Count Basie led one of the swingingest bands during the Swing era. His rhythm section was key, and the band’s ensemble playing was strong and tight. Riff-based compositions were the band’s bread and butter. As important as all these elements were, though, his soloists ultimately defined the character and greatness of the Count Basie Orchestra–including Basie himself. Lester Young was Basie’s most outstanding soloist, but there were many others whose contributions added depth and breadth to the Basie sound. We’ll focus on four of them: Buck Clayton and Harry “Sweets” Edison, on trumpet; and Herschel Evans and Lester Young, on tenor saxophone. An indication of the excellence of these players is that it’s very hard at times to tell which trumpeter, or which tenor saxophonist, is the one soloing. We’ll be providing the order of soloists, so that you will be able to identify each soloist.
Benny Goodman was the “King of Swing,” credited with popularizing swing jazz for the broader American population. He was one of the few white band leaders regarded as “hot” by black jazz musicians. He was also the first white band leader to cross the “color line” and hire black musicians. On this board we’ll hear the Benny Goodman Orchestra performing live at Carnegie Hall–a momentous occasion in itself. We’ll also hear pioneering electric guitarist Charlie Christian performing with the Benny Goodman Sextet, a group that includes stellar musicians drawn from both the Basie and Ellington orchestras.
Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald were the greatest jazz singers of the Swing era and, arguably, of any era. That the two sang so very differently from each other provides a compelling example of the great expressive range within the various jazz styles.