Early years
Count Basie arrived in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1927 playing on the Theater Owners Bookers Association (TOBA) circuit.[1] After playing with the Blue Devils, he joined rival band leader Bennie Moten's band. Upon Moten's death, Basie left the group to start his own band, taking many of his colleagues from the Moten band with him. This nine-piece group consisted of Joe Keyes and Oran 'Hot Lips' Page on trumpet, Buster Smith and Jack Washington on alto saxophone, Lester Young on tenor saxophone, Dan Minor on trombone, and a rhythm section made up of Jo Jones on drums, Walter Page on bass and Basie himself on piano. With this band, then named 'The Barons of Rhythm', Basie brought the sound of the infamous and highly competitive Kansas City 'jam session' to club audiences, coupling extended improvised solos with riff-based accompaniments from the band. The group's first venue was the Reno Club in Kansas City, later moving to the Grand Terrace in Chicago.
When music critic and record producer John Hammond heard the band on a 1936 radio broadcast, he sought them out and offered Basie the chance to expand the group to the standard 13-piece big band line up. He also presented the opportunity to move the group to New York in order to play at venues such as the Roseland Ballroom. Basie agreed, hoping that with this new band he could retain the freedom and spirit inherent in the Kansas City style of his nine-piece.
The band, which now included Buck Clayton on trumpet and famous blues 'shouter' Jimmy Rushing, demonstrate this style in their first recordings with the Decca label in January 1937: in pieces such as 'Roseland Shuffle' we can hear that the soloists are at the foreground with the ensemble effects and riffs playing a strictly functional backing role. This was a fresh big band sound for New York, contrasting the complex jazz writing of Duke Ellington and Sy Oliver and highlighting the difference in styles that had emerged between the east and west coasts.
In New York
Following the first recording session the band's line up was reshuffled, with some of players being replaced on the request of Hammond as part of a 'strengthening' of the band. Trumpeters Ed Lewis and Bobby Moore replaced Keyes and Smith, and alto saxophonist Coughey Roberts was replaced by Earl Warren. Significantly, March 1937 saw the arrival of guitarist Freddie Green, who replaced Claude Williams to complete one of the most respected rhythm sections in big band history. Billie Holiday also sang with the band during this period, although never recorded with them.
Hits such as "One O'clock Jump" and "Jumpin' at the Woodside" (from 1937 and 1938 respectively) helped to gain the band, now known as the 'Count Basie Orchestra', national and international fame. These tunes were what was known as 'head-arrangements'; not scored in individual parts but made up of riffs memorised by the band's members. Although some of the band's players, such as trombonist Eddie Durham, did contribute their own written arrangements at this time, it was these 'head-arrangements' that captured the imagination of the audience in New York and communicated the spirit of the band's members.
In 1938, Helen Humes joined the group, replacing Billie Holiday as the female singer. She sang mostly pop ballads, including "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" and "Blame it on my Last Affair", acting as a gentle contrast to the blues style of Jimmy Rushing.
The Forties
As time went on, the band became increasingly dependent on arrangers to provide its music. These varied from players within the band, such as Eddie Durham and Buck Clayton, to professional arrangers from outside the group, who could bring their own character to band with each new piece. External arranger Andy Gibson brought the band's harmonic style closer to the forward looking music of Duke Ellington, with arrangements from 1940 such as "I Never Knew" and "Louisiana" introducing increased chromaticism to the band's music. Tab Smith also contributed important arrangements at this time such as "Harvard Blues", and others including Buster Harding and veteran arranger Jimmy Mundy also expanded the group's repertoire at this time.
However, this influx of new arrangements led to a gradual change in the band's sound, distancing the group musically from its West Coast roots. Rather than structuring the music around the soloists with memorised 'head arrangements' and riffs, the group's sound at this time became more focused on ensemble playing; closer to the traditional East Coast big band sound. This can be attributed to the increasing reliance on arrangers to assert their own character on to the band with their music; an indicator perhaps that Basie's ideal of a big band sized group with the flexibility and spirit of his original Kansas City 8-piece was not to last.[9]
The World War II years saw some of the key members of the band leave: drummer Jo Jones and tenor saxophone player Lester Young were both conscripted in 1944, leading to the hiring of drummers such as Buddy Rich and extra tenor saxophonists including Illinois Jacquet, Paul Gonzalves and Lucky Thompson. Some, such as musicologist Gunther Schuller, have claimed that when Jo Jones left he took some of the smooth and relaxed style of the band with him, due to his replacements, such as Sonny Payne, drumming a lot louder and therefore raising the whole dynamic of the band to a 'harder, more clamorous brass sound'.[10] The ban on instrumental recordings of 1942 to 44 had a financial impact on the Count Basie Orchestra, as it did on all big bands in America, and despite taking on new soloists such as Wardell Gray, Basie was forced to temporarily disband the group for a short period in 1948, before dispersing again for two years in 1950. For these two years Basie led a reduced band of between 6 and 9 people, featuring players such as Buddy Rich, Serge Chaloff and Buddy DeFranco.
