Friday, 13 September 2024

Kay Starr And Count Basie

How About This is an album by vocalist Kay Starr and pianist and bandleader Count Basie, released in 1969 by the Paramount Records label. 

How About This is superb because the song choices were smart and pop giant Starr  was really a closet jazz singer, as evidenced on Capitol's Jazz Singer (1960) and I Cry By Night (1961). Like Patti Page, Starr was a tremendous singing talent who wound up entangled in pop's netting and, for personal economic reasons, worked for bland producers charged with making treacly easy-listening hit singles and albums for suburbia. When she occasionally escaped pop's cage, Starr proved herself to be as good as any jazz belter.On this album, Basie's band wraps around Starr's bluesy, after-hours phrasing like a stole. In addition, Starr is firmly in charge; Dick Hyman's band arrangements wisely just tag along. What I love most is that Starr and Basie speak the same bluesy language. (Thanks to Marc Myers of Jazz Wax For The Above edited comments)

1. I Get The Blues When It Rains
2. God Bless The Child
3. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
4. Ain't No Use
5. Keep Smiling At Trouble
6. If I Could Be With You
7. My Man
8. Halelujah I Just Love Him So
9. I Can't Stop Loving You
10. Goodtime Girl
11. Cottage For Sale

          9. I Can't Stop Loving You

4 comments:

  1. Two Great Artists Together...Makes a lot Of good listening !
    Enjoy !

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  2. Thank you,good music.

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    Replies
    1. Written in another language and translated to English using Google Translate.

      An annoying high-pitched voice can be heard throughout this album.

      There are two explanations, either there should have been a ground wire between the record player and the amplifier, but there wasn't.

      Or that there shouldn't have been a ground wire between the record player and the amplifier, but such a wire was connected between the record player and the amplifier anyway.

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    2. I have just downloaded the file and listened to it and did not find any other voice on it only Kay Starr's...I wonder if the person who wrote this comment is familiar with Kay's very distinctive voice !...If anybody who has also downloaded this and has the same problem please let me know so i can perhaps Re-Record it ...Cheers....Luigi

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