FOR LENA & LENNIE

The Quincy Jones-Sammy Nestico Orchestra

Basie & Beyond

FOR LENA & LENNIE

This tune by Q was first recorded by his own band while in Europe, then by Basie himself on One More Time and I’m sure many more times by various bands. It was written for Lena Horn and her then husband, Lennie Hayton. But what stands out to me on the recording by this LA band is the soprano saxophone of Kirk Whalum. I have never heard a soprano sax sound so nice and so in tune ever.

AllMusic Review by William Ruhlmann  [-]

"Labor of love" is the inevitable phrase to describe this album on which composer/conductor/arrangers Quincy Jones and Sammy Nestico, both of whom wrote for Count Basie and His Orchestra, assemble a top-flight big band to perform some of their vintage charts. Despite the use of the bandleader's name in the title and the pictures of him with the two principals on the front and back of the album, the music is more "beyond" than "Basie." It is true that both Jones and Nestico are steeped in the Basie band's light, rhythmic approach to playing and their music is imbued with that style. But both are better understood as graduates of the Basie school than true adherents, people who have spent the better parts of their careers applying their knowledge of swing to other endeavors, notably film scores. As a result, you will hear music that is more "jazzy" than "jazz." Nevertheless, it is exhilarating to listen to a big band recorded with modern fidelity; the rhythm section especially stands out, and, of course, rhythm was everything in Basie's sound. The wealth of talent meant the album had to be recorded quickly, in a couple of days, but it also seems to have inspired the players to do their best. Basie & Beyond is almost a fantasy project, a major-label release of a high-quality jazz date with practically no chance of significant sales. In that sense, the other inevitable term to describe it is "throwback," but you can't help being glad Jones has the clout to indulge in this kind of thing now and then.

Basie & Beyond : The Quincy Jones/Sammy Nestico Orchestra : Gary Grant, Warren Luening, Rick Baptist, Oscar Brashear, Wayne Bergeron, Jerry Hey (tp) Charlie Loper, George Bohanon, Bill Watrous, Bill Reichenbach, Reggie Young (tb) Greg Williams, Jerry Folsom, Brad Warngar (fhr) Tommy Johnson (tu) Hubert Laws (fl-1) Kirk Whalum (sop-2,ts-3) Dan Higgins, Gary Foster, Ernie Watts, Pete Christlieb, Gerald Albright, Jack Nimitz (saxes,woodwinds) Emil Richards (vib,perc) Randy Kerber (p) Greg Phillinganes (el-p) Paul Jackson, Jr. (el-g) Chuck Berghofer (b-4) Neil Stubenhaus (el-b-5) Jimmy Johnson (el-b-6) Vinnie Colaiuta (d) Harold Jones (d-7) Paulinho Da Costa (perc-8)