The 'Second Testament'
Basie reformed the jazz orchestra in 1952 for a series of tours, not only in America but also in Europe in 1954 and Japan in 1963. The band also released new recordings; some featuring guest singers such as Joe Williams, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, and all reliant on music provided by arrangers, some of whom are now synonymous with the Basie band: Neal Hefti, Quincy Jones and Sammy Nestico to name a few. This new band became known as 'The Second Testament'., and achieved a new surge of popularity with albums such as 1958's 'The Atomic Mr. Basie' With this album and others of the late fifties, such as April in Paris and Basie Plays Hefti, we can hear the epitome of the new Count Basie Orchestra sound, thanks largely to the work of the aforementioned arrangers. The sound of the band was now that of a tight ensemble: heavier and full bodied, and a contrast to the riff based band of the late thirties and early forties. Whereas previously the emphasis had been on providing space for exemplary soloists such as Lester Young and Buck Clayton, now the focus had shifted to the arrangements themselves, despite the presence of notable soloists such as trumpeter Thad Jones and saxophonist Frank Foster. This orchestral style was to remain the typical sound of the band, even up to the present day; a fact that has attracted criticism from some musicologists, notably Gunther Schuller who, in his book 'The Swing Era', described the group as 'perfected neo-classicism...a most glorious dead end'.
The Continuing Band
After Basie's death in 1984, the band has continued to play under the direction of some of the players he had hired, including Eric Dixon, Thad Jones, Frank Foster, Grover Mitchell, Bill Hughes, and now drummer and arranger Dennis Mackrel. It continues to release new recordings, for example Basie is Back from 2006 which features new recordings of classic tunes from the Basie Orchestra's back catalogue, including "April in Paris" and even the band's early hit "One O'clock Jump". The group also continues to produce notable collaborations, such as with singer Ray Charles in Ray Sings, Basie Swings of 2006, and with arranger Allyn Ferguson on the 1999 album Swing Shift.
www.basieband.com
Crying Time
The Count Basie Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can see that far away look in your eyes
I can tell by the way you hold me darlin' oooh
That it won't be long before it's cryin' time
Now they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder (fonder)
And that tears are only rain to make love grow
Well my love for you could never grow no stronger (stronger)
Oh, it's cryin' time again, you're gonna leave me
I can see that far away look in your eyes
I can tell by the way you hold me darlin'. Yeah now
That it won't be long before it's cryin' time
Now you say you've found someone that you love better (better)
That's the way it's happened every time before
And as sure as the sun comes up tomorrow ('morrow)
Cryin' time will start when you walk out the door
Oh, it's cryin' time again, you're gonna leave me
I can see that far away look in your eyes
I can tell by the way you hold me darlin'. Alright now
That it won't be long before it's cryin' time
(That it won't be long before it's cryin' time)
The Count Basie Orchestra's song "Crying Time" is a heart-wrenching ballad that lays bare the emotions of a lover who knows that it's only a matter of time before their partner leaves them. The singer can already sense that their partner is on the verge of leaving because of the distance they see in their partner's eyes. Even the way their partner holds them has changed, and it's like a premonition for what is to come - more crying times.
The lyrics explore the idea that absence can make the heart grow fonder, but in this case, it's only causing more pain. The lover knows that their love for their partner cannot grow any stronger than it already has. The song creates a sense of inescapable doom, as the lover knows that their partner will leave them for someone else, just like they have done in the past. All the lover can do is brace themselves and wait for crying time to start again.
In conclusion, "Crying Time" is a poignant song that speaks to the deep emotional pain of a lover who knows they will soon be alone again. The lyrics capture the inevitability of heartbreak and the helplessness of being unable to stop it.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, it's cryin' time again, you're gonna leave me
The singer acknowledges that it's time for tears again because their partner is preparing to depart.
I can see that far away look in your eyes
The singer perceives a look of detachment and disinterest in their partner's eyes.
