Count Basie & Oscar Peterson – The Timekeepers
Piano - Count Basie [click here to see more vinyl featuring Count Basie]
Piano - Oscar Peterson [click here to see more vinyl featuring Oscar Peterson]
Drums - Louie Bellson
Bass - John Heard
Written by Doc Daugherty, AJ. Neiburg, Ellis Reynold (A1), Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson (A2), Count Basie, Oscar Peterson (A3, B2, B4), James F. Hanley, Ballard MacDonald (B1), Henry Creamer, Turner Layton (B3)
1 LP, Standard sleeve by Stoughton Printing
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Quality Record Pressings
Label : Analogue Productions
Original Label : Pablo Records
Recorded February 21, 1978 - February 22, 1978 -Group IV Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA Group IV Studios, Hollywood, CA
Engineered by Val Valentin
Produced by Norman Granz
Mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab
Photography by Phil Stern
Liner Notes by Norman Granz
Originally released in 1978
Reissued in October 2024
Tracks :
Side A:
- I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
- Soft Winds
- Rent Party
Side B:
- (Back Home Again In) Indiana
- Hey, Raymond
- After You've Gone
- That's the One
Reviews :
"From the same sessions that resulted in Night Rider and Yessir, this quartet date also features the two pianos of Oscar Peterson and Count Basie collaborating and interacting on swing standards and blues. Any of their five albums together are worth acquiring." AllMusic by Scott Yanow.
"At first glance, an album of piano duets by Count Basie and Oscar Peterson might suggest a study in opposites. Basie, after all, has long personified economy in jazz -- stripped-to-the-bone, one-note swinging. Peterson is as virtuosic and voluble as Basie is concise and crafty. Stylistic differences, however, don't even momentarily obscure the striking compatibility they demonstrate on their latest album, "The Timekeepers."
Recorded in 1978, it is their fourth collection of collaborations that generally bring out the best in both. As on previous albums, role reversal plays a part. Peterson isn't above mimicking his partner's relaxed phrasing on occasion, and Basie asserts himself briskly on both "Indiana" and "After You've Gone."
When the two slide into their familiar poses, though, the results are particularly enjoyable. "Rent Party," one of three tunes written by Peterson and Basie on this collection, evokes a partial history of jazz piano, with Peterson at his rococo best and Basie nailing down his many impressions with bluesy authority.Basie's showcase, "That's the One," is also worth hearing, as is the Benny Goodman tune "Soft Winds." The accompaniment provided by self-effacing bassist John Heard and firmly responsive drummer Louie Bellson is right on the mark.
Another plus is the album's clean stereo separation, which, coupled with the distinctive approaches of these pianists, allows listeners to easily identify who's doing what when." The Washington Post Review by Mike Joyce
Ratings:
Discogs : 4.35 / 5 ; AllMusic : 4 / 5 ; The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings : 3 / 5 ; The Rolling Stone Jazz Records Guide : 3 / 5