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Count Basie: Late Night Basie

By Jack Bowers
July 28, 2023
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Late Night Basie: great idea. Three tracks by the Basie Orchestra and four by other assorted groups: not-so-great idea. Enlisting

Jazzmeia Horn

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Jazzmeia Horn to scat on the Basie classic "One O'Clock Jump": rather pointless. Compressing seven numbers (eight, actually) into a meager twenty-four—or perhaps more like twenty-eight—minutes (including a "bonus" track): head-scratching. Mind you, the other ensembles represented on the album are not bad; they simply are not Basie. Apart from "One O'Clock Jump," the full Basie Orchestra performs on another masterwork, "Jumpin' at the Woodside," and the theme from the Lee Marvin television series "M Squad," which was later adapted for the short-lived comedy series "Police Squad."

The seven-member rock/fusion group Lettuce, featuring rapper Talib Kweli, opens the album with a run-of-the-mill shuffle called "Didn't You" before the Basie Orchestra leaps in with vocal and instrumental renditions of "One O'Clock Jump" (both listed as Track 2). The ballad "Blue and Sentimental," sung (presumably) by guitarist

Rebecca Lovell

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Rebecca Lovell, whose backup group, Larkin Poe, consists of

Megan Lovell

guitar, slide

" data-original-title="" title="">Megan Lovell (lap steel guitar), bassist

Will Lee

bass
b.1950

" data-original-title="" title="">Will Lee and drummer

Shawn Pelton

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Shawn Pelton, precedes the last numbers by the Basie Orchestra, "M Squad" (featuring guest trumpeter

Terence Blanchard

trumpet
b.1962

" data-original-title="" title="">Terence Blanchard) and a torrid reading of "Jumpin' at the Woodside" with solos to match by guitarist

Jimmy Vivino

guitar, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Jimmy Vivino and an uncredited tenor saxophonist (either

Doug Lawrence

saxophone, tenor
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Doug Lawrence or

Doug Miller

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Doug Miller).

The Soul Rebels, whose star soloist is trumpeter

Nicholas Payton

trumpet
b.1973

" data-original-title="" title="">Nicholas Payton, are lustrous and lively on

Sonny Rollins

saxophone
b.1930

" data-original-title="" title="">Sonny Rollins' calypso "St. Thomas," whose crisp djembe solo is by Weedie Braimah with a vocal by the well-named Cimafunk. That leads to the "bonus" track, yet a third restatement of "One O'Clock Jump," this one by trumpeter

Danny Jonokuchi

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Danny Jonokuchi & The Revisionists, with nimble solos by the leader, pianist

Ben Paterson

piano
b.1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Paterson, alto saxophonist Jay Rattman, trombonist

Robert Edwards

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Robert Edwards and a tenor saxophonist, although none is listed among the personnel.

With more Basie, less interlopers and a longer playing time, this could have been an outstanding album. As it is, the Basie Orchestra raises it slightly above average, even though at twenty-four (or even twenty-eight) minutes, it is well shy of generous.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Didn��t You; One O��Clock Jump; Blue & Sentimental; M-Squad; Jumpin�� at the Woodside; St. Thomas; One O��Clock Jump (bonus track).

Personnel

Scotty Barnhart

trumpet

Additional Instrumentation

Track 1, Lettuce��Talib Kweli: vocal; Eric ��Benny�� Bloom: trumpet; Ryan Zoidis: saxophone; Adam Smirnoff: guitar; Nigel Hall: keyboards; Eric Coomes: bass; Adam Deitch: drums, percussion. Tracks 2, 4, 5, The Count Basie Orchestra��Scotty Barnhart: director; Terence Blanchard, Frank Greene, Shawn Edmonds, Endre Rice, Brandon Lee: trumpet; David Glasser, Markus Howell: alto sax, flute; Doug Lawrence, Doug Miller: tenor sax; Josh Lee: baritone sax; Isrea Butler, Clarence Banks, Mark Williams: trombone; Alvin Walker: bass trombone; Will Matthews: guitar; Glen Pearson: piano; Ray Angry: organ; Trevor Ware: bass; Robert ��B.T.�� Boone: drums; Jazzmeia Horn: vocals. Track 3, Larkin Poe��Rebecca Lovell: guitar, vocal; Megan Lovell: lap steel; Will Lee: bass; Shawn Pelton: drums. Track 6, The Soul Rebels�� Nicholas Payton, Marcus Hubbard, Julio Omari Gosin: trumpet; Erion Brandon Williams: saxophone; Paul Michael Robertson, Corey Donovan Peyton: trombone; Manuel Perkins Jr.: sousaphone; Lumar Leblanc III: snare drum; Derrick James Moss: bass drum; Weedie Bramah: djembe; Cimafunk: vocal. Track 7, Danny Jonokuchi & The Revisionists��Danny Jonokuchi: trumpet; Jay Rattman: alto sax, clarinet; Robert Edwards: trombone; Ben Paterson: piano; Noah Jackson: bass; Kevin Congleton: drums; Alexa Barchini: voice.

Album information

Title: Late Night Basie | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Virgin Records

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