Count Basie and the Kansas City 7 – Impulse/Universal/Analog Productions

by | Oct 16, 2010 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews | 0 comments

Count Basie and the Kansas City 7 – Impulse/Universal/Analog Productions stereo-only SACD CIPJ 15 SA, 40:00 [Distr. by Harmonia mundi] *****:

(Count Basie – piano, organ; Eric Dixon – flute, tenor sax; Frank Foster – clarinet, tenor sax; Freddie Green – guitar; Ed Jones – doublebass; Thad Jones – trumpet; Sonny Payne – drums; Frank Wess – flute, tenor sax)

This is one of several recorded sessions led by Basie but in a small group context instead of his big band.  He has more freedom than ordinarily heard with the big band, and on some tracks he is heard on the B-3 Hammond instead of his customary piano. When this recording was laid down in 1962, Basie had not previously gotten together his Kansas City 7 since 1944.

Basie’s playing on the B-3, as in “I Want a Little Girl,” is a complete delight.  He’s not afraid to lay out a straight melodic line very quietly and lyrically, almost like a Hammond in a church service. But he also stresses a shockingly-wide dynamic range which I don’t recall hearing from any other B-3 players. On a more recent small-group session I was just listening to, he uses the same loud B-3 punctuations here and there. Some of Basie’s top players are in fine form here. Frank Wess does a terrific flute solo on “Secrets,” and Frank Foster switches from clarinet to tenor sax on “Tally-Ho, Mr. Basie!”  The super-solid but lightly-tripping rhythm section that urges things along consists of Basie’s longtime rhythm guitarist Freddie Green, bassist Ed Jones, and the few low notes of Basie’s two keyboards.

There’s more variety of approach in these eight tracks than one typically gets in a Basie Big Band session.  Basie also takes a few more solos than you usually heard in the big band situation.  The sonics are first-rate, as expected. The presence and clarity of the various solo horns is better than you usually hear on xrcds, gold CDs or other audiophile pressings, except perhaps for the very best vinyl reissues – depending on your turntable system.

TrackList: Oh Lady Be Good, secrets, I Want a Little Girl, Shoe Shine Boy, Count’s Place, Senator Whitehead, Tally-Ho Mr. Basie!, What’cha Talkin’?, Trey of Hearts.

 — John Henry

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