Count Basie—”Topsy”
As Thisbe Vos wrote last Tuesday: “Always good—Count Basie!”
William James Basie (1904-1984) hit the bigtime with Benny Moton’s band in Kansas City, and took charge when 40-year-old Moten died in 1935. Ever since, Count Basie has flavored his music consistently with one Moten ingredient -- a dancing beat -- and the added spice was Basie’s own driving swing.
“Topsy,” an arrangement by Eddie Durham based on the theme of “Topsy-Turvy,” a composition of multi-instrumentalist and composer Edgar “Puddinghead” Battle who wrote charts for Basie. It was recorded for Decca in New York on August 9, 1937 by Count Basie and his Orchestra: Count Basie-piano, directing Buck Clayton, Ed Lewis and Bobby Moore-trumpet; Benny Morton, Dan Minor and Eddie Durham-trombone; Earl Warren-alto saxophone; Jack Washington-alto and baritone saxophone; Herschel Evans and Lester Young-clarinet and tenor saxophone; Freddy Green and Eddie Durham-guitar; Walter Page-standing bass; and Jo Jones-drums.
At the time, Basie’s nightly sessions at the Famous Door on West 52nd street, which featured standing room only every night, had put him into the circle of the biggest swing aggregations in the country.
The soloist with a cupped trumpet is Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton, who had joined Basie earlier that year.
Next comes Kansas City born baritone saxophonist Ronald Brooks "Jack" Washington, who had joined Bennie Moten’s band in the late 1920s and who remained with Basie until 1950 -- except for Washington's service at the Army in Camp Upton, N.Y., and in the South Pacific during World War II. In his All-Music biography of Washington, Scott Yanow calls Jack "The unsung hero of the baritone-sax.” In a 1940 All American Band Contest poll the readers overwhelmingly named this “Little man with the big born” as their first choice for baritone saxophonist.
After Jack Washington left Basie he worked as a redcap at Oklahoma City’s airport, sporadically picking up his saxophone again to work with such jazz musicians as Dave Brubeck and with Basie alumni.
Washington’s solo is followed by Count Basie’s substantial swing pianizing, while Jo Jones hits the metal rod of his high hat -- a method of beating Jones had invented.
