Count Basie - Dance Along with Basie (1959) [2024]

“Dance Along” with Basie is an album released by pianist, composer and bandleader Count Basie featuring tracks recorded in late 1959 and originally released on the Roulette label.
Standout arrangements by Jones are Give Me the Simple Life, It’s a Pity to Say Goodnight, (Once I Had a) Secret Love and Misty (with Frank Wess and Charlie Fowlkes soloing on flute and baritone saxophone). But the rest of the fare are hardly slouches. The charts may not be as adventurous as Jones’s pen work in the 1960s and ’70s but they breathe well, have great pacing and sound solidly 1959.
“As a pop album this is five-star right off; curiously enough, people frequently forget that bands such as this one are great dance bands at one and the same time they are great jazz bands. This album, for instance, should put most of the studio swing-band efforts to shame.” (DOWNBEAT, Ralph J. Gleason)


Tracks:

01 - It Had to Be You 02:55
02 - Makin' Whoopee 04:00
03 - Can't We Be Friends 05:22
04 - Misty 03:35
05 - It's a Pity to Say Goodnight 03:38
06 - How Am I to Know 02:28
07 - Easy Living 03:35
08 - Fools Rush In 03:11
09 - Secret Love 03:17
10 - Give Me the Simple Life 03:35

Personnel:

Count Basie - piano
John Anderson, Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Snooky Young - trumpet
Henry Coker, Al Grey, Benny Powell - trombone
Marshal Royal - alto saxophone, clarinet
Frank Wess - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute
Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell - tenor saxophone
Charlie Fowlkes - baritone saxophone
Freddie Green - guitar
Eddie Jones - bass
Sonny Payne - drums