Count Basie was undoubtedly one of the most influential bandleaders in jazz history.
It seems only logical then that saxophonist Bob Mintzer (who has dedicated most of his career to big-band music) would sooner or later record a tribute to the great father of swing.
Joined by many of the top New York City-based jazz players including Pete Yellin on reeds, Scott Wendholt on trumpet, Phil Markowitz on piano, Dennis Irwin on bass, and John Riley on drums, Mintzer and group create a touching homage to the Count.
We hear five tunes commonly associated with Basie on this disc.
Among them are smart versions of "Cute," "April in Paris," and "Shiny Stockings." In addition, we are treated to three compositions by Mintzer himself, each reflecting the Basie style in one way or another.
As a modernist, Mintzer adds a contemporary flair to otherwise classic swing charts such as "Lil' Darling" and "One O'Clock Jump," but it's the spirit of the music, not the harmonic vocabulary, that really matters here.
For Basie, the key ingredient was always swing.
Thankfully, Mintzer's music and ensemble live up to that great Basie reputation by swinging these charts just right.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Havin' Some FunBob Mintzer | Bob Mintzer Big Band, Bob Mintzer | Play | 07:56 | 18 MB | 46 MB |
| 2 | April in ParisVernon Duke, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg | Bob Mintzer Big Band, Bob Mintzer | Play | 06:07 | 14 MB | 33 MB |
| 3 | One O'Clock JumpCount Basie | Bob Mintzer Big Band, Bob Mintzer | Play | 11:16 | 25 MB | 68 MB |
| 4 | Lester Jumps OutBob Mintzer | Bob Mintzer Big Band, Bob Mintzer | Play | 09:19 | 21 MB | 54 MB |
| 5 | CuteNeal Hefti | Bob Mintzer Big Band, Bob Mintzer | Play | 05:57 | 13 MB | 33 MB |
| 6 | Shinny Stockings | Bob Mintzer Big Band, Bob Mintzer | Play | 07:44 | 17 MB | 43 MB |
| 7 | Home BasieBob Mintzer | Bob Mintzer Big Band, Bob Mintzer | Play | 04:11 | 9 MB | 25 MB |
| 8 | Lil' Darlin'Neal Hefti | Bob Mintzer Big Band, Bob Mintzer | Play | 08:44 | 20 MB | 42 MB |
| 61 mins | 140 MB | |||||
| 61 mins | 347 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Count Basie | Composer |
| 2 | Brian Brake | Drums |
| 3 | James Chirillo | Guitar |
| 4 | Mark Conese | Assistant, Assistant Engineer |
| 5 | Michael Davis | Soloist, Trombone |
| 6 | Vernon Duke | Composer |
| 7 | Larry Farrell | Soloist, Trombone |
| 8 | Lawrence Feldman | Clarinet, Flute, Sax (Alto) |
| 9 | E.Y. "Yip" Harburg | Composer |
| 10 | Neal Hefti | Composer |
| 11 | Julie Hess | Art Direction, Design |
| 12 | Dennis Irwin | Bass |
| 13 | Tom Jung | Engineer, Producer, Recorder |
| 14 | Phil Markowitz | Guest Artist, Piano, Soloist |
| 15 | Bob Millikan | Flugelhorn, Trumpet |
| 16 | Bob Mintzer | Clarinet, Composer, Flute, Liner Notes, Primary Artist, Producer, Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor), Soloist |
| 17 | Bob Mintzer Big Band | Primary Artist |
| 18 | Michael Philip Mossman | Flugelhorn |
| 19 | Keith O'Quinn | Soloist, Trombone |
| 20 | John Riley | Drums |
| 21 | Scott Robinson | Clarinet, Flute, Sax (Tenor), Soloist |
| 22 | Roger Rosenberg | Sax (Baritone), Soloist |
| 23 | Byron Stripling | Flugelhorn, Guest Artist, Soloist, Trumpet |
| 24 | Dave Taylor | Trombone (Bass) |
| 25 | Scott Wendholt | Flugelhorn, Soloist, Trumpet |
| 26 | Pete Yellin | Clarinet, Flute, Sax (Alto) |
Bob Mintzer Big Band
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |