[mrpeebee]

Hi all,

Just found a nice live recording of Count Basie in Sweden, recorded in October 1974.

Several numbers and soloist, with for me the best performances by Jimmy Forrest (playing Body And Soul starting at 12:09, check also his wild cadenza at 16:00 and the face of Al Grey!) and altoist Curtis Peagler in a really nice slow Blues (starting at 25:25). Lockjaw is also in the sax section, but unfortunately not featured in this video.

Nice to compare Jimmy's version of Body And Soul with the one he played in the same year at the Prague Jazz Festival (I think he sounds even better in that clip):
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showt...nd-Soul-with-the-Count-Basie-Big-Band-in-1974

Enjoy!

 

[Watsonp143]

Re: Count Basie live in Sweden 1974 - featuring Jimmy Forrest and Curtis Beagler (and others)

Curtis Peagler I think. Oliver Beener was underground legend around NYC in the 70's........

 

[mrpeebee]

Re: Count Basie live in Sweden 1974 - featuring Jimmy Forrest and Curtis Beagler (and others)

And here another live recording from 1976 in Copenhagen, with at 18:00 another version of Body And Soul by the great Jimmy Forrest (cadenza at 21:40):

 

[mrpeebee]

Re: Count Basie live in Sweden 1974 - featuring Jimmy Forrest and Curtis Beagler (and others)

Curtis Peagler I think. Oliver Beener was underground legend around NYC in the 70's........

Indeed Peagler (the video wrongly lists Beagler and I never heard about him before). Corrected in the opening post, thanks.

 

[Bubba06]

Re: Count Basie live in Sweden 1974 - featuring Jimmy Forrest and Curtis Beagler (and others)

Indeed Peagler (the video wrongly lists Beagler and I never heard about him before). Corrected in the opening post, thanks.

What a great band. (Still on the first video.) Can you imagine just playing like second alto or something in this group? You'd hear and learn so much.

-Bubba-

 

[Sacks Of Phones]

Is Jimmy Forrest playing a Selmer S(B)A and a Berg Larsen? Killer tone.

 

[mrpeebee]

What a great band. (Still on the first video.) Can you imagine just playing like second alto or something in this group? You'd hear and learn so much.

-Bubba-

That would for me a kind of dream, but only listening to how the rhythm section plays on that Blues track is already enough for me to get shivers!

Is Jimmy Forrest playing a Selmer S(B)A and a Berg Larsen? Killer tone.

Jimmy played in his early days a Selmer BA (I'm not 100% sure, could also be a SBA). Later in his career he changed to a Berg and the sax is a Vito he got from the producer.

See also this post from SideC (who played with Jimmy) in the older thread I shared in post #1:
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showt...Band-in-1974&p=1636964&viewfull=1#post1636964

 

[Sacks Of Phones]

A Vito. That's wild. I have a Vito tenor from the early 80's. I use it as a spare and where I wouldn't take the Viking. Solid horn with an excellent sound and comfortable to play. Neat.

 

[mrpeebee]

A Vito. That's wild. I have a Vito tenor from the early 80's. I use it as a spare and where I wouldn't take the Viking. Solid horn with an excellent sound and comfortable to play. Neat.

That's indeed wild! I think Johnny Hodges also played a Vito, another player (like Forrest) with a great sound. According to SideC Jimmy was very happy with that horn, so I'm sure those must be good players (without having ever played one myself).

 

[tony51]

That's indeed wild! I think Johnny Hodges also played a Vito, another player (like Forrest) with a great sound. According to SideC Jimmy was very happy with that horn, so I'm sure those must be good players (without having ever played one myself).

Yes, Johnny Hodges played a specially customized Vito as you can see here, a clear side view at 3:25.

It was later owned by Frank Wess, pictures and history here:

https://bassic-sax.info/blog/2013/leblanc-stencilled-vito-alto-that-once-belonged-to-johnny-hodges/

 

[mrpeebee]

Thanks for the addition Tony.