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
I Can't Stop Loving You
The Count Basie Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the morning
On the early train
I could say everything's alright
I could pretend and say good bye
Got your ticket
Got your suitcase
I could say that's the way it goes
I could pretend and you won't know
That I was lying
'Cause I can't stop loving you
I can't stop loving you
No, I can't stop loving you
Though I try
Took a taxi
To the station
Not a word was said
I saw you walk across the road
Maybe the last time, I don't know
Feeling humble
I heard a rumble
On the railway track
And when I hear the whistle blow
I walk away and you don't know
That I was lying
'Cause I can't stop loving you
No, I can't stop loving you
I can't stop loving you
Though I try
'Cause I can't stop loving you
I can't stop loving you
No, I can't stop loving you
Though I try
The Count Basie Orchestra's "I Can't Stop Loving You" is a poignant and heartfelt ballad about love and loss. The song centers around the singer's internal struggle to come to terms with the fact that his lover is leaving him on an early train the next morning. He tries to put on a brave face and pretend that everything is okay, but deep down inside he knows he can't stop loving her. The lyrics paint a picture of a brokenhearted man standing on a train platform watching his lover leave, feeling helpless and vulnerable.
The song's imagery is powerful and moving, highlighting the singer's sense of loss and longing. He watches as his lover walks across the road, knowing that she may never come back. The chorus is particularly moving, as the singer repeats the refrain "I can't stop loving you" over and over again, trying to convince himself that he can move on, but failing miserably. The final verse is particularly haunting, as the singer hears the whistle blow and walks away, knowing that he may never see his lover again.
Overall, "I Can't Stop Loving You" is a beautiful and emotional song that captures the pain and heartache of losing a love. The Count Basie Orchestra's arrangement is lush and evocative, adding an extra layer of poignancy to the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
So you're leaving
You'll be departing soon
In the morning
You'll be leaving early
On the early train
You'll be departing via a morning train
I could say everything's alright
I could pretend that everything is okay
I could pretend and say good bye
I could put up a facade and say farewell
Got your ticket
You have obtained your train ticket
Got your suitcase
You have packed your luggage
Got your leaving smile
You possess a smile of departure
I could say that's the way it goes
I could make a statement that this is the normal course of events
I could pretend and you won't know
I could deceive you and you'd be unaware
That I was lying
That my words would be untruthful
'Cause I can't stop loving you
I am incapable of ceasing my affection for you
No, I can't stop loving you
I am completely unable to halt my love for you
Though I try
Despite my efforts
Took a taxi
I traveled by a hired automobile
To the station
Arriving at the train station
Not a word was said
No dialogue took place
I saw you walk across the road
I observed you traverse the street
Maybe the last time, I don't know
Possibly the final interaction, I am uncertain
Feeling humble
I am experiencing humility
I heard a rumble
A noise caught my attention
On the railway track
The noise was originating from the train tracks
And when I hear the whistle blow
As I hear the sound of the train whistle
I walk away and you don't know
I depart without your knowledge
That I was lying
That my words would have been dishonest
'Cause I can't stop loving you
I am incapable of halting my love for you
No, I can't stop loving you
I am completely unable to cease my affection for you
Though I try
Despite my efforts
'Cause I can't stop loving you
I am unable to put an end to my affection for you
I can't stop loving you
My emotions for you are unwavering
No, I can't stop loving you
I am completely incapable of terminating my love for you
Though I try
Despite my attempts
Lyrics Ā© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DON GIBSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@richardbosco2960
Classy jazz band full of swing. Exceptional talent with high octane brass musicians
@philpryor7524
What can one say, except that the Basie band, in live jazz, had an exeptional superior quality of gorgeous performance above all others...
@scottnownow
Sublime
@diankreczmer6595
Love this rendition because it is so jivey to dance to. š¶
@jefft022
Basie was one of a kind. Love this!
@geo752
The double bass rocks the whole tune , brilliant
@nicowohl8173
Hot damn that swings!
@Johnnycdrums
Yeah!
@founboy78
This is the best recording of this playing this
@asquare9316
I played this song with my high school jazz band back in the 70's. Similar or same arrangement, but we played at a slower, and IMO, more soulful, tempo.
Basie band is totally amazing, obv. Thanks for this.