Count Basie, Joe Williams – Count Basie Swings • Joe Williams Sings

Recording sessions:
(from Chris Sheridan's book: "Count Basie - A Bio-Discography" and from Count Basie - The Complete Clef / Verve Count Basie Fifties Studio Recordings)

1955-05-17, NYC, Fine Sound Studio (tracks A1/A4)
1955-07-26, NYC, Fine Sound Studio (tracks B1/B5)

Reunald Jones, Wendell Culley, Thad Jones, Joe Newman (tp), Bill Hughes, Henry Coker, Benny Powell (tb), Marshall Royal (cl, as), Bill Graham (as), Frank Wess (fl, ts), Frank Foster (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (bars, b-cl), Count Basie (p), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones (b), Percival 'Sonny' Payne (dr), Joe Williams (voc).
On session 1955-05-17 (tracks A1/A4), Charlie Fowlkes doubled on b-cl.

Recording sessions:
(from Chris Sheridan's book: "Count Basie - A Bio-Discography" and from Count Basie - The Complete Clef / Verve Count Basie Fifties Studio Recordings)

1955-05-17, NYC, Fine Sound Studio (tracks A1/A4)
1955-07-26, NYC, Fine Sound Studio (tracks B1/B5)

Reunald Jones, Wendell Culley, Thad Jones, Joe Newman (tp), Bill Hughes, Henry Coker, Benny Powell (tb), Marshall Royal (cl, as), Bill Graham (as), Frank Wess (fl, ts), Frank Foster (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (bars, b-cl), Count Basie (p), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones (b), Percival 'Sonny' Payne (dr), Joe Williams (voc).
On session 1955-05-17 (tracks A1/A4), Charlie Fowlkes doubled on b-cl.

Recording sessions:
(from Chris Sheridan's book: "Count Basie - A Bio-Discography" and from Count Basie - The Complete Clef / Verve Count Basie Fifties Studio Recordings)

1955-05-17, NYC, Fine Sound Studio (tracks A1/A4)
1955-07-26, NYC, Fine Sound Studio (tracks B1/B5)

Reunald Jones, Wendell Culley, Thad Jones, Joe Newman (tp), Bill Hughes, Henry Coker, Benny Powell (tb), Marshall Royal (cl, as), Bill Graham (as), Frank Wess (fl, ts), Frank Foster (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (bars, b-cl), Count Basie (p), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones (b), Percival 'Sonny' Payne (dr), Joe Williams (voc).
On session 1955-05-17 (tracks A1/A4), Charlie Fowlkes doubled on b-cl.

The following information is consolidated from various releases / reissues, from Chris Sheridan's book: "Count Basie - A Bio-Discography" and from Mosaic's 2005 compilation: Count Basie - The Complete Clef / Verve Count Basie Fifties Studio Recordings:
Track titles and the names of involved people are shown without any typos, abbreviations or (false) spelling variants to be encountered in a variety of releases.

Tracklist:
A1 Every Day [I Have The Blues] (Written-By - John 'Peter' Chatman; Arranged-By - Ernie Wilkins) 5:25
aka: Everyday I Have the Blues (BMI)
an original from 1935 by Aaron Sparks, 1947 covered as "Nobody Loves Me" by John 'Peter' Chatman (born John Len Chatman), hence credited to Chatman.
On Clef's original release MGC-678, this title is co-credited to York (?).

A2 The Comeback (Written-By - John 'Peter' Chatman; Arranged-By - Frank Foster) 5:25
on some releases credited to Memphis Slim (an alias of John 'Peter' Chatman), or Frazier (short for L.C. Frazier, another alias of Chatman), sometimes mixed-up with tenorist Charles Frazier (!)

A3 All Right, OK, You Win (Written-By - Sidney Jackson Wyche, Mayme Watts; Arranged-By - Frank Foster) 3:03,
as: Alright, Okay, You Win

A4 In The Evenin' [When the Sun Goes Down] (Written-By - Leroy Carr, Don Raye; Arranged-By - Frank Foster) 3:33
on the original release as: In The Evening (When The Sun Goes Down)
another title variant: (In The Evening) When The Sun Goes Down
originally (1935): When The Sun Goes Down

B1 Roll 'Em Pete (Written-By - Joe Turner, Pete Johnson) 3:10
B2 Teach Me Tonight (Written-By - Gene Vincent De Paul, Sammy Cahn; Arranged-By - Ernie Wilkins) 3:01
B3 My Baby Upsets Me (Written-By - Joe Williams; Arranged-By - Frank Foster) 2:55
B4 Please Send Me Someone To Love (Written-By - Percy Mayfield; Arranged-By - Frank Foster) 3:30
B5 Ev'ry Day [I Fall In Love] (Written-By - Irving Kahal, Sammy Fain; Arranged-By - Frank Foster) 3:42

