As a pianist, he had a distinctive and influential style (the song title "Splanky" is an onomatopoetic reference to the sound of his playing), equally at home in the barrelhouse and the concert hall. Willie "The Lion" Smith, James P. Johnson, and Fats Waller were among his influences.
As a bandleader, he created an organization (built upon the remains of Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra) that was a favorite both of dancers and of vocalists such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and, of course, Billie Holiday. Equally important, it kept many musicians employed through lean years. Many jazz musicians of note built their chops and earned their bread and butter in Basie's organization.
In addition to Basie, the swinging "All American Rhythm Section" of his orchestra included greats such as Walter Page (bass), Jo Jones (drums), and Freddie Green (guitar). It was the greatest, most swinging rhythm sections in the history of jazz. Chief among its vocalists were, first, Jimmy Rushing and, later, Joe Williams. Over the years it boasted sidemen and soloists like Herschel Evans (tenor sax), Lester Young (tenor sax), Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (tenor sax), Buddy Tate (tenor sax), Illinois Jacquet (tenor sax), Earle Warren (alto sax), Jack Washington (alto & baritone sax), Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet), Buck Clayton (trumpet), Thad Jones (trumpet), Snooky Young (trumpet), Benny Morton (trombone), Benny Powell (trombone), and Dicky Wells (trombone).
Basie also collaborated with artists such as Zoot Sims and Oscar Peterson, and recorded with ensembles large and small, including the Count Basie Trio, the Count Basie Sextet, and the Kansas City Seven. Notable arrangers included Eddie Durham (who helped shape the Basie Orchestra's sound) and Neal Hefti.
Evenin'
Count Basie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you always remind me that my baby's gone
Evening, you got me deeply in your power
Every minute seems just like an hour, now that my baby's gone
Shadows fall upon the wall, that's the time I miss your kiss most of all
Even though I try, how can I go on
I don't care if I don't awaken, since my baby's gone
Shadows fall upon the wall, that's the time I miss your kiss most of all
Even though I try, how can I go on
Evening, let me sleep till glow of dawn is breakin'
I don't care if I don't awaken, since my man is gone
The Count Basie song "Evenin'" is a melancholic tune about the pain of losing a lover. The song describes how evening, the time of day when one would normally come home to their lover, is now a reminder of the absence of that lover. The lyrics convey a deep sense of loss and yearning for the one who has gone away.
The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer bemoans the fact that every night, evening finds him alone, reminding him that his baby is gone. The second verse deepens this sense of longing by emphasizing how time has lost its meaning since the lover has left. The singer feels trapped in a moment, unable to move forward.
The chorus of the song returns to the theme of missing the lover's kiss, and the pain of trying to move on without them. The final verse is perhaps the saddest, as the singer declares that he would rather sleep forever than face a world without the love of his life.
Overall, "Evenin'" is an emotional and poignant song that captures the depth of heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Evening, every night you come and you find me
The singer is addressing the night time, which constantly reminds them that their lover is no longer with them.
And you always remind me that my baby's gone
The singer is saying that the night time reminds them of their absence of their lover.
Evening, you got me deeply in your power
The singer is saying that night time has a strong hold on them.
Every minute seems just like an hour, now that my baby's gone
The artist is saying that time drags on slowly since their lover is not with them.
Shadows fall upon the wall, that's the time I miss your kiss most of all
The artist is saying that the time of day when shadows appear on the wall is when they miss their lover's kisses the most.
Even though I try, how can I go on
The singer is expressing their difficulty in continuing with their life without their lover.
Oh evening, let me sleep till glow of dawn is breakin'
The singer is pleading with night time to let them sleep until morning.
I don't care if I don't awaken, since my baby's gone
The artist is saying they don't care if they don't wake up because their lover is gone.
Evening, let me sleep till glow of dawn is breakin'
The artist is repeating their desire to sleep until morning.
I don't care if I don't awaken, since my man is gone
The artist has changed their previous use of 'baby' to 'man', but the meaning is the same; they don't care if they don't wake up since their lover is gone.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Charles N. Daniels, Richard Whiting
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mishazvonkin3729
From what I could find, this version is by the full Basie orchestra from an Okeh session in 1940. Lester Young is on this version as well. Below is the personell I could track down:
Alto Saxophone [Uncredited] – Earl Warren*
Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone [Uncredited] – Jack Washington
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone [Uncredited] – Tab Smith
Double Bass [Uncredited] – Walter Page
Drums [Uncredited] – Joe Jones*
Guitar [Uncredited] – Freddy Green*
Piano, Directed By [Uncredited] – Count Basie
Tenor Saxophone [Uncredited] – Buddy Tate, Lester Young
Trombone [Uncredited] – Dan Minor, Dicky Wells*, Vic Dickenson
Trumpet [Uncredited] – Al Killian, Buck Clayton, Ed Lewis, Harry Edison
_Sources_:
Personel: https://www.discogs.com/release/9279011-Count-Basie-And-His-Orchestra-Evenin-Moten-Swing
To verify that this is the Okeh record: https://archive.org/details/78_evenin_count-basie-and-his-orchestra-james-rushing-parish-white_gbia0154200a
@johnwhitehead3360
Great Thank you
@ddre75
My favorite is on the Live at Newport album...It's so much...Always leaves me feeling just that!
@dst35bwl
Still the best version, Jimmy shouting away as the Basie Express tears away down the rails--on track, on time, every time. Great artwork, too.
@btruj2507
👍👍👍👍🎼🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵💜💜💜
@bizyz
different than from the newport version but still just as great as the great jimmy rushing.there will never be another like him.
@ddre75
Well, give me some time and I'll get around to posting it up in the next few days. I'll let you know.
@2KEKER2
Me too ! But can't find it on youtube...
@brucebartleson4592
Hate to spoil your fun. This is great, but there is a better version of this with Lester Young (not on this record), recorded in 1936 with Jo Jones, Carl Smith and Walter Page, and of course Basie, which is the classic of this song. Try to find it, you'll be surprised at the difference. Young soars on the 1936 version.
@denistonetiger5084
100%
Prez is my man - but his stay with Basie was way too short-lived!
@danieleswing1648
What you mean this tenor is not Lester??