Count Basie

I spent last evening listening again to a remastered CD of Count Basie's April in Paris. The Basie band of 1955-56 still sounds like musical equivalent of a big ol' Cadillac from the same period. The band is huge, chrome-y, smooth and solid.

I've always known that Frank Foster and Frank Wess (tenor saxes) were way out front on the album, pulling the enti…