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.
Good Time Blues
Count Basie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Good mornin' blues, blues
How do ya do?
Good mornin' blues, blues
How do ya do?
Well, I'm doing all right this morning
How are you?
Couldn't get outta my bed
Oh, I woke up this mornin'
Couldn't get you outta my bed
Went to eat my breakfast and
The blues was all in my bread
[Chorus]
Well, the blues ain't nothing but a poor working man feeling down
Lord, the blues ain't nothing but a poor working man feeling down
That's about the meagerest feeling I done ever had
[Chorus]
Sent for you yesterday
Here you come walking today (hey)
I sent for you yesterday
Here you come walking today
Yeah, your mouth's wide open
You don't know what to say
(I say)
Good morning blues, blues
How do you do? (yo yeah)
Well, good morning blues, blues
How do you do? (oh yeah)
Well, I'm doin' all right, blues
How are you?
Yeah
Count Basie and Joe Turner's song "Good Mornin' Blues" is a classic blues song that perfectly encapsulates the feeling of waking up with the blues in the morning. The song starts with the chorus, where the singer greets the blues and wonders how it's doing, acknowledging the powerlessness he feels in the face of the blues.
In the first verse, the singer describes waking up with the blues and feeling unable to get out of bed. He compares the blues to the bread he eats for breakfast, implying that the blues has infiltrated every aspect of his life. The second verse provides a definition of the blues as being the feeling of a poor working man feeling down, emphasizing the connection between the blues and the difficulty of life for working people.
Finally, in the last verse, the singer sends for someone, presumably a friend, to come over and help him feel better. However, when this person arrives, they are at a loss for what to say, indicating that the singer's blues may be too much for anyone to fix. Throughout the song, the repetition of the chorus is both a greeting and a reminder of the hold that the blues can have on a person.
Overall, "Good Mornin' Blues" is a powerful meditation on the feeling of waking up with the blues and the ways that it can permeate a person's whole life, affecting everything from their breakfast to their relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
[Chorus]
The song's chorus is simple and repetitive. It's just a greeting to the Blues, as if it's a person that the singer is talking to.
Good mornin' blues, blues
The singer is greeting the Blues in the morning, as if it's a person that's been with him all night.
How do ya do?
The singer is asking the Blues how it's doing, as if it's a person he's chatting with in the morning.
Well, I'm doing all right this morning
The singer replies to his own greeting and says he's doing fine this morning.
How are you?
The singer then asks the Blues how it's doing again, as if he really cares about its wellbeing.
I woke up this morning
The singer starts describing his morning and how it started.
Couldn't get outta my bed
The singer wasn't feeling motivated enough to get out of bed.
Oh, I woke up this mornin'
The singer repeats the first line to emphasize his point about how he was feeling.
Couldn't get you outta my bed
The singer is metaphorically comparing the Blues to a lover he couldn't get out of his bed.
Went to eat my breakfast and
The singer tried to go on with his morning routine, starting with eating his breakfast.
The blues was all in my bread
But even his breakfast was somehow tainted with the presence of the Blues. He couldn't escape it.
Well, the blues ain't nothing but a poor working man feeling down
The singer then tries to explain what the Blues is, in his own words. He thinks it's just a feeling of sadness that a poor working man experiences.
Lord, the blues ain't nothing but a poor working man feeling down
The singer repeats his previous line, as if to declare it as a fact that everyone should know.
That's about the meagerest feeling I done ever had
The singer then describes how he himself felt the Blues before, and how it's the worst feeling he's ever had.
[Chorus]
The song's chorus repeats itself again.
Sent for you yesterday
The singer changes the subject and mentions that he sent for someone the day before.
Here you come walking today (hey)
The person he sent for has arrived, and the singer is glad to see him.
Yeah, your mouth's wide open
But the person he sent for seems lost and unprepared to say or do anything.
You don't know what to say
The singer says it outright that the person he sent for is speechless and clueless.
(I say) Good morning blues, blues
Despite the awkwardness and confusion, the singer still greets the Blues as if it's also present with the person he sent for.
How do you do? (yo yeah)
The singer repeats his greeting to the Blues in the hopes that it might help his friend gather himself.
Well, good morning blues, blues
The singer then repeats the chorus again, signaling the end of the song.
How do you do? (oh yeah)
And again, he greets the Blues as if he's saying goodbye to a person he's been talking to all morning.
Well, I'm doin' all right, blues
The singer then finally says goodbye to the Blues and declares that he's feeling better now.
How are you?
But not before he asks the Blues one last time how it's doing.
Yeah
The song ends on a simple, optimistic note.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COUNT BASIE, EDDIE DURHAM, JAMES RUSHING, JAMES ANDREW RUSHING, WILLIAM COUNT BASIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jonathan Thekiso
Mr Basie the king at the helm! Supported by superstars. Mr Booty Wood is awesome. Mr Cleve Eaton is out of this world. Thanks for sharing this evergreen music🙏🏾
L'a Typic
Jazz as it should be, always...unpretentious, playful and joyful
themadaboutmusic
Time does slow him down a bit, but..... man, he still swings !
Jeffrey Craven
Love always to the memory of the Count Basie Orchestra and Phil Woods.
mitch wood
Cleveland Eaton on Bass Kickin Ass!!!
eromadrol
For all those who love Cleveland Cleve Eaton, here's another gem found on YT : type "Count Basie Band 75" ...and enjoy at 01:00ss !
Giovanni Di Meo
Basie's music is the best.
John Jensen
THE Word Best Big band Count Bssie ✊✊
Brad Sharp
Straight down IN DA' POCKET!!
Ryan
does anybody notice Basie sings along as he plays?