Chairman of the Board by Count Basie

This album doesn't fall into my 50 albums as it was released before I was born, but I'm listening to it now and rather enjoying it. As I mentioned before I'm currently doing (in a rather ad-hoc way) an online course in Jazz appreciation. Over the last couple of weeks the course has been focusing on various different eras of jazz, starting with "hard bop" and working back through "cool", then "bebop" and this week "swing".

Now while I can appreciate the technical virtuosity and innovation of the later periods of jazz, frankly I'm rather fond of a tune, and preferably one I can tap my foot to. I picked Chairman of the Board becuase it was briefly mentioned in the course, but also because I rather love the sleeve of it, and to be honest I do like a bit of "Dynamic Stereo" it is after all "a new dimensional sound".

Luckily it is also rather a splendid album!

Here's a nice clip of the Basie orchestra in 1960 performing (in the old dimensional sound) "Who Me?" from the album.

(play on YouTube)

Jeff, the online tutor did his slightly creepy smile and said of the opening track "Blues in Hoss' Flat" ...

when I hear this plunger-muted trumpet with the growling, I think of the actor Jerry Lewis in the movie, The Errand Boy, where there's a hilarious scene where he does a pantomime to this music.

The scene is not hilarious, in fact not even slightly funny... but that's Jerry Lewis for you!