Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings

Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings
Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings
Studio album by Count Basie and Joe Williams
Released	1955
Recorded	May 17 and July 26, 1955; Fine Sound, New York City
Genre	Jazz
Length	39:39
Label	Clef; MG C-678
Producer	Norman Granz
Count Basie chronology
Joe Williams chronology

Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings is an album by pianist/bandleader Count Basie and vocalist Joe Williams recorded in 1955 and originally released on the Clef label.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[5]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	^[6]

AllMusic awarded the album 5 stars stating "Joe Williams' debut as the featured vocalist in Count Basie's band was one of those landmark moments that even savvy observers don't fully appreciate when it occurs, then realize years later how momentous an event they witnessed. Williams brought a different presence to the great Basie orchestra than the one Jimmy Rushing provided; he couldn't shout like Rushing, but he was more effective on romantic and sentimental material, while he was almost as spectacular on surging blues, up-tempo wailers, and stomping standards".^[5]

Track listing

"Every Day I Have the Blues" (Peter Chapman, Mayall York) – 5:29
"The Come Back" (Memphis Slim) – 5:28
"Alright, Okay, You Win" (Sidney Wyche) – 3:05
"In the Evening (When the Sun Goes Down)" (Leroy Carr, Don Raye) – 3:38
"Roll 'Em Pete" (Pete Johnson, Big Joe Turner) – 3:12
"Teach Me Tonight" (Sammy Cahn, Gene DePaul) – 3:04
"My Baby Upsets Me" (Joe Williams) – 2:58
"Please Send Me Someone to Love" (Percy Mayfield) – 3:33
"Ev'ry Day" (Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal) – 3:48
"As Long as I Love You" (Bernie Moten, Henri Woode) – 3:06 Bonus track on CD reissue
"Stop! Don't!" (George Ronald Brown) – 2:36 Bonus track on CD reissue
"Too Close for Comfort" (Jerry Bock, Larry Holofcener, George David Weiss) – 2:53 Bonus track on CD reissue

Recorded at Fine Sound in New York City on May 17, 1955 (tracks 1–4), July 26, 1955 (tracks 5–9), June 27, 1956 (track 12) and at Universal Recording Corp, Chicago on January 23, 1956 (tracks 10 & 11)

Personnel

Joe Williams - vocals
Count Basie - piano
Wendell Culley, Reunald Jones, Thad Jones, Joe Newman - trumpet
Henry Coker, Bill Hughes, Benny Powell - trombone
Marshall Royal - alto saxophone, clarinet
Bill Graham - alto saxophone
Frank Wess - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute
Frank Foster - tenor saxophone
Charlie Fowlkes - baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
Freddie Green - guitar
Eddie Jones - bass
Sonny Payne - drums
Frank Foster (tracks 2–9), Ernie Wilkins (tracks 1 & 6) - arranger

References

^ Edwards, D. & Callahan, M. Clef Label Discography, accessed November 20, 2015
^ Kitora, R., Count Basie Discography, accessed November 20, 2015
^ Clef Records Catalog: 600 series, accessed November 20, 2015
^ Big Band Paradise Archived 2015-11-20 at the Wayback Machine, accessed November 20, 2015
^ ^a ^b Wynn, Ron. Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 20. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.