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Beat street

Count Basie: April in Paris

Verve/Universal, CD, Rs. 445

William "Count" Basie was one of those rare musicians whom diehard jazz fans appreciated as well as lovers of classic pop and dance music did. When he recorded this album in the mid '50s, his famous big band of the late '30s and '40s had been disbanded in the wake of the be-bop storm that overturned the concepts of classic jazz. But when revived with new personnel in the early '50s, its famous hard-driving swinging sound, based on the rhythm section of piano, bass, guitar and drums, had survived intact.

The 10 original tracks are joined here by seven alternative takes. The first thing that strikes you about them is why Basie ever needed alternative takes.

Being big band performances, they must have all had written arrangements, confirmed by the similarity of the pattern followed by the instrumentation, including the order of the solos, in each take of a number. (Nor are there any obvious mistakes in any of the alternative takes.) That, however, doesn't detract from the joy of listening to the same piece twice — in one case thrice — over.

Every number is different for the order and choice of solo improvisations it features.

The title track, for example, has only a trumpet solo, while "Corner Pocket", a particular favourite of Basie's, has a solo intro and solo finale by Basie on piano, with trumpet and tenor saxophone taking their turns in the spotlight in between.

In fact solo intros by Basie open several tracks, helping to dispel the reputation that he always stayed in the background.

"Mambo Inn", a fast-paced piece with a Latin beat set up by Latin percussionists, and "Midgets" are two other notable numbers. The latter, also fast-paced, is performed by a sextet that comprises the rhythm section with trumpet and flute, both of which take delectable solos.

JAZZEBEL

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