Recording:
1955-05-17, NYC, Fine Sound Studio (tracks A1/A4)
1955-07-26, NYC, Fine Sound Studio (tracks B1/B5)

Reunald Jones, Wendell Culley, Thad Jones, Joe Newman (tp), Bill Hughes, Henry Coker, Benny Powell (tb), Marshall Royal (cl, as), Bill Graham (as), Frank Wess (fl, ts), Frank Foster (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (bars, b-cl), Count Basie (p), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones (b), Percival 'Sonny' Payne (dr), Joe Williams (voc).
On session 1955-05-17 (tracks A1/A4), Charlie Fowlkes doubled on b-cl.

For session details etc. see review posted for 1955 release Clef MGC-678 Count Basie, Joe Williams - Count Basie Swings • Joe Williams Sings.

Recording sessions, track durations and other details were not (all) included on labels, liners, covers and runouts of the original release.
The following data is consolidated from various releases / reissues, including Mosaic's 2005 compilation: Count Basie - The Complete Clef / Verve Count Basie Fifties Studio Recordings,
and from Chris Sheridan's book: "Count Basie - A Bio-Discography".

Track titles and the names of involved people are shown without any typos, abbreviations or (false) spelling variants to be found in past releases. Bonus tracks added to later reissues of this album are also omitted.

Tracklist:
A1 Every Day (I Have The Blues) 5:25
aka: Everyday I Have the Blues (BMI)
Written-By - John 'Peter' Chatman; Arranged-By - Ernie Wilkins
co-credited to York (?) on this original Clef release MGC-678.
This title is an original from 1935 by Aaron Sparks, 1947 covered as "Nobody Loves Me" by John 'Peter' Chatman (born John Len Chatman), hence credited to Chatman.

A2 The Comeback (5:25)
Written-By - John 'Peter' Chatman; Arranged-By - Frank Foster
on some releases credited to Memphis Slim (an alias of John 'Peter' Chatman), or Frazier (short for L.C. Frazier, another alias of Chatman), sometimes mixed-up with tenorist Charles Frazier (!)

A3 All Right, OK, You Win (3:03)
also as: Alright, Okay, You Win
Written-By - Sidney Jackson Wyche, Mayme Watts; Arranged-By - Frank Foster

A4 In The Evenin' (When the Sun Goes Down) 3:33
Written-By - Leroy Carr, Don Raye; Arranged-By - Frank Foster
as: In The Evening (When The Sun Goes Down)
Another title variant: (In The Evening) When The Sun Goes Down
originally (1935): When The Sun Goes Down

B1 Roll 'Em Pete (3:10)
Written-By - Joe Turner, Pete Johnson
B2 Teach Me Tonight (3:01)
Written-By - Gene Vincent De Paul, Sammy Cahn; Arranged-By - Ernie Wilkins
B3 My Baby Upsets Me (2:55)
Written-By - Joe Williams; Arranged-By - Frank Foster
B4 Please Send Me Someone To Love (3:30)
Written-By - Percy Mayfield; Arranged-By - Frank Foster
B5 Ev'ry Day (I Fall In Love) 3:42
Written-By - Irving Kahal, Sammy Fain; Arranged-By - Frank Foster

Recording:
1955-05-17, NYC, Fine Sound Studio (tracks A1/A4)
1955-07-26, NYC, Fine Sound Studio (tracks B1/B5)

Reunald Jones, Wendell Culley, Thad Jones, Joe Newman (tp), Bill Hughes, Henry Coker, Benny Powell (tb), Marshall Royal (cl, as), Bill Graham (as), Frank Wess (fl, ts), Frank Foster (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (bars, b-cl), Count Basie (p), Freddie Green (g), Eddie Jones (b), Percival 'Sonny' Payne (dr), Joe Williams (voc).
On session 1955-05-17 (tracks A1/A4), Charlie Fowlkes doubled on b-cl.

I finally decided to buy this pressing and I'm glad I did. The pressing is excellent and the remastering sounds absolutely awesome.

Impressive vocals from Joe Williams. A perfect complement to Count Basie's brassy arrangements. Sometimes big band doesn't sound so great 70 years later. But I think it's safe to say this is a timeless recording. Memphis Slim's "Every Day I Have The Blues" was a good place to start the record, and sets the tone for everything to come after it.