Tag Archives: Count Basie and his orchestra

Count Basie And His Orchestra: The Happiest Millionaire

In November 1967, “Coliseum” label released “The Happiest Millionaire” (Count Basie Captures Walt Disney’s The Happiest Millionaire), album by Count Basie and His Orchestra. It was recorded in October 1967, at “A&R” in New York, and was produced by Teddy Reig.

Personnel:

  • Count Basie – piano
  • Bobby Plater – alto saxophone, flute
  • Marshal Royal – alto saxophone, clarinet
  • Eric Dixon – tenor saxophone, flute
  • Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis – tenor saxophone
  • Charlie Fowlkes – baritone saxophone
  • Al Aarons, Sonny Cohn, Gene Goe, Sam Noto – trumpet
  • Richard Boone, Harlan Floyd, Grover Mitchell – trombone
  • Bill Hughes – bass trombone
  • Freddie Green – guitar
  • Norman Keenan – bass
  • Louis Bellson – drums
  • Chico O’Farrill – arrangements

Track listing:

All tracks by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.

  1. Detroit
  2. Strengthen the Dwelling
  3. I’ll Always be Irish
  4. Valentine Candy
  5. Bye-Yum-Pum-Pum
  6. Watch Your Footwork
  7. What’s Wrong with That
  8. Let’s Have a Drink on It
  9. Are We Dancing
  10. Fortuosity

Count Basie And His Orchestra: I Told You So

In June 1976, “Pablo” label released “I Told You So”, album by Count Basie and his Orchestra. It was recorded in January 1976, at “RCA Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Count Basie- piano
  • Sonny Cohn- trumpet
  • Pete Minger- trumpet
  • Bobby Mitchell – trumpet
  • John Thomas – trumpet
  • Jack Feierman – trumpet
  • Al Grey- trombone
  • Curtis Fuller- trombone
  • Bill Hughes- trombone
  • Mel Wanzo- trombone
  • Bobby Plater- alto saxophone
  • Danny Turner – alto saxophone
  • Jimmy Forrest- tenor saxophone
  • Eric Dixon- tenor saxophone
  • Charlie Fowlkes- baritone saxophone
  • John Duke – double bass
  • Freddie Green- guitar
  • Butch Miles- drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Bill Holman, except where noted.

  1. Tree Frog
  2. Flirt
  3. Blues for Alfy
  4. Something to Live For – Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn
  5. Plain Brown Wrapper
  6. Swee’Pea
  7. Ticker
  8. Too Close for Comfort – Jerry Bock, George David Weiss, Larry Holofcener
  9. Told You So
  10. The Git

Ella Fitzgerald And Count Basie: Ella And Basie!

In September 1963, “Verve” label released “Ella and Basie!”, studio album by Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie and his orchestra. It was recorded in July 1963, at “A&R Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Norman Ganz.

Personnel:

  • Ella Fitzgerald– vocals
  • The Count Basie Orchestra:
  • Count Basie– piano
  • Sonny Cohn, Al Aarons, Joe Newman, Don Rader– trumpet
  • Eric Dixon– flute, tenor saxophone
  • Frank Foster, Frank Wess– flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
  • Charlie Fowlkes– baritone saxophone
  • Freddie Green– guitar
  • Benny Powell, Urbie Green, Henry Coker, Grover Mitchell– trombone
  • Flip Ricard– trombone, trumpet
  • Marshal Royal– clarinet, alto saxophone
  • Buddy Catlett– double bass
  • Sonny Payne– drums
  • Quincy Jones– arranger
  • Val Valentin – recording
  • Jay Thompson – cover photography

Track listing:

  1. Honeysuckle Rose – Andy Razaf, Fats Waller
  2. Deed I Do – Walter Hirsch, Fred Rose
  3. Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall – Doris Fisher, Allan Roberts
  4. Them There Eyes – Maceo Pinkard, Doris Tauber, William Tracey
  5. Dream a Little Dream of Me – Fabian Andre, Gus Kahn, Wilbur Schwandt
  6. Tea for Two – Irving Caesar, Vincent Youmans
  7. Satin Doll – Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Billy Strayhorn
  8. I’m Beginning to See the Light – Duke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges, Harry James
  9. Shiny Stockings – Frank Foster, Ella Fitzgerald
  10. This Is My Last Affair – Haven Johnson
  11. Ain’t Misbehavin’ – Harry Brooks, Razaf, Waller
  12. On the Sunny Side of the Street – Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh

Frank Sinatra & Count Basie: It Might as Well Be Swing

In August 1964, “Reprise” label released “It Might as Well Be Swing”, studio album by Frank Sinatra, accompanied by Count Basie and his orchestra. It was recorded June 9–12, 1964, Hollywood, and was produced by Sony Burke.

Personnel:

  • Frank Sinatra- vocals
  • Count Basie- piano
  • Quincy Jones- arranger, conductor
  • Al Porcino, Don Rader, Wallace Davenport, Al Aarons, George Cohn and Harry “Sweets” Edison- trumpets
  • Henry Coker, Grover Mitchell, Bill Hughes, Henderson Chambers and Kenny Shroyer – trombones
  • Frank Foster, Charles Fowlkes, Marshal Royal, Frank Wessand Eric Dixon – reeds
  • Emil Richards – vibraphone
  • George Catlett – double bass
  • Freddie Green- guitar
  • Sonny Payne- drums
  • Gerald Vinci, Israel Baker, Jacques Gasselin, Thelma Beach, Bonnie Douglas, Marshall Sosson, Erno Neufeld, Lou Raderman, Paul Shure and James Getzoff – violins
  • Virginia Majewski, Paul Robyn, Alvin Dinkin and Stan Harris –
  • violasEdgar Lustgarten and Ann Goodman – cellos
  • Lowell Frank – engineer
  • Ted Allen – cover photo

Track listing:

  1. Fly Me to the Moon – Bart Howard
  2. I Wish You Love – Léo Chauliac, Charles Trenet, Albert Beach
  3. I Believe in You – Frank Loesser
  4. More (Theme from Mondo Cane) – Riz Ortolani, Nino Oliviero, Marcello Ciorciolini, Norman Newell
  5. I Can’t Stop Loving You – Don Gibson
  6. Hello Dolly – Jerry Herman
  7. I Wanna Be Around – Johnny Mercer, Sadie Vimmerstedt
  8. The Best Is Yet to Come – Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh
  9. The Good Life – Sacha Distel, Jack Reardon
  10. Wives and Lovers – Burt Bacharach, Hal David