Sammy Nestico arranged nine Count Basie studio albums, starting in 1969:
- Straight Ahead (1969)
- Standing Ovation (1969)
- Good Time Blues (1970)
- Have a Nice Day (1971)
- Bing 'n' Basie (1972)
- Basie Big Band (1975)
- Prime Time (1977)
- Warm Breeze (1981)
- 88 Basie Street (1983)
One of his breeziest was Have a Nice Day (Daybreak). As with all of Sammy's Basie albums, Have a Nice Day was a finger-snapper packed with catchy mid-tempo swingers.
The band featured Paul Cohen, Sonny Cohn, George "Pete" Minger and Waymon Reed (tp,flh); Al Grey, Melvin Wanzo, Grover Mitchell and John Watson (tb); Bill Hughes (btb); Bobby Plater (as,fl); Curtis Peagler (as); Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (ts); Eric Dixon (ts,fl); John C. Williams (bar); Count Basie (p); Freddie Green (g); Norman Keenan (b) and Harold Jones (d). [Photo above of Count Basie and Sammy Nestico]
To read my interview with Sammy, go here.
Here's Have a Nice Day without ad interruptions...
Other ad-free Backgrounders in my series:
- Zoot Sims Plays Bossa Nova, go here.
- Lee Morgan: Lee-Way, go here.
- Bossa Nova for Swinging Lovers, go here.
- Leon Spencer: Louisiana Slim, go here.
- Bossa Nova Modern Quartet: Bossa Nova Jazz Samba, go here.
- Bill Evans & Luiz Eça: Piano Four Hands, go here.
- Ray Brown Trio: Don't Get Sassy, go here.
- Os Tatuis: Os Tatuis, go here.
- Waltel Branco: Mancini Tambem É Samba, go here.
- Jack Wilson Plays Brazilian Mancini, go here.
- Conjunto Copacabana Bossa: Bossa, go here.
- Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Swings Lightly, go here.
- Charles Earland: Charles Earland, go here.
- Kenny Burrell: Crash! w/ Jack McDuff, go here.
- Jack McDuff: The Heatin' System, go here.
- Horace Silver: Horace-Scope, go here.
- Antonio Carlos Jobim: Wave, go here.
- Sonny Stitt: Sonny Stitt Plays, go here.
- Sonny Stitt with Bennie Green: My Main Man, go here.
- Johnny Hodges and Earl Hines: Stride Right, go here.
- Lionel Hampton: Bossa Nova Jazz, go here.
- Johnny Hodges & Ben Webster: Cellar Session, go here.
- Bill Evans: Solo Sessions Vol. 1, go here.
- Frank Wess: Trombones & Flute, go here.
- Presenting the Buddy DeFranco & Tommy Gumina Quartet, go here.
- Ernest Ranglin: Wranglin', go here.
- Dave Pell Octet: Plays Rodgers & Hart, go here.
- Milt Buckner: Block Chords Parade, go here.
- Roberto Menescal: A Nova Bossa, go here.
