WELCOME TO LPCDREISSUES
• Start with the nucleus of the late 1950s Count Basie Orchestra (minus the Count), add a number of the most important and eminent jazz greats of the same era and what you end up with is the Leiber-Stoller Big Band.
• The success of last year’s Alan Freed Big Band compilation set Ace’s A&R detectives off on a quest to find similar projects that successfully blended R&B and jazz and that will appeal to fans of either genre. Our first port of call was this 1960 Atlantic album which, despite the (very) famous names involved, has been out of print for more than 45 years.
• With Basie perennials like Freddie Greene, Frank Foster, Ernie Royal, Thad Jones and Sonny Payne augmented by guitarist Kenny Burrell and - standing in for the Count - Ellis Larkins and Hank Jones on piano, the musicianship here is exceptional. Mike Stoller’s often radical rearrangements of 11 of his and and writing partner Jerry Leiber’s most famous 50s rockers give plenty of space for these great musicians to put their own stamp on the classics they penned for the Coasters, Little Willie Littlefield, Big Mama Thornton and, of course, Elvis Presley.
• Beautifully recorded (by future studio legend Phil Ramone) and perfectly played, “Yakety Yak” offers big band business with a considerable crossover appeal. Its long unavailability, and the hands-on involvement of the Godfathers of rock’n’roll songwriting, reinforce its desirability and will surely guarantee sales.
• Nice sleeve, too.
Track listing:
1. YAKETY YAK 2. LOVING YOU 3. BLACK DENIM TOUSERS AND MOTORCYCLE BOOTS 4. BAZOOM (I NEED YOUR LOVING) 5. POISON IVY 6. KC LOVING aka KANSAS CITY 7. JAILHOUSE ROCK 8. SMOKEY JOE’S CAFÉ 9. DON’T 10. CHARLIE BROWN 11. HOUND DOG "
