Anyone who has ever heard Count Basie introduce his band into a blues number with multiple choruses and effortless piano playing has complained that his recordings featured far too little of Basie the soloist. The trio albums Basie recorded in the 1970s with Ray Brown and Louis Bellson partially compensated for this shortcoming. This album is the sequel to last year’s “For the First Time” set.
Here, too, Basie’s poetic introductions, his precise coordination of touch and tone, and his unmistakable swing create a joyful program featuring four time-honored standards and just as many new blues pieces. Bellson is consistently sensitive and his brushes dance on “Sandman,” while Brown’s robust tone and earthy walking riffs bring out the best in Basie as both soloist and accompanist.
Mastered by Kevin Gray and pressed at Quality Record Pressings for optimal sound quality, this 180-gram reissue from Analogue Productions is a re-release that jazz fans and audiophiles alike will appreciate.
