BASIE | BENNETT — Count Basie And His Orchestra Swings, Tony Bennett Sings (1959-1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The Roulette half of the two Bennett/Basie sessions is a band singer's paradise, with the Basie band caught at a robust and swinging peak and Bennett never sounding happier or looser in front of a microphone. The Count himself, alas, appears on piano only on two numbers ("Life Is a Song" and "Jeepers Creepers"), while Bennett's perennial pianist Ralph Sharon takes over on the remaining ten tracks and does all the charts. Yet Sharon writes idiomatically for the Count's style, whether on frantic rave-ups like "With Plenty of Money and You" and "Strike Up the Band" or relaxed swingers like "Chicago." Though not a jazz singer per se, the flavor of jazz is everywhere in Bennett's voice, which in those days soared like a trumpet. The 1990 CD included an atmospheric unissued Neal Hefti ballad "After Supper," but even this bonus track does little to extend the skimpy playing time (about 31 minutes) of what is still a great, desirable snapshot from American showbiz of the late 1950s. Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist :
1    Life Is A Song 2:55
Written By – Fred Ahlert, Joe Young
2    Plenty Of Money 1:35
Written By – Al Dubin, Harry Warren
3    Jeepers Creepers 2:09
Written By – Harry Warren, Johnny Mercer
4    Are You Havin' Any Fun 2:48
Written By – Jack Yellen, Sammy Fain
5    Anything Goes 2:21
Written By – Cole Porter
6    Strike Up The Band 1:34
Written By – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
7    Chicago 2:08
Written By – Fred Fisher
8    I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face 3:04
Written By – Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Lowe
9    Poor Little Rich Girl 3:33
Written By – Noel Coward
10    Growing Pains 3:36
Written By – Arthur Schwartz, Dorothy Fields
11    I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plans 1:45
Written By – Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz
12    After Supper 3:36
Written By – Neil Hefti
Credits :
Arranged By – Ralph Sharon
Baritone Saxophone – Charlie Fowlkes
Bass – Eddie Jones
Drums – Sonny Payne
Guitar – Freddie Green
Piano – Count Basie (tracks: 1, 3), Ralph Sharon (tracks: 2, 4 to 12)
Tenor Saxophone – Billy Mitchell
Trombone – Al Grey, Benny Powell, Henry Coker
Trumpet – Joe Newman, Snooky Young, Thad Jones, Wendell Culley
Vocals – Tony Bennett