Basie in London


Basie in London is a 1956 live album by Count Basie and his orchestra, recorded in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Track listing

  1. "Jumpin' at the Woodside" – 3:38
  2. "Shiny Stockings" – 5:19
  3. "How High the Moon" – 3:37
  4. "Nails" – 6:24
  5. "Flute Juice" – 3:09
  6. "One O'Clock Jump" – 1:39
  7. "Alright, Okay, You Win" – 2:50
  8. "Roll 'Em Pete" – 2:32
  9. "The Comeback" – 4:08
  10. "Blues Backstage" – 4:27
  11. "Corner Pocket" – 4:45
  12. "Blee Blop Blues" – 2:26
  13. "Yesterdays" – 3:16
  14. "Untitled" – 5:11
  15. "Sixteen Men Swinging" – 2:48
  16. "Plymouth Rock" – 6:11

    Personnel

;The Count Basie Orchestra:
The album was recorded live in Gothenburg, Sweden, on September 7, 1956, during a tour that did not involve any UK dates due to the ongoing AFM/MU dispute between the American Federation of Musicians and the British Musicians' Union. It was released to capitalise on the extensive string of UK tour dates during the spring of 1957. It also helped the Basie Band to catch up in Britain, preparing the ground for the forthcoming 'Atomic' recordings.
The Basie Was Here EP featuring part of the same cover shot was released for the same purpose, as had been the Basie's Back in Town EP. The latter's sleeve note name checks the April 1957 British dates despite none of these tunes being from the tour.
The cover shot was taken outside the Lambeth Walk Public House, an Ind Coope pub in Lambeth Road, South London. The photograph itself was taken after a matinee concert at the Royal Festival Hall while the band were waiting for their evening gig at the Ritz Hotel, London|Ritz Hotel] in the evening, on April 13, 1957.
The couple arm in arm with Basie on the LP sleeve, according to Al Ryan of BBC Radio 3 Jazz Now, were David and Janet Woodhead. Janet was a pub pianist and played in the Lambeth Walk pub.
The Lambeth Walk ceased trading as a pub in 2010, though the building is still there at 17 Lambeth Road.