When people think of Count Basie and the blues, immediately those great Basie blues singers come to mind: Jimmy Rushing, Joe Turner, Helen Humes, Joe Williams, and more. Fact is, Basie was steeped in the blues. So when Scotty Barnhart, trumpeter and leader of the Count Basie Orchestra, got the idea for a new Basie blues recording with some of today's top bluesers, you can imagine how long the line was. Basie Swings the Blues is the result, with those 16 men swingin' around Buddy Guy, Bettye LaVette, Ledisi, Shemekia Copeland, Bobby Rush, Robert Cray, George Benson, Keb' Mo', Carmen Bradford, Charlie Musselwhite and Mr. Sipp, a Mississippi bluesman who contributes two tracks on this outstanding performance.
From Monday, November 6 through Friday, November 10, one cut from the Basie Swings the Blues album will be featured each morning on the New Day, New Play spotlight on my Daybreak show.
Preview “Evil Gal Blues” featuring Ledisi from Basie Swings the Blues, above.
