First part of the Basie All Star recordings from the Hamburg Factory in 1981, presented by NDR Kultur and Jazzline. Vol. 1 deals with the instrumental part of the concert. The All Stars formed during Count Basie"s lifetime and here, with a nine-piece line-up and history-making musicians, provide an unforgettable memory of jazz, swing and blues.
New Jersey-born jazz icon Count Basie is considered one of the most influential bandleaders of all time. He made such an impact on popular music as a pianist, organist and composer in the mid-20th century that the title "King of Swing" became his own. The musician established big band swing by fusing jazz and blues in a unique way that allowed swing to establish itself as the tone-setting style. Basie learned the piano at a very early age and possessed an incredible ear: he is said to have been able to duplicate any melody he heard. In the early 1920s, in search of greater opportunities, he was drawn to Harlem, the stronghold of jazz. For almost half a century he led the Count Basie Orchestra, which he founded and through which musicians such as Lester Young, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald became famous. He also discovered important blues singers such as Billy Holiday and Jimmy Rushing. The 1981 concert recording from the Hamburg Fabrik documents the complete show of the Basie All Stars. The ensemble that night included trumpeters Harry "Sweets" Edison and Joe Newmann, trombonist Benny Powell, alto saxophonist Marshall Royal, tenor saxophonists Buddy Tate and Billy Mitchell, pianist Nat Pierce, bassist John Heard and drummer Gus Johnson. The repertoire is based on Count Basie"s compositions and the release is divided into two parts: Vol. 1 tackles the instrumental part of the concert, while Vol. 2 features the voluminous blues and swing voice of Joe Williams. The musicians who performed that evening had, in some cases for decades, helped create the Basie Effect, which was significant for the history of swing big bands.
