Clef
1956 The Swinging Count {Clef}
1956 The Band of Distinction {Clef}
1956 Basie Roars Again! {Clef}
1956 Basie Rides Again! {Clef}
1956 Basie Bash {Columbia}
1956 Switzerland 1956 {Jazz Helvet}
1957 At Newport with Dizzy Gillespie {Verve}
1957 Count Basie at Newport {Verve}
1957 Atomic Mr. Basie {Roulette}
1957 The Count! {Verve}
1958 Basie Plays Hefti {Roulette}
1958 Sing Along with Basie {Roulette}
1958 Count on the Coast, Vols. 1-3 {Phontastic}
1958 Memories Ad-Lib {Roulette}
1958 Basie Swings, Bennett Sings {Roulette}
1958 One More Time {Roulette}
1958 The Atomic Band in Concert [live] {Bandstand}
1959 Chairman of the Board {Roulette}
1959 Basie and Eckstine, Inc. {Capitol}
1959 Breakfast Dance and Barbecue {Roulette}
1959 Everyday I Have the Blues {Roulette}
1959 Hall of Fame {Verve}
1959 Dance Along with Basie {Roulette}
1959 Strike up the Band {Roulette}
1960 Paris Jazz Concert [live] {RTE}
1960 Count Basie/Sarah Vaughan {Roulette}
1960 String Along with Basie {Roulette}
1960 Not Now - I'll Tell You When {Roulette}
1960 Count Basie & Sarah Vaughan {Roulette}
1960 Just the Blues {Roulette}
1960 Kansas City Suite: The Music of Benny Carter {Roulette}
1960 Easin' It {Roulette}
1960 Kansas City Suite {Roulette}
1960 Benny Carter's Kansas City Suite {Roulette}
1961 Count Basie/Sarah Vaughan {Roulette}
1961 First Time! The Count Meets the Duke {Columbia}
1961 Basie at Birdland {Capitol}
1962 Count Basie and the Kansas City 7 [MCA] MCA
1962 Lil' Ol' Groovemaker {Verve}
1962 Back with Basie {Roulette}
1962 Live in Sweden {Roulette}
1962 On My Way and Shoutin' Again {Verve}
1962 Count Basie in Sweden {Roulette}
1962 Basie: Vaughan {Roulette}
1962 Live in Concert {Monad}
1963 Frankly Basie: Count Basie Plays the Hits of... {Verve}
1963 Basie Land {Verve}
1964 Pop Goes the Basie {Reprise}
1964 The World of Count Basie {Roulette}
1965 Count Basie {Brunswick}
1965 Basie Picks the Winners {Verve}
1965 Basie's Beat {Verve}
1965 Basie Meets Bond {United Artists}
1965 Our Shining Hour {Verve}
1966 Sinatra At the Sands [live] {Reprise}
1966 Count Basie with Arthur Prysock {Verve}
1966 Basie's Swingin', Voices Singin' ABC [Import]
1966 Inside Basie Outside {VSP}
1966 Great Concert of Count Basie and His... [live] {Festival}
1966 Showtime {MCA}
1966 Basie's Beatle Bag {Verve}
1967 Straight Ahead {Dot}
1967 Hollywood...Basie's Way Command
1968 Live in Antibes (1968) {Esoldun}
1969 Jazz Fest Masters: Count Basie {Scotti Bros.}
1969 Basic Basie {Verve}
1969 Standing Ovation [live] {MCA}
1970 High Voltage {Pausa}
1970 Basie on the Beatles Happy Tiger
1970 Afrique {Flying}
1971 Have a Nice Day {Daybreak}
1972 Loose Walk {Pablo}
1973 Basie Jam, Vol. 1 {Pablo}
1973 The Bosses {Pablo}
1974 For the First Time {Pablo}
1974 Satch and Josh {Pablo}
1974 Basie and Friends {Pablo}
1974 The Last Decade Artistry
1975 Basie and Zoot {Pablo/OJC}
1975 Fun Time: Count Basie Big Band at Montreux... {Pablo}
1975 Basie Jam at Montreux '75 {Pablo}
1975 Jam Session at Montreux, 1975 {Pablo}
1975 The Basie Big Band {Pablo}
1975 For the Second Time {Original Jazz}
1975 Count Basie Jam Session at the Montreux Jazz... [live] {Original Jazz}
1976 I Told You So {Pablo/OJC}
1976 Basie Jam, Vol. 2 {Original Jazz}
1976 Basie Jam, Vol. 3 {Original Jazz}
1977 Prime Time {Pablo}
1977 Kansas City, Vol. 5 {Pablo}
1977 The Gifted Ones {Pablo}
1977 Basie Jam: Montreux '77 {Pablo/OJC}
1977 Montreux '77: Art of the Jam Session {Original Jazz}
1977 Satch and Josh.....Again {Pablo}
1977 Basie in Europe {LRC}
1978 Milt Jackson & Count Basie & The Big Band,... {Pablo}
1978 Yessir, That's My Baby {Pablo}
1978 Night Rider {Original Jazz}
1978 The Timekeepers {Pablo}
1978 Live in Japan (1978) {Pablo}
1978 Big Bands, An Old Manuscript BH
1978 Rock-A-Bye Basie: Live in '38 & '39 BH
1978 On Tour Down for Double BH
1978 Count Basie Meets Oscar Peterson {Pablo}
1979 Milt Jackson & Count Basie & The Big Band,... {Pablo}
1979 On the Road {Pablo/OJC}
1979 Get Together {Pablo}
1980 Kansas City Shout {Pablo}
1980 Kansas City, Vol. 7 {Original Jazz}
1981 Warm Breeze {Pablo}
1981 Kansas City, Vol. 6 {Original Jazz}
1982 Farmers Market Barbecue {Original Jazz}
1983 Me and You {Pablo}
1983 88 Basie Street {Original Jazz}
1983 Mostly Blues...and Some Others {Pablo}
1983 Fancy Pants {Pablo}
1986 Long Live the Chief {Denon}
1988 Autumn in Paris {Magic}
1991 Kansas City {Pablo}
1991 Blues for Basie {A&M}
1992 Live at El Morocco {Telarc}
1992 Atomic {Vogue}
1992 Basie's Bag {Telarc}
1992 Corner Pocket {LaserLight}
1992 One O'Clock Jump {MCA}
1993 Swingin' the Blues {Arco}
1994 One O'Clock Jump {Four Star}
1994 Live at Tilburg 1971 & Nassau 1969 {Jazz Band}
1994 Count Basie, Vol. 2 {Alshire}
1994 Midnite Blue {Jazz World}
1994 Low Life {Drive}
1995 Basie Jam {Analogue}
1995 August 5 1958 [live] {Canby}
1995 Basie Swing {Jazz World}
1995 With Duke Ellington {Tristar}
1995 Basie Boogie {Jazz Hour}
1995 Basie Boogie [Prime Cuts] {Tristar}
1995 Basie Rhythm {HEP}
1995 All Stars '54 {Moon}
1995 The Atomic Band Live in Europe {Bandstand}
1995 Big Band Basie {Reference}
1995 Live in France {RTE}
1996 It Had to Be You {Dove}
1996 Swingin' Machine: Live {Le Jazz}
1996 Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild {Blue Jackel}
1996 Pop Classics {Brunswick}
1996 One O'Clock Jump [K-Tel] {K-Tel}
1996 Unbeatable Basie Beat {Avid}
1996 {Jazz Hour}
1996 Makin' Whoopee {Collector's}
1996 Count Basie/Sarah Vaughan {Capitol}
1997 Count Basie Live! 1938 at the Famous Door NYC {Jazz Hour}
1997 At the Royal Roost NY 1948 [live] {Drive Archive}
1997 1938 at the Famous Door NYC [live] {Jazz Hour}
1998 Count Basie Encounters Oscar Peterson {Pablo/OJC}
1998 Live at the Sands {Warner}
1998 Paris Jazz Concert 1972 [live] {Malaco}
1999 Swing Shift Mama
2000 Cafe Society Uptown 1941 {Storyville}
2000 Live in Stockholm {Magic}
2000 Count on the Coast, Vol. 3 {Phontastic}
2000 Count Basie Live {Delta}
2001 At Birdland Summer 1952 [live] {Jazz Band}
???? The Count Basie Band And... {Verve}
???? Ain't It the Truth {Jazz Man}
???? I Got Rhythm {Vee-Jay}
???? Jazz Fest Masters: Scotti Bros Adventures in
???? Hannah & Her Sisters {MCA Special}
???? Swingin' at the Daisy Chain {Affinity}
???? Back to the Basie and the Blues {Roulette}
???? Everything's Comin' up Roses Quintessence
???? Count Basie With Joe Turner [Warner] Warner {Jazz}
???? One O'Clock Jump [Laserlight] {Delta}}

