Howard Lucraft writing in Variety commented:"Interesting that Bing sounds better today to many than in his Paul Whiteman days over 40 years ago when his keys were about a third higher. He could be more adventurous range-wise back then. He used to feature "Old Man River" in D flat, going to a top F. On this new LP wisely tunes are mainly up-tempo. Crosby reportedly sang to tracks prerecorded by the Basie band. Sam Nestico's charts are swinging. Something should have been done about that final top D flat on "Put Your Hand in the Hand". Otherwise album is highly effective - simple with charm. The slower "Sugar, Don't You Know" by Louis Bellson is a great new number."[5]
Down Beat said: "This release is likely to do considerably more for Crosby's reputation than for Basie's. That's usually the way it works when a jazz group teams with a popular vocalist. On the other hand, it is Crosby's reputation that is in considerably greater need of a boost than Basie's, so perhaps in the long run it’s a fair shake for everyone... (Crosby) is in fine voice all the way, and the choice of material is from among the best contemporary tunes, excepting two ringers (Hangin', Day), which are the sort of nonentities that singers use to open TV variety specials."[6]
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| Members | |
|---|
| 1951–1960 | - Dance Session (1952–54, Clef)
- Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings (with Joe Williams) (1955, Clef)
- April in Paris (1955–56, Verve)
- The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards (with Joe Williams) (1956, Verve)
- Basie in London (live) (1956, Verve)
- One O'Clock Jump (with Joe Williams and Ella Fitzgerald) (1957, Verve)
- Count Basie at Newport (live) (1957, Verve)
- E = MC² (1958, Roulette)
- Basie Plays Hefti (1958, Roulette)
- No Count Sarah (with Sarah Vaughan) (1958, EmArcy)
- Breakfast Dance and Barbecue (1959, Roulette)
- Welcome to the Club (Uncredited) (Nat King Cole) (1959, Capitol)
- In Person! (with Tony Bennett) (1959, Columbia)
- Chairman of the Board (1959, Roulette)
- Strike Up the Band (with Tony Bennett) (1959, Roulette)
- Basie/Eckstine Incorporated (with Billy Eckstine) (1959, Roulette)
- Everyday I Have the Blues (with Joe Williams) (1959, Roulette)
- The Count Basie Story (1960, Roulette)
- I Gotta Right to Swing (Uncredited) (Sammy Davis Jr.) (1960, Decca)
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| 1961–1970 | - First Time! The Count Meets the Duke (with Duke Ellington) (1961, Columbia)
- The Legend (1961, Roulette)
- Count Basie/Sarah Vaughan (with Sarah Vaughan) (1961, Roulette)
- Basie at Birdland (live) (1961, Roulette)
- Easin' It (1962, Roulette)
- Sinatra–Basie: An Historic Musical First (with Frank Sinatra) (1962, Reprise)
- On My Way & Shoutin' Again! (1963, Verve)
- Li'l Ol' Groovemaker...Basie! (1963, Verve)
- This Time by Basie! (1963, Verve)
- Ella and Basie! (with Ella Fitzgerald) (1963, Verve)
- Basie Land (1964, Verve)
- It Might as Well Be Swing (with Frank Sinatra) (1964, Reprise)
- Basie Picks the Winners (1965, Verve)
- Our Shining Hour (with Sammy Davis Jr.) (1965, Verve)
- Arthur Prysock and Count Basie (with Arthur Prysock) (1965, Verve)
- Basie's Beatle Bag (1965, Verve)
- Broadway Basie's...Way (1966, Command)
- Basie Meets Bond (1966, United Artists)
- Hollywood...Basie's Way (1966, Command)
- Sinatra at the Sands (live, with Frank Sinatra) (1966, Reprise)
- Basie's Beat (1967, Verve)
- Half a Sixpence (1967, Dot)
- The Board of Directors (with The Mills Brothers) (1968, Dot)
- The Board of Directors Annual Report (with The Mills Brothers) (1968, Dot)
- Basie Straight Ahead (1969, Dot)
- Standing Ovation (1969, Dot)
- Afrique (1970, RCA Victor)
- Basie on the Beatles (1970, Happy Tiger)
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|---|
| 1971–1980 | - Have A Nice Day (1971, Daybreak)
- Bing 'n' Basie (with Bing Crosby) (1972, Daybreak)
- Jazz at Santa Monica Civic '72 (live) (1972, Pablo)
- The Bosses (with Big Joe Turner) (1973, Pablo)
- Basie Big Band (1975, Pablo)
- Fun Time (1975, Pablo)
- I Told You So (1976, Pablo)
- Prime Time (1977, Pablo)
- Montreux '77 (live) (1977, Pablo)
- Live in Japan '78 (live) (1978, Pablo)
- On the Road (1979, Pablo)
- Digital III at Montreux (live) (1979, Pablo)
- A Classy Pair (with Ella Fitzgerald) (1979, Pablo)
- A Perfect Match (live, with Ella Fitzgerald) (1979, Pablo)
- Kansas City Shout (1980, Pablo)
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|---|
| 1981–1990 | - Warm Breeze (1981, Pablo)
- Send in the Clowns (Sarah Vaughan) (1981, Pablo)
- Farmer's Market Barbecue (1982, Pablo)
- 88 Basie Street (1983, Pablo)
- Me and You (1983, Pablo)
- Fancy Pants (final album with Count Basie) (1983, Pablo)
- Long Live the Chief (1987, Denon)
- Diane Schuur & the Count Basie Orchestra (live, with Diane Schuur) (1987, GRP)
- The Legend, the Legacy (1990, Denon)
|
|---|
| 1991–2000 | - The George Benson Big Boss Band featuring The Count Basie Orchestra (1991, Warner Bros.)
- The Count Basie Orchestra Live at El Morocco (1992, Telarc)
- Joe Williams and the Count Basie Orchestra (1993, Telarc)
- Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild: The Count Basie Orchestra (1997, Blue Jackel)
- At Long Last (with Rosemary Clooney) (1998, Concord)
- Count Plays Duke (1998, MAMA)
- Swing Shift (1999, MAMA)
|
|---|
| 2001–present | |
|---|
Small-group
sessions | - Basie Jam (1973, Pablo)
- For the First Time (1974, Pablo)
- Basie & Zoot (with Zoot Sims) (1975, Pablo)
- For the Second Time (1975, Pablo)
- Basie Jam 2 (1976, Pablo)
- Basie Jam 3 (1976, Pablo)
- Kansas City 5 (1977, Pablo)
- The Gifted Ones (with Dizzy Gillespie) (1977, Pablo)
- Basie Jam: Montreux '77 (live) (1977, Pablo)
- Satch and Josh...Again (with Oscar Peterson) (1977, Pablo)
- Night Rider (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo)
- Count Basie Meets Oscar Peterson – The Timekeepers (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo)
- Yessir, That's My Baby (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo)
- Kansas City 7 (1980, Pablo)
- Kansas City 6 (1981, Pablo)
- Mostly Blues...and Some Others (1983, Pablo)
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