You won't find one of my favorite Thad Jones albums listed under his name. It's Dance Along With Basie, recorded for Roulette at the tail end of the 1950s. Cut over four sessions during the December holiday season in 1959, the album features mostly Jones's swinging arrangements of mid-tempo standards. They're all strikes, and perfect for a mental twirl around the dance floor. [Photo above of Thad Jones near Times Square by Francis Wolf (c)Mosaic Images]
Despite the updated swing of Basie's New Testament band in the 1950s, the band had always been a dance band, first and foremost. His first Kansas City band, in 1936 (after leading Benny Moten's ghost band), was the nine-piece Barons of Rhythm. Basie then formed a big band and moved to Chicago in the fall of that year for an extended engagement at the Grand Terrace Ballroom and to record for John Hammond at Columbia. The magic of early Basie was the rhythm section and the band's driving swing. For the next five decades, Basie's bands were all primarily dance bands, featuring call-and-response sectional arrangements and soloists with distinct instrumental personalities. [Photo above of Count Basie]
Dance Along With Basie was largely arranged by Thad Jones (Back to the Apple, Secret Love and Misty were by Frank Foster). At the time of release the album was aimed at buyers looking for music to dance to in the living room. I'm sure it also was designed to show off the newly emerging stereo format, with Harry "Sweets" Edison and the horns coming through the right speaker and the reeds and rhythm section sailing away in the left. Above all, a dance feel was always the primary mission of the Basie band, no matter who was arranging—Neal Hefti, Ernie Wilkins, Thad Jones, Quincy Jones or Frank Foster. Even if you didn't dance at home, Basie made you feel you could if you wanted to.
The band on the album is the classic '50s lineup: Joe Newman, John Anderson, Snooky Young and Thad Jones; Al Grey, Benny Powell and Henry Coker (tb), Marshall Royal (as); Billy Mitchell and Frank Foster (ts); Frank Wess (ts,fl); Charlie Fowlkes (bs); Count Basie (p), Freddie Green (g); Ed Jones (b); and Sonny Payne (dr). [Photo above of Count Basie]
Standout arrangements by Jones are Give Me the Simple Life, It's a Pity to Say Goodnight, It Had to Be You, Fools Rush In, Makin' Whoopee, Easy Living, Can't We Be Friends and How Am I to Know? Foster's charts are fabulous, too. Misty features Frank Wess and Charlie Fowlkes soloing on flute and baritone saxophone. Jones's arrangements may not be as adventurous as his pen work in the 1960s and '70s but they breathe well, have perfect pacing and come with that special twinkle.
Thad Jones died in 1986, Frank Foster died in 2011.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Dance Along With Basie (Roulette) here.
JazzWax clips: Here's the entire album in tracks...
JazzWax note: If you love this period of Basie's band as much as I do, treat yourself to the out-of-print Mosaic box of The Complete Roulette Live Recordings of Count Basie and His Orchestra (1959-1962). Copies here. Mosaic's out-of-print Roulette studio recordings box is here. Highly satisfying. Think what you will of Teddy Reig's reputation. That cat could produce an album.