julius · #14 Post by **julius** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 6:30 pm

CafeSavoy wrote:???? One O'Clock Jump [Laserlight] {Delta}}

Hah! This is the very first jazz I ever owned. I have it on CASSETTE TAPE! I don't even know what tracks are on it anymore because the tape label fell off after the first 2000 times i played it. The tracks are all over the place, some obviously thirties and some obviously fifties.

Yakov · #15 Post by **Yakov** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 9:48 pm

there's a complete Basie discography available on Amazon. problem is it's probably mainly for 1st edition record collectors, problem is also that it's REALLY FREAKING EXPENSIVE

Chris Sheridan / Count Basie: a Bio-Discography

excerpts available at Freddie Green's web site (?!?!): Read

hm, maybe it's worth $140? sure, but not to me.

they have it at my library but it's on reference.

anyway yeah, if you want to go from an incomplete to complete collection you're GOING to duplicate tracks! Them's the breaks.

Getting a "complete" collection of anything at all is going to be by necessity a difficult, expensive, unrewarding activity. Don't worry about it. Look for stuff that's good and keep moving on, there's lots of great artists and you don't want to have an unbalanced collection. My original post will help you through the original years, then just get some of the live/radio stuff if you want, and then late-era material that you like, plenty of recommendations are available on this board.

That's my suggestion.