Swing Legends: 24 Classic Hits (2000)

About this title: Jazz snobs and jazz purists refuse to admit it, but the fact is that jazz was once part of pop culture. Back in the late '30s, swing wasn't regarded as ultra-intellectual, complicated, inaccessible music for the select few: It reached the masses, and it heated up the juke boxes, neighborhood bars, house parties, and high school dances that would subsequently be dominated by rock or R&B. Count Basie was an artist, but he was also an entertainer, and much like Earth, Wind & Fire in the 1970s or Prince in the 1980s, he provided music that had a brain as well as a beat. Spanning 1937-1939, ... read more

Tracks:

1. Honeysuckle Rose [Razaf/Waller]
2. Smarty (You Know It All) [Freed/Lane]
3. One O'Clock Jump [Basie]
4. Listen My Children (And You Shall Hear) [Freed/Lane]
5. John's Idea [Basie/Durham]
6. Good Morning Blues [Basie/Durham/Rushin]
7. Time Out [Durham/Battle]
8. Topsy [Durham/Battle]
9. I Keep Remembering [Jones/Newman]
10. Don't You Miss Your Baby? [Basie/Durham/Rushin]
11. Georgianna [Carle/Croom/McKenzi]
12. Blues in the Dark [Basie/Rushing]
13. Sent for You Yesterday (And Here You Come Today) [Basie/Durham/Rushin]
14. Every Tub [Basie/Durham]
15. Now Will You Be Good? [Durham]
16. Swinging the Blues [Basie/Durham]
17. Texas Shuffle [Evans/Battle]
18. Jumpin' at the Woodside [Basie]
19. Shorty George [Basie/Gibson]
20. The Blues I Like to Hear [Rushing/Smith]
21. Do You Wanna Jump, Children? [Bryant/Donahue/Sels]
22. Panassie Stomp [Basie]
23. Evil Blues [Rushing/Basie/Ediso]
24. Oh, Lady Be Good [Gershwin/Gershwin]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.