The
Masters of American Music series is incredibly well produced, with clean archival photographs, recorded live appearances, and current-day interview sessions. The
Count Basie - Swingin' the Blues edition gives viewers a look inside the swing machine that was and continues to be the Basie Band. It's amazing to reflect on seven or so decades of live touring by this band, with no sign of stopping even after Basie's death. The justification for this renown are clearly set out in
Swingin' the Blues, a treat for both established and new fans. By way of background for jazz novices, the driving principles behind big bands tend to follow one of two evolutionary ladders. Groups either strive for the complexity and depth of Duke Ellington, or model themselves after the danceable simplicity of Count Basie. The origins of Basie's style are made clear, as
Swingin' the Blues follows his musical journey from Red Bank, NJ to the blues crucible of Kansas City. A stint with Bennie Moten, a few pick-up bands, and a trip to New York were all it took in the end to get the attention of people like jazz promoter John Hammond and catapult Basie to national stages.
Swingin' the Blues goes on to document Basie's flirtation with retirement, after the big band craze diminished in post-war years, and his eventual resurgence. The later Basie Band featured several new musicians and musical collaborators, notably Frank Foster, Neil Hefti, and Frank Sinatra. The tail end of this show highlight's Basie's commitment to playing, touring, and creating a legacy that continues to this day. It's a very inspirational story in any context, but such longevity stands in stark contrast to the "here-today, gone-tomorrow" climate for modern-day pop music celebrities.
Peeling the layers back on what made Basie such a fascinating person, Masters of American Music offers recorded, present-day video interviews with musicians like Harry "Sweets" Edison, Buddy Tate, and Joe Williams. Much of this material is presented as musicians sitting around a table, sipping wine, and talking about their experiences with Basie. You feel as if you are in the room, and the unrehearsed quality of these segments is priceless. There are also lots of short, archival video clips presented of Basie speaking as a guest on television, or shown in concert with his band. Whether from modern periods like a performance with Judy Garland or old footage from the Roseland Ballroom, Swingin' the Blues lets the camera run long enough to give a real feeling of the power and showmanship of Basie. Several extended segments on notable soloists, like Lester Young, Jimmy Rushing, and Joe Williams are presented, but the focus is always squarely on the overall band and the man leading it. We also like how Masters of American Music leaves speculation and rumor by the wayside, to focus on a compressed recounting of Basie's upbringing and early life in music. This isn't the "E! Hollywood Story" segment on Basie, after all! The celebrity of jazz musicians is a thing of the past, but fans of the art form can recapture what amounted to several decades of passion and adoration for swing, hop, blues, and jazz in its many forms. As Basie himself points out in a segment during the film, his friend Duke Ellington will be remembered largely for his contribution as a composer and arranger, but Basie will also be remembered for doing what is perfectly stated in the title, Swingin' the Blues. Highly recommended.
