Bennett and Basie - Count on It!
Lawrence E. LaRocco | Berwyn, Illinois | 03/05/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Tony and Count Basie originally intended to record a live concert at the Latin Casino in late November of 1958. It sold out, of course, but the tapes were unusable. Fortunately, Mitch Miller brought Tony and The Count to the CBS studios in New York to re-record the concert on Dec. 22nd and 30th that year. And thank God he did! What a spectacular collaboration! Tony is in prime form and The Count and his orchestra were never better. This is a Bennett/Basie CD that is not to be missed. It is an absolutely essential purchase for collectors of either one of these Hall-of-Famers. There are SO MANY spectacular tracks that it's hard to pick any favorites. I never thought that anybody could do more justice to "Ol' Man River" than Sinatra did, but the Bennett/Basie version is right there - it's that close. "There Will Never Be Another You" is almost a definitive version, and "Lullaby of Broadway" is prime-time Bennett and Basie. This is not an easy CD to get. You can find it on the Amazon marketplace, but it's expensive. Get it anyway. It is a musical treasure. Too bad they didn't do another dozen. Five stars, spectacular. Buy it. Music just doesn't get any better. Thank you Tony! Thank you Count! I only wish there was more."