I can tell by the way you hold me darlin' oooh
Through their partner's embrace, the singer senses that their love for each other is waning.
That it won't be long before it's cryin' time
The singer knows it won't be long before their emotions overflow and tears start to fall.
Now they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder (fonder)
The singer acknowledges a common adage that suggests that love strengthens in absence.
And that tears are only rain to make love grow
The singer believes that tears, like rain, help to nourish and strengthen love.
Well my love for you could never grow no stronger (stronger)
The singer insists that their love for their partner is already immense and could never increase further.
If I lived to be a hundred years old
The singer emphasizes that no amount of time could increase their love for their partner any more than it already is.
Now you say you've found someone that you love better (better)
The singer's partner claims to have found someone they love more than the singer.
That's the way it's happened every time before
The singer highlights a pattern of their partner leaving them for someone else in the past.
And as sure as the sun comes up tomorrow ('morrow)
The singer is certain that their partner's leaving will trigger another bout of intense emotional pain and crying.
Cryin' time will start when you walk out the door
The singer knows that tears will start to flow once their partner has gone.
Oh, it's cryin' time again, you're gonna leave me
The singer repeats the opening line of the song to reaffirm that their partner is about to depart, and tears will follow.
I can see that far away look in your eyes
The singer reiterates that their partner's eyes reveal a lack of connection and an imminent separation.
I can tell by the way you hold me darlin'. Yeah now
Through their partner's embrace, the singer can sense that their love is fading and the end is near.
That it won't be long before it's cryin' time
The singer repeats the refrain to emphasize that the departure and the resulting tears will occur soon.
(That it won't be long before it's cryin' time)
The singer repeats the last line of the song to end with a warning that the tears will soon flow.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, BEACHAVEN MUSIC CORPORATION
Written by: BUCK OWENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
diegodobini2
R̲a̲y̲ ̲C̲h̲a̲r̲l̲e̲s̲ ̲+̲ ̲T̲h̲e̲ ̲C̲o̲u̲n̲t̲ ̲B̲a̲s̲i̲e̲ ̲O̲r̲c̲h̲e̲s̲t̲r̲a̲̲–̲ ̲R̲a̲y̲ ̲S̲i̲n̲g̲s̲ ̲-̲ ̲B̲a̲s̲i̲e̲ ̲S̲w̲i̲n̲g̲s̲ ̲(̲2̲0̲0̲6̲)̲
Label:Telarc Surround – SACD-63679, Hear Music – SACD-63679, Concord Records – SACD-63679
Format:SACD, Hybrid, Album, Multichannel, Collector's Edition
Country:US
Released:2007
Genre:Jazz
Style:Swing
Tracklist:
1 Oh, What A Beautiful Morning 0:00:00
2 Let The Good Times Roll 0:04:38
3 How Long Has This Been Going On? 0:07:37
4 Every Saturday Night 0:13:58
5 Busted 0:18:06
6 Crying Time 0:20:42
7 I Can't Stop Loving You 0:24:37
8 Come Live With Me 0:28:41
9 Feel So Bad 0:32:53
10 The Long And Winding Road 0:37:05
11 Look What They've Done To My Song 0:41:10
12 Georgia On My Mind 0:44:02
Credits
Co-producer – Joe Adams, John Burk
Directed By [T̲h̲e̲ ̲C̲o̲u̲n̲t̲ ̲B̲a̲s̲i̲e̲ ̲O̲r̲c̲h̲e̲s̲t̲r̲a̲] – Bill Hughes
Producer – Gregg Field
Notes
Stereo & Discrete 5-Channel Surround
Source Recording Format: 24-Bit, 96kHZ PCM
claudio cerri
Track listing[edit]
"Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" (Oscar Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers) – 4:35
"Let the Good Times Roll" (Sam Theard, Fleecie Moore) – 2:57
"How Long Has This Been Going On?" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 6:19
"Every Saturday Night" (Jerry West, Silas Hogan) – 4:05
"Busted" (Harlan Howard) – 2:35
"Crying Time" (Buck Owens) – 3:53
"I Can't Stop Loving You" (Don Gibson) – 4:02
"Come Live with Me" (Felice Bryant, Boudleaux Bryant) – 4:10
"Feel So Bad" (James Johnson, Leslie Temple) – 4:10
"The Long and Winding Road" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 4:04
"Look What They've Done to My Song (Melanie Safka) – 2:51
"Georgia on My Mind" (Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorrell) – 4:40
Jon G
Bless you, Sir..