Count Basie – This Time By Basie......Hits Of The 50's & 60's

Count Basie – This Time By Basie... Hits Of The 50's & 60's

Originally released in 1963 on Reprise Records, This Time By Basie! – Hits Of The 50's & 60's finds Count Basie and his orchestra applying their unmistakable Swing style to a selection of contemporary popular hits. Recorded in New York between 21 and 24 January 1963, the album was arranged and conducted by Quincy Jones, whose sophisticated charts bring a fresh, modern edge to Basie's famously economical piano playing and powerful big-band sound.

Rather than simply revisiting Basie's earlier Swing-era repertoire, the album places the orchestra firmly in the musical landscape of the early 1960s. The programme moves from Steve Allen's “This Could Be The Start Of Something Big” and the San Francisco standard “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” to Rudy Toombs' swinging “One Mint Julep”, Moe Koffman's “The Swingin' Shepherd Blues” and Don Gibson's “I Can't Stop Loving You”. Basie's relaxed rhythmic authority and Jones's inventive arrangements make these familiar songs sound unmistakably like Count Basie.

The second side is equally strong, opening with the elegant “Moon River” before moving through “Fly Me To The Moon”, “What Kind Of Fool Am I”, the instrumental rock favourite “Walk, Don't Run”, “Nice 'N' Easy” and the closing “Theme From The Apartment”. The result is a stylish meeting point between big band jazz, Swing, traditional pop and early-1960s popular music, making this an excellent example of Basie's ability to adapt his orchestra without sacrificing its distinctive identity.

The album was commercially successful, reaching No. 19 on the US Billboard album chart, and earned Grammy recognition, including a win for Count Basie for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. For collectors of Count Basie, Quincy Jones, classic American big band jazz and vintage Reprise LPs, This Time By Basie is an especially appealing snapshot of one of jazz's great orchestras embracing the sounds of a new decade. The original US LP was issued as Reprise R9-6070, with a UK Reprise edition also appearing in 1963.

Side A

1. This Could Be The Start Of Something Big
2. I Left My Heart In San Francisco
3. One Mint Julep
4. The Swingin' Shepherd Blues
5. I Can't Stop Loving You

Side B

1. Moon River
2. Fly Me To The Moon
3. What Kind Of Fool Am I
4. Walk, Don't Run
5. Nice 'N' Easy
6. Theme From "The Apartment"