| Sing a Song of Basie | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 9 reviews)
Sales Rank: 101612
Category: Music
Artist: Hendricks & Ross Lambert
Publisher: Polygram Records
Studio: Polygram Records
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
Label: Polygram Records
Format: Extra Tracks, Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 543827
UPC: 731454382724
EAN: 0731454382724
ASIN: B000058A17
Release Date: February 6, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Everyday | | • | It's Sand, Man! | | • | Two for the Blues | | • | One O'Clock Jump | | • | Little Pony | | • | Down for Double | | • | Fiesta in Blue | | • | Down for the Count | | • | Blues Backstage | | • | Avenue C | | • | Four Brothers | | • | Cloudburst | | • | Standin' on the Corner (Whistlin' at the Pretty Girls) |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Sing a Song of Basie marked the birth of the jazz vocal group, the arrival of the Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross trio before they had even found their name and identity. First released in 1958, it's still a joyous romp through some Basie hits, with arranger Dave Lambert, lyricist Jon Hendricks, and lead singer Annie Ross defining the new form for posterity. Will Friedwald's new liner notes chronicle the birth pains, including Lambert and Hendricks's initial struggles to do the material with a choir of pop backing singers before hitting on the potential of new overdubbing technology to multiply three voices that could actually sing jazz. The ultimate results created a sensation, and none of the preliminary struggles show in the finished product. The three singers do some extraordinary simulations of horn parts--both ensembles and solos--with Hendricks's casually tongue-twisting, finger-snapping hip lyrics verbalizing the spirit of jazz in a fresh way. Tunes such as "One O'Clock Jump" and "Blues Backstage" swing with the ease of the Basie band itself, propelled by pianist Nat Pierce and the Basie rhythm section of the day, guitarist Freddie Green, bassist Eddie Jones, and drummer Sonny Payne. The CD also includes Lambert and Hendricks's first collaborations from 1955, their version of "Four Brothers" and "Cloudburst" and a previously unreleased version of Hendricks's "Standin' on the Corner." --Stuart Broomer
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
Batch of be bop Basie October 11, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Beautiful music!
If you like either Basie, be-bop, vocalese or vocal bands in jazz in general, this is perfect cd for you...
Why be-bop? Because singing Basie band's arrangements makes them more prominent and less "backgroundish" with respect to the main solistic line.
As Jimmy Rushing once said (exagerrating, ofcourse), be-bop is nothing but using back-harmonies of swing as main content of music... He was not quite on the ball, but in this case his explanation has merrits.
Is this interpretation right? Have no idea.
But I like the sound of this crazy album very very much!
Hendricks voice (and performance) is my favorite in the group, but all in all it is a great collective performance.
Excellent bonus tracks - three songs of Hendricks with Lambert singers - enrich this CD - they are not mere timefillers, typical for cd reissues of good old LP's that generally contained less music than this overrated new digital format...
Swing, harmony and delight September 4, 2004
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
One of the Desert Island discs in the genre of group vocals - which have included the Boswell Sisters, Andrew Sisters, and various teams otherwise depicted as Barbershop Quartets etc. Lambert, Hendricks and Ross managed to combine a delicious sound - not too sweet; a sensibility attuned to the jazz idiom; the feeling which is palpable that they loved what they were doing and you can HEAR that joy; a powerful swing; a poetic intelligence and understanding of lyrics and the dedication to get the music of Count Basie right for transposition to vocals. A gem of a re-issue. A classic. To listen to at regular intervals.
 Only one problem... May 4, 2004
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This would have been a five star album, if it were not for the distortion present. I have heard certain of these selections on at least 3 CD releases. It is my belief that the distortion comes from the master tapes and the overdubbing techniques used at the time. The end of "Down for Double" is a good example, when Annie goes for the big finish.The earlier "bonus" tracks on the album sound better, as they were not overdubbing like mad. Les Paul recordings of this era suffer the same fate. If you want me to grade on the performance holding the recording quality aside, I would give it the 5/5 grade as so many others have.
The best of the best January 14, 2004
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Despite the impressive moments of the Manhattan Transfer and The New York Voices, L H & R remains the greatest vocal jazz ensemble ever. And this is the best of their all too few albums. Their covers/re-creations of Basie's "Down for Double", "Avenue C", "Backstage Blues", and of course, the Basie signature tune of "One O'Clock Jump", are wonders to behold. Annie Ross was at her peak in this album, and it shows; without her, this group is "pretty good"; with her, and the group is--well, I just said.
Stellar in every way October 7, 2003
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I lack words to express the way I feel about this album without sounding silly. It really is an extraordinary album, truly a landmark album in jazz.First of all it presents some of the greatest tunes of Basie. The originals by Basie are already wonderful, but singing the arrangements and putting words on Lester Young solos is just out of this world, it is a mark of genius. Jon Hendricks is truly stellar, with his hip style (ya dig it?). His sidekicks are excellent as well. I have worn out this album so much it's not even funny. If you are into Basie and/or vocalese, get it now. Perhaps some people will point out the overlap with the compilation called Everybody's boppin; well I say get that one as well. :-) In fact get everything by LHR while you're at it. And get Double Six albums too because their covers of the Quincy Jones / Basie tunes from the late 50's is the other side of this vocalese coin.
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