Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings 1955 studio album by Count Basie and Joe Williams
Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings is an album by pianist/bandleader Count Basie and vocalist Joe Williams recorded in 1955 and originally released on the Clef label.[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] [ 4]
Reception
AllMusic awarded the album 5 stars stating "Joe Williams' debut as the featured vocalist in Count Basie's band was one of those landmark moments that even savvy observers don't fully appreciate when it occurs, then realize years later how momentous an event they witnessed. Williams brought a different presence to the great Basie orchestra than the one Jimmy Rushing provided; he couldn't shout like Rushing, but he was more effective on romantic and sentimental material, while he was almost as spectacular on surging blues, up-tempo wailers, and stomping standards".[ 5]
Track listing
"Every Day I Have the Blues " (Peter Chapman, Mayall York ) – 5:29
"The Come Back" (Memphis Slim ) – 5:28
"Alright, Okay, You Win " (Sidney Wyche) – 3:05
"In the Evening (When the Sun Goes Down)" (Leroy Carr , Don Raye ) – 3:38
"Roll 'Em Pete " (Pete Johnson , Big Joe Turner ) – 3:12
"Teach Me Tonight " (Sammy Cahn , Gene DePaul ) – 3:04
"My Baby Upsets Me" (Joe Williams ) – 2:58
"Please Send Me Someone to Love " (Percy Mayfield ) – 3:33
"Ev'ry Day" (Sammy Fain , Irving Kahal ) – 3:48
"As Long as I Love You " (Bernie Moten , Henri Woode ) – 3:06 Bonus track on CD reissue
"Stop! Don't!" (George Ronald Brown) – 2:36 Bonus track on CD reissue
"Too Close for Comfort " (Jerry Bock , Larry Holofcener , George David Weiss ) – 2:53 Bonus track on CD reissue
Recorded at Fine Sound in New York City on May 17, 1955 (tracks 1–4), July 26, 1955 (tracks 5–9), June 27, 1956 (track 12) and at Universal Recording Corp, Chicago on January 23, 1956 (tracks 10 & 11)
Personnel
Joe Williams - vocals
Count Basie - piano
Wendell Culley , Reunald Jones , Thad Jones , Joe Newman - trumpet
Henry Coker , Bill Hughes , Benny Powell - trombone
Marshall Royal - alto saxophone , clarinet
Bill Graham - alto saxophone
Frank Wess - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone , flute
Frank Foster - tenor saxophone
Charlie Fowlkes - baritone saxophone , bass clarinet
Freddie Green - guitar
Eddie Jones - bass
Sonny Payne - drums
Frank Foster (tracks 2–9), Ernie Wilkins (tracks 1 & 6) - arranger
References
^ Edwards, D. & Callahan, M. Clef Label Discography , accessed November 20, 2015
^ Kitora, R., Count Basie Discography , accessed November 20, 2015
^ Clef Records Catalog: 600 series , accessed November 20, 2015
^ Big Band Paradise Archived 2015-11-20 at the Wayback Machine , accessed November 20, 2015
^ a b Wynn, Ron. Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings – Review at AllMusic . Retrieved February 17, 2015.
^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide . USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 20. ISBN 0-394-72643-X .
Members 1951–1960
Dance Session (1952–54, Clef)
Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings (with Joe Williams ) (1955, Clef)
April in Paris (1955–56, Verve)
The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards (with Joe Williams ) (1956, Verve)
Basie in London (live) (1956, Verve)
One O'Clock Jump (with Joe Williams and Ella Fitzgerald ) (1957, Verve)
Count Basie at Newport (live) (1957, Verve)
E = MC² (1958, Roulette)
Basie Plays Hefti (1958, Roulette)
No Count Sarah (with Sarah Vaughan ) (1958, EmArcy)
Breakfast Dance and Barbecue (1959, Roulette)
Welcome to the Club (Uncredited) (Nat King Cole ) (1959, Capitol)
In Person! (with Tony Bennett ) (1959, Columbia)
Chairman of the Board (1959, Roulette)
Strike Up the Band (with Tony Bennett ) (1959, Roulette)
Basie/Eckstine Incorporated (with Billy Eckstine ) (1959, Roulette)
Everyday I Have the Blues (with Joe Williams ) (1959, Roulette)
The Count Basie Story (1960, Roulette)
I Gotta Right to Swing (Uncredited) (Sammy Davis Jr. ) (1960, Decca)
1961–1970
First Time! The Count Meets the Duke (with Duke Ellington ) (1961, Columbia)
The Legend (1961, Roulette)
Count Basie/Sarah Vaughan (with Sarah Vaughan ) (1961, Roulette)
Basie at Birdland (live) (1961, Roulette)
Easin' It (1962, Roulette)
Sinatra–Basie: An Historic Musical First (with Frank Sinatra ) (1962, Reprise)
On My Way & Shoutin' Again! (1963, Verve)
Li'l Ol' Groovemaker...Basie! (1963, Verve)
This Time by Basie! (1963, Verve)
Ella and Basie! (with Ella Fitzgerald ) (1963, Verve)
Basie Land (1964, Verve)
It Might as Well Be Swing (with Frank Sinatra ) (1964, Reprise)
Basie Picks the Winners (1965, Verve)
Our Shining Hour (with Sammy Davis Jr. ) (1965, Verve)
Arthur Prysock and Count Basie (with Arthur Prysock ) (1965, Verve)
Basie's Beatle Bag (1965, Verve)
Broadway Basie's...Way (1966, Command)
Basie Meets Bond (1966, United Artists)
Hollywood...Basie's Way (1966, Command)
Sinatra at the Sands (live, with Frank Sinatra ) (1966, Reprise)
Basie's Beat (1967, Verve)
Half a Sixpence (1967, Dot)
The Board of Directors (with The Mills Brothers ) (1968, Dot)
The Board of Directors Annual Report (with The Mills Brothers ) (1968, Dot)
Basie Straight Ahead (1969, Dot)
Standing Ovation (1969, Dot)
Afrique (1970, RCA Victor)
Basie on the Beatles (1970, Happy Tiger )
1971–1980
Have A Nice Day (1971, Daybreak)
Bing 'n' Basie (with Bing Crosby ) (1972, Daybreak)
Jazz at Santa Monica Civic '72 (live) (1972, Pablo)
The Bosses (with Big Joe Turner ) (1973, Pablo)
Basie Big Band (1975, Pablo)
Fun Time (1975, Pablo)
I Told You So (1976, Pablo)
Prime Time (1977, Pablo)
Montreux '77 (live) (1977, Pablo)
Live in Japan '78 (live) (1978, Pablo)
On the Road (1979, Pablo)
Digital III at Montreux (live) (1979, Pablo)
A Classy Pair (with Ella Fitzgerald ) (1979, Pablo)
A Perfect Match (live, with Ella Fitzgerald ) (1979, Pablo)
Kansas City Shout (1980, Pablo)
1981–1990
Warm Breeze (1981, Pablo)
Send in the Clowns (Sarah Vaughan ) (1981, Pablo)
Farmer's Market Barbecue (1982, Pablo)
88 Basie Street (1983, Pablo)
Me and You (1983, Pablo)
Fancy Pants (final album with Count Basie ) (1983, Pablo)
Long Live the Chief (1987, Denon)
Diane Schuur & the Count Basie Orchestra (live, with Diane Schuur ) (1987, GRP)
The Legend, the Legacy (1990, Denon)
1991–2000
The George Benson Big Boss Band featuring The Count Basie Orchestra (1991, Warner Bros.)
The Count Basie Orchestra Live at El Morocco (1992, Telarc)
Joe Williams and the Count Basie Orchestra (1993, Telarc)
Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild: The Count Basie Orchestra (1997, Blue Jackel)
At Long Last (with Rosemary Clooney ) (1998, Concord)
Count Plays Duke (1998, MAMA)
Swing Shift (1999, MAMA)
2001–present Small-group sessions
Basie Jam (1973, Pablo)
For the First Time (1974, Pablo)
Basie & Zoot (with Zoot Sims ) (1975, Pablo)
For the Second Time (1975, Pablo)
Basie Jam 2 (1976, Pablo)
Basie Jam 3 (1976, Pablo)
Kansas City 5 (1977, Pablo)
The Gifted Ones (with Dizzy Gillespie ) (1977, Pablo)
Basie Jam: Montreux '77 (live) (1977, Pablo)
Satch and Josh...Again (with Oscar Peterson ) (1977, Pablo)
Night Rider (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo)
Count Basie Meets Oscar Peterson – The Timekeepers (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo)
Yessir, That's My Baby (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo)
Kansas City 7 (1980, Pablo)
Kansas City 6 (1981, Pablo)
Mostly Blues...and Some Others (1983, Pablo)
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release, unless stated otherwise.
Studio albums Live albums