Search - Duke Ellington, Count Basie :: First Time: Count Meets the Duke

The two greatest big bands in jazz history side by side on your headphones: What can be more glorious? If, as Billy Strayhorn said, Duke Ellington's band was his instrument, then this 1961 session finds Ellington and Count Basie "trading fours," as it were. The composer credits and solo space are divided democratically, to say the least--four songs from Duke's camp, four from Basie's. The sparring between soloists of both bands is a pure delight, especially the gentle conversations between the two leaders-pianists, who finish each other's thoughts as if all four hands were attached to one unified torso. Highlights include two engaging new Duke compositions--the blistering opener "Battle Royal" and the impulsive "Wild Man"--and the closing Basie chestnut "Jumpin' at the Woodside," on which the lead tenors Frank Foster and Paul Gonsalves engage in ferocious dueling. Amazingly, there is no toe-stepping amid the rousing interplay. --Marc Greilsamer