Amazon.co.uk Review
Here's a real classic! The mainspring of jazz lived within both Basie and Sims, and it was inevitable that such swinging naturals would produce an album of melodic, boiling and inventive jazz. The partnership is one of the most remarkable of Basie's years, and he relishes it. There's plenty of space for him to solo, too, and it's satisfying to hear him stretch out in his intros before the tenor wailing starts. Suddenly a war-horse like "Honeysuckle Rose" takes on a new life as Basie packs it with stride piano. "Hardav" is the blues as low as it gets, and its converse is "I Surrender Dear", where Basie turns to some sentimental organ playing. Zoot is unperturbed and creates a beautiful ballad performance. Mean To Me is prodded along firmly and calls up the ghost of
Lester Young and Basie in the old days. Throughout the exultant spring of the rhythm section (bassist John Heard and drummer Louie Bellson) turns the quartet into a tight and flexible band that makes one wish that there were several volumes more. It's hard to imagine anyone who wouldn't like this collection of music because it's virtually a definition of jazz.
--Steve Voce
CD Description
By 1975, Count Basie and Zoot Sims had developed an unerring musical rapport. After working for many years in Basie's big band, Sims had come to embody the spirit of Lester Young and the modern amenities bebop offered. Taking Basie's musicto new heights, the tenor man became one of the more pivotal players in a long roster of brilliant musicians who workedunder the Count.
On BASIE AND ZOOT, we hear the two musicians in a relaxed quartet setting. Basie harks back to his stride roots, ala Fats Waller, on tunes such as "Captain Bligh" and "I Never Knew". Sims excels in this musical environment, alighting in a variety of tone colours on his saxophone, reveling in the dynamic contrast not afforded him in Basie's usual large-band setting. Sims plays particularly moving solos on "Hardav" and "I Surrender, Dear", employing a fluidand smoky sound on his instrument. On the latter, Basie wheezes away quietly at the organ, while Sims soliloquises overtop.
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