Basie's Beatle Bag

Read About This Recording

Basie's Beatle Bag is an unusual outing from 1966, for it has the Basie big band performing 11 songs made famous by The Beatles plus Kansas City. It may seem an odd match up but the inventive arrangements of Chico O'Farrill make the combination work. Excellent solos are taken by trumpeter Al Aarons, trombonist Al Grey, altoist Marshall Royal and the passionate tenor-saxophonist Eddie Lockjaw Davis with Bill Henderson featured as the vocalist on Yesterday.

-Scott Yanow

Quotes

This record is within the tradition...elegant....recommended. -*** 1/2, Downbeat, 1962

Extended Article

If this title were merely alliterative, it would not have sustained its appeal for more than 30 years. Basie's was the swingingest band in the land; here they're in roaring, mid-Sixties form. Beatle Bag contains 11 early Lennon-McCarthy classics.

But the man who makes this record vital is no B-player. He's arranger Chico O'Farrill, who takes the Beatles' cozy lyricism and gives it the broad swagger required of all Basie bands. Which makes a potential period piece into a timeless lesson in swing - now with brilliant Basie brass sound.

Contents

Help!; Can't Buy Me Love; Michelle; I Wanna Be Your Man; Do You Want To Know A Secret?; A Hard Day's Night; All My Loving; Yesterday; And I Love Her; Hold Me Tight; She Loves You; Kansas City.

Count Basie, Piano; The Count Basie Orchestra: Al Aarons, Sonny Cohn, Wallace Davenport, Phil Guilbeau, Trumpets; Henderson Chambers, Al Grey, Grover Mitchell, Bill Hughes, Trombones; Bobby Plater, Charlie Fowlkes, Reeds; Eric Dixon, Flute; Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Marshal Royal, Saxes; Freddie Green, Guitar; Norman Keenan, Bass; Sonny Payne, Drums; Bill Henderson, Vocals; Chico O'Farrill, Conductor.