Count Basie Story is a double album by pianist, composer and bandleader Count Basie featuring tracks originally performed by his orchestra in the 1930s and 1940s rerecorded in 1960 as a celebration of its 25th anniversary and first released on the Roulette label.[1][2] Selections from the 2-LP set were also released as Roulette's The Best of Basie in 1962 and The Best of Basie Vol. 2 in 1964.[3][4] The album was rereleased with bonus tracks in 2004 to commemorate Basie's 100th birthday.[5]
AllMusic awarded the album 3½ stars and its review by Scott Yanow states, "These sides were hotly contested when originally issued because of the contrast in accents between the 1937 band and the later one. The sound is so different that it cannot be compared to the pure and bluesy dance band swing of the originals; it is amped up and brassy, with charts (written by Royal or Neal Hefti) that stress tempo and sophisticated ensemble playing rather than riff-based solos, busyness, and dynamics. For any serious Basie fan, these sides are essential".[6]
DownBeat's reviewer John S. Wilson assigned the release 4 stars.[7] He wrote of the then newly recorded versions of the Basie repertory,"These new versions are smooth, polished, and cleanly recorded, and they often swing with rugged fury".[7] But he lamented, "this essentially ensemble band is no match for the collection of brilliant soloists who made up that earlier Basie team . . . Like any re-creations of performances as vital as those by the original Basie band, these fall short of the mark . . . the originals are still the ones to have and to hear".[7]
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