Jazz of the past; Count Basie, part I

Jazz of the past. For. Welcome. Do I happen out of jazz classics from the private collection of lenny Cathy. These old 78 rpm recordings are now a collector's item and here to comment on the music and playing some of the records for you is let me guess. Now we're going to play tonight first two parts of a show that's build around the Great Leader count basi and of course Actually it won't be Count Basie's piano bar it won't be Count Basie's sideman it'll be the whole band of the feeling and the quality of the man as a whole and I think that the way to start now would be to identify the fact that Count Basie really took over the Motown man if you remember on the jukebox is about 1950 there was an old

record by the moat man call south you know bop bop bop bop but out bop bop. But which I imagine was a million records Heller and which you might remember. And this is the band that Bill basi started in and eventually took over our at least in a very casual way because of the death of many Moten in Kansas City eventually was the leader of the group of men that were really brought forth from this environment of the many more men. So we're going to hear a record of a very well-known tune that you can all identify with played actually in a way run on style because you can immediately identify and this was made about 1930. The reed section is something that is transferred only into the baseband of the early 30s is a very modern sound. And of course

the trumpet man among them Hotlips page on trumpet are very modern. And the whole feeling the band is that way and this is the moment man and the tune is bloom with the old the old. I AM

I AM I AM I AM I AM I AM. I am I am I am I am I am I in the in the in

the in I am I am I am I and I am I and I am I am. I know. Now that that record and the one we're going to play now which is my island bird joys

which is general Martin's great tune and which of course has the Count Basie on the band is a pianist before he identified himself more closely with these musicians as their leader. That record was really one of the last ones made by mountains. Can't say the orchestra which went back quite a way into recorded history in other words back about nine hundred twenty five when or even before then actually Moten was a Carney's or at least nine hundred twenty three. But the idea that this is one of the last dates for that man is I think evident in the fact that it's very modern. And as I said before Robina Courtin 1032 was really me at the time that any movement passed on then his brother bus Moten took the band over but it never took. And that is it never seem to catch on. And because of the fact that they'll basically. Had was at the right place at the right time and was heard. As you remember by John Hammond on a

radio in a car at the right time when he was in a remote attic in one club everything seemed to come together so that he was able to finally go to New York in the middle 30s and made a great hit and became count basi just like Count Basie Duke Ellington center. So we're going to hear this other side. And again as I say the formative idea of the bases band or the basi band feeling is quite evident in this and this is my own rejoice. I am

I am I am I am. I am the owner. I am. I am. And.

Now we're going to hear Bill basi in a pretty good with that excellent example of his piano ability and a pretty good spotlight hitting him on this particular side which he made for the Decca people with his own band again as I say this all pro these two programs are. I'm thinking more the basi talent for keeping a group of musicians together than I am pinpoint Bill basi who while he's a very interesting pianist and certainly has it in a file and a case as a stylist. Why. I think it's really to his credit that the band he's had are the things that will he'll be more remembered by.

So in this next one we're going to hear him great piano Honeysuckle Rose. No

no no. It hit me. Now Bill basically made a lot of records for the OK label in the late 30s.

And what we're going to do now is play one of those marvelous arrangements of the whole band so joyfully participated in and this is when Earl Warren who finally quit playing the alto sax in the mail and of course in this case but writing songs he will disown him became the manager because I've heard this I've heard this story that because he could make more as a manager than he could as a sideman But of course in the 30s you must realize that the musicians were not. Paid on a big band which you think they might be today and of course even today it's probably plenty rough to go around the country in any one of the few remaining big bands and in survive as far as raising your family and getting around and. And by me. This is necessary things to exist. So in this case we're going to hear Earl Warren who as I just explained became a manager on the bay and you know

this is his tune in his nice riff and it's called Tom Thumb. And the owner

of the river and that was made by the basi banner 1041. And when I DID YOU KNOW I WAS go back to the same date that we heard the Honeysuckle Rose record come from and it was in 1937 and this is the Rosen shuffle. The name of this tune and of course that had a lot to do with the name of that Rosen shuffle with the place that company she played one of the first places he played when he came to New York from Kansas City. So here we are with Rose and shuffle. Nen. No next record already here by the Basie band is one that was written.

As I understand it originally for Mae West the song mile flame. It was written for a movie. I believe that this is true. If it's not it still sounds mean if it isn't because you know when you think it was written for her from a West it seems like now as a as a standard as a great song for any singer to do why it has gained in not in popularity but in structure. And also it's a tune that today is being revised and of course my old flame will probably be getting this treatment for years to come. In any case here it is slow ballad in the typical manner of one hundred forty one wind of ACMA and was at its height and well didn't. You could argue say well as it's heighth today but it really was a great band then and here it is with my old flame. With. Lou

100 0. Where.

Now we're going to go out with the big bass the man number. He recorded in

the 40s early 40s and this is a commie record. And it's a great tune it came out much earlier Louisiana. The I'M.

Well for all you Joe Jones and Lester Young and Dickie wells and Earl Warren variance and certainly for you Count basi faint. Well I hope that in this program as you know a little change in the pace of this particular you has a Pashto and I hope that you'll listen in next week for a continuation of the Bill Macy or company story. So until then I will say. Been listening. Next time money again selects recordings from his

private collection a 78 rpm jazz classics he'll play them for you on jazz. Broadcasting. This program was distributed by the national educational radio network.