April in Paris (album)

April in Paris
Studio album by Count Basie and His Orchestra
Released 1957
Recorded July 26, 1955 and January 4 & 5, 1956
Fine Sound, New York City
Genre Jazz
Length 73:45 CD reissue with bonus tracks
Label Verve
MGV 8012
Producer Norman Granz
Count Basie chronology
Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings
(1955)		 Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings
(1955-56)		 The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards
(1956)

April in Paris is an album by pianist/bandleader Count Basie and His Orchestra, his first released on the Verve label, recorded in 1955 and 1956.[1][2][3][4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[6]
Penguin Guide to Jazz[7]

AllMusic awarded the album 5 stars calling it "one of those rare albums that makes its mark as an almost instant classic in the jazz pantheon" and noting "April in Paris proved Count Basie's ability to grow through modern jazz changes while keeping the traditional jazz orchestra vital and alive".[5] The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide said it was "a commercial high point for this outfit".[6] The Penguin Guide to Jazz awarded the album 3 stars stating "April in Paris is typical Basie fare of the period: bustling charts, leathery solos and pinpoint timing".[7]

Track listing

  1. "April in Paris" (Vernon Duke and E.Y. "Yip" Harburg) – 3:47
  2. "Corner Pocket" (Freddie Green) – 5:15
  3. "Didn't You?" (Frank Foster) – 4:43
  4. "Sweetie Cakes" (Ernest Brooks "Ernie" Wilkins) – 3:58
  5. "Magic" (Frank Wess) – 3:06
  6. "Shiny Stockings" (Foster) – 5:14
  7. "What Am I Here For" (Duke Ellington and Frankie Laine, arr. Foster) – 3:19
  8. "Midgets" (Joe Newman) – 3:13
  9. "Mambo Inn" (Mario Bauzá, Edgar Melvin Sampson and Bobby Woodlen) – 3:23
  10. "Dinner with Friends" (Neal Hefti) – 3:05
  11. "April In Paris" [2nd Take] (Duke, Harburg) - 3:45 Bonus track on CD reissue
  12. "Corner Pocket" [2nd Take] (Green) - 4:59 Bonus track on CD reissue
  13. "Didn't You?" [3rd Take] (Foster) - 4:50 Bonus track on CD reissue
  14. "Magic" [1st Take] (Wess) - 3:42 Bonus track on CD reissue
  15. "Magic" [2nd Take] (Wess) - 3:50 Bonus track on CD reissue
  16. "What Am I Here For?" [1st Take] (Ellington) - 4:06 Bonus track on CD reissue
  17. "Midgets" [4th Take] ) (Newman) - 3:11 Bonus track on CD reissue

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ Edwards, D. & Callahan, M. Discography of the Verve, Clef, Down Home and Norgran Labels, accessed November, 20, 2015
  2. ↑ Kitora, R., Count Basie Discography, accessed November, 20, 2015
  3. ↑ Verve Records Catalog: 8000 series, accessed November, 20, 2015
  4. ↑ Big Band Paradise, accessed November, 20, 2015
  5. 1 2 Fielder, Christopher. April in Paris – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Swenson, J. (Editor) (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 20. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  7. 1 2 Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008) [1992]. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (9th ed.). New York: Penguin. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-14-103401-0.
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