Bing Crosby & Count Basie – Bing ‘n Basie

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Bing ‘n’ Basie is a 1972 vinyl album recorded for Daybreak Records by Bing Crosby, accompanied by Count Basie and his Orchestra. The orchestral tracks were laid down over three days at the end of February and the beginning of March, 1972 at Amigo Studios, North Hollywood. Crosby added his voice to the pre-recorded orchestral tracks during three sessions on March 14, 15 and 16, 1972 at Coast Recorders Studio, Bush Street, San Francisco. Bing Crosby also added his voice to “If I Had a Hammer” and while this has appeared on pirate issues it has never been commercially released.

The album was issued on CD by EmArcy Records (824 705-2) in 1988.

Down Beat said:”This release is likely to do considerably more for Crosby’s reputation than for Basie’s. That’s usually the way it works when a jazz group teams with a popular vocalist. On the other hand, it is Crosby’s reputation that is in considerably greater need of a boost than Basie’s, so perhaps in the long run it’s a fair shake for everyone… (Crosby) is in fine voice all the way, and the choice of material is from among the best contemporary tunes, excepting two ringers (Hangin’, Day), which are the sort of nonentities that singers use to open TV variety specials.” (Wikipedia).

Track listing:
Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. “Gentle on My Mind” John Hartford 3:45
2. “Everything Is Beautiful” Ray Stevens 3:19
3. “Gonna Build a Mountain” Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley 2:36
4. “Sunrise, Sunset” Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick 2:43
5. “Hangin’ Loose” Sammy Nestico, Johnny Mercer 2:32
6. “All His Children” Henry Mancini, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman 3:01
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
7. “Put Your Hand in the Hand” Gene MacLellan 3:12
8. “Snowbird” Gene MacLellan 2:56
9. “Little Green Apples” Bobby Russell 3:15
10. “Sugar, Don’t You Know” Peggy Lee, Louis Bellson, Jack Hayes 3:23
11. “Have a Nice Day”

Personnel:
Bing Crosby – vocal
Count Basie – piano
Freddie Green – guitar
Norman Keenan – bass
Harold Jones – drums
Paul Cohen, Waymon Reed, Sonny Cohn, Pete Minger – trumpet
Al Grey, Grover Mitchell, Mel Wanzo, John Watson Sr., Bill Hughes – trombone
Curtis Peagler ,Bobby Plater , Eric Dixon , Eddie ‘Lockjaw’ Davis , J.C. Williams – reeds

Released: 1972
Recorded: February 28–29, March 1, 14-16, 1972
Length: 34:00
Label Daybreak (DR-2014)
Producer: Sonny Burke