Benny Goodman Sextet - Live at Basin Street East

This performance was recorded by Goodman himself during a July 1954 engagement at the Basin Street East jazz club, in New York. This particular sextet had been formed for a tour (which was later canceled) with Louis Armstrong's All Stars in the spring of 1953.

Although all of the band members were superb musicians, the most interesting pairing here is that of Benny and trumpeter Charlie Shavers. A veteran of the Swing era, Shavers had extensive experience with both small groups (John Kirby) and big bands (Tommy Dorsey). This superb session brings us 19 tracks of great music by an otherwise unrecorded Benny Goodman sextet.


Tracklisting:

01. After Youve Gone
02. Body and Soul
03. Nice Work If You Can Get It
04. The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
05. Avalon
06. Dark Eyes
07. Dont Be That Way
08. How High The Moon
09. One OClock Jump
10. I Found A New Baby
11. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
12. Runnin Wild
13. Liza
14. Exactly Like You
15. Someday, Sweetheart
16. China Boy
17. Piano Interlude
18. Our Love Is Here To Stay
19. Thats A Plenty

Total time: 74:18 min.


Personnel on all tracks: Benny Goodman (cl), Charlie Shavers (tp), Mel Powell (p), Steve Jordan (g), Israel Crosby (b) and Morey Feld (d). Recorded live at Basin Street East, New York, July 1954.


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Notes:

"Goodman and Shavers shine in this live recording, a true gem and nearly the only testimony of this outstanding swing combo!"

Richard Heffