The Lester Young/Count Basie Sessions 1936-1940 4CD Set on Mosaic Records

Source: All About Jazz
April 8, 2008
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"Irrespective of tempo, his melodic invention was always strange and haunting. On a jump number, he would impose a weird mood; a ballad was transformed into a nostalgic song, searching and mysterious." --Stanley Dance

Together “Pres" & Basie Began To Completely Reinvent Jazz

Available at last: the most important collection imaginable from the legendary pairing of Lester Young with Count Basie... a set whose contents rank among the most influential recordings in history.

It was an era when the music was in transition; a time when musicians were achieving new milestones of personal expression; a point in his career when Basie, with Young and others beside him, was establishing his credentials as one of the leading band leaders of the swing era; and the moment when Lester Young was creating a completely new approach to the tenor saxophone. Without reservation, we can assure you these are masterpieces.

The suppleness of the Basie, Jones and Page rhythm section and how conducive it was for electrifying soloists has been well-documented. But you can't overstate the effect on Lester Young. Other musicians - great ones - would build solos that seemed utterly brilliant for their organization and improvised cleverness. Young's seemed brilliant for arriving places utterly unexpected. For decades, saxophonists have sought to match his level of carefree, confident command.

Our 4 CD set includes 84 tracks, beginning with Basie's and Young's first session together under the the name “Jones-Smith Inc." The collection is notable as well for including along with all previously-known gems on the Columbia labels, the results of our research in the vaults: almost a dozen of alternate tracks never heard before. Also included is the legendary session from the Benny Goodman Septet with Count Basie. Sidemen in addition to Page and Jones include Buck Clayton, Charlie Christian, Freddie Green, Jimmy Rushing, Harry Edison, Vic Dickenson, and Tab Smith.

Audio Slideshow Interview
By Dan Morgenstern

You'll hear many tunes from the Basie book now considered classics, such as “Oh, Lady Be Good “Lonesome Miss Pretty," “Dickie's Dream," Young's signature tune “Lester Leaps In," “Easy Does It," and more. These are the definitive versions and the very tunes emulated by generations of saxophonists who followed Lester Young's lead.

The Mosaic booklet includes rare photographs from the period that are rarely seen including six photos from the Goodman session. Immersing yourself in Loren Schoenberg's passionate and well-documented liner notes while listening to the brilliant remastering production by Malcolm Addey from the original source material is a jazz lover's joy.

There was nothing like this music in jazz until this group set the standard. And today, it's hard to imagine that it wasn't always this way.

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Track Listing

CD1: Shoe Shine Boy (A); Evenin' (A); Boogie Woogie (A); Oh, Lady Be Good (A); I Ain't Got Nobody (B); Goin' To Chicago (B); Live and Love Tonight (B); Love Me Or Leave Me (B); What Goes Up Must Come Down (C); Taxi War Dance (C); Don't Worry 'Bout Me (D); And The Angels Sing (E); If I Didn't Care (E); Twelfth Street Rag (E); Miss Thing (Pt.1) (E); Miss Thing (Pt.2) (E); Shoe Shine Boy (A); What Goes Up Must Come Down (C); Taxi War Dance (C) (alt tk); Don't Worry 'Bout Me (D). CD2: 1. Lonesome Miss Pretty (F); Bolero At The Savoy (F); Pound Cake (F); You Can Count On Me (G); Song Of The Islands (I); Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie (I); Dickie's Dream (J); Lester Leaps In (J); The Apple Jump (K); I Left My Baby (K); Riff Interlude (K); You Can Count On Me (G); Dickie's Dream (J); Dickie's Dream (J); Lester Leaps In (J); I Left My Baby (K); Riff Interlude (K); Riff Interlude (K); Riff Interlude (K); Riff Interlude (K). CD3: Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (L); Ham 'N' Eggs (L); Hollywood Jump (L); I Never Knew (M); Tickle-Toe (M); Let's Make Hay While The Moon Shines (M); Louisiana (M); Easy Does It (N); Let Me See (N); Blow Top (O); Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (L); Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (L); Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (L); Ham 'N' Eggs (L); Ham 'N' Eggs (L); Hollywood Jump (L); Let's Make Hay While The Moon Shines (M); Louisiana (M); Let Me See (N); Blow Top (O). CD4: Evenin'; The World Is Mad (Pt.1); The World Is Mad (Pt.2) (P); Ad Lib Blues (Q); Wholly Cats (Q); Charlie's Dream (Q); I Never Knew (Q); Lester's Dream (Q); What's Your Number? (R); Five O'Clock Whistle; Broadway (S); China Boy (H); Exactly Like You (H); On The Sunny Side Of The Street (H); Upright Organ Blues (H); Who ? (H); Jazz Me Blues (H); Exactly Like You (H); What's Your Number? (R); What's Your Number? (R); Five O'Clock Whistle (S); Five O'Clock Whistle (S); Broadway (S).

Personnel

Lester Young

saxophone

Additional Instrumentation

(A) Carl "Tatti" Smith; Lester Young; Count Basie; Walter Page; Jo Jones; Jimmy Rushing. (B) Buck Clayton; Shad Collins; Dan Minor; Lester Young; Count Basie; Freddie Green; Walter Page; Jo Jones; Jimmy Rushing (C) Buck Clayton; Shad Collins; Harry Edison; Ed Lewis; Dan Minor; Benny Morton; Dicky Wells; Earle Warren; Buddy Tate; Lester Young; Jack Washington; Count Basie; Freddie Green; Walter Page; Jo Jones; Helen Humes; Jimmy Rushing (D; E; F; G; I; K; L) Same as (C). (H) Lee Castle; Lester Young; Glenn Hardman; Freddie Green; Jo Jones. (J) Buck Clayton; Dicky Wells; Lester Young; Count Basie; Freddie Green; Walter Page; Jo Jones (M) Buck Clayton; Harry Edison; Al Killian; Ed Lewis; Vic Dickenson; Dan Minor; Dicky Wells; Earle Warren; Buddy Tate; Lester Young; Jack Washington; Count Basie; Freddie Green; Walter Page; Jo Jones; Helen Humes; Jimmy Rushing (N; O; P; R; S) Same as (M). (Q) Buck Clayton; Lester Young; Benny Goodman; Count Basie; Charlie Christian; Freddie Green; Walter Page; Jo Jones.