The Dave Brubeck Quartet! Without question one of the greatest Jazz groups, large or small, of all time. This past weekend the drummer, Joe Morello , passed away. The album < Time Out, which featured this tune as well as the classic , Take Five, Is one of those records that I have owned , in one format or other for nearly forty years. Incredible.
This weekend as part of their fund drive, PBS, showed a film called The Rat Pack Live. It's a 1965 performance By Frank , Dean and Sammy, - a fund raiser in St. Louis. It's the only known complete show by the fellas. Taking the place of Joey Bishop is a decidedly ill at ease Johnny Carson- he never really gets into the groove, of course he has little help from the others , who barely pay attention to him. Tough gig for Johnny, especially if you have ever read any tales of the Pack, where you discover that Bishop was the one who kept the whole thing moving. He would act as director and or editor/writer as they performed. He would keep a low profile , but wander around and make suggestions for jokes and bits. Poor Johnny.
But what blew me away was the set that Sinatra did with the Basie Band. Incredible. At the time Quincy Jones was arranging and conducting the Basie Band. In my opinion that band was the greatest of all the Big Bands.
I became a Jazz fan in the 70's and lucky me, most of the great bands were still touring. Over the years I saw Basie and Ellington and Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, and Buddy Rich among others. Alot of the bands were star vehicles. like Woody Hermans Thundering Herd, which was Herman surrounded by young guys right out of college. Great stuff, but young "cats"
The Basie Band had a lot of ol' timers still playing, guys who had been with the band for 20 years or more. Nobody could swing like that band! And they just didn't play oldies, they always had new arrangements in their books.
And do you need a lesson in "Less is More"? Listen to Count Basie play a solo, not many notes, no showing off, just swingin'.
Here's a story- Back in '75, I, along with the rest of The Wind Machine -our high school big band, are at a Jazz Festival. We played earlier in the day and now we are in the front row to watch The headliner, The Count Basie Orchestra. As the band is about to go on an announcement is made , The drummer Butch Miles has been rushed to the Hospital and will not be performing this evening (don't ever eat the fish at the Holiday Inn)
As a treat they bring up a drummer from a college band to play two songs. He does a good job and after two songs he looks exhausted. Polite applause , a few cheers from his bandmates and then he's gone. Now the first trumpet player moves over to the drums and all the trumpets move over one book. The set continues, the trumpet player does okay, he's keeping time, but something is becoming quite apparent ,to really swing you need a monster drummer to kick that band.
Ah well, what can you do? After another song or two someone walks over to Basie and gives him some information. Basie talks to a few guys in the band. Something is up. Another announcement is made, The band is going to take a 20 minute break. Hmmmm What's up?
I was a bold creature when I was young, so I and a few of my chums fell in with the band as they left the stage. Back stage we discover that Joe Morello is in the audience! and that he has volunteered to sit in with the band! His Drums are in the car out back (a Pinto) We quickly volunteer to bring the drums in- and like that we are roadies for The Basie Band.
20 minutes go by , we're back stage rubbing elbows with legends and then it's time for them to go back and play the second set. we take our spots down front, right at Basie's feet. The announcement is made and the crowd roars its approval. And for the next hour or so we are treated to a once in a lifetime experience, Joe Morello and the Count Basie Band.
A memorable night, lots of lessons learned, how important a drummer is to swing. how to make the most of a solo, and the fact that you can be an innovator, one of the legends of Jazz. You played on the first Million selling Jazz single (take Five), a genius! But this is Jazz, so you drive a Pinto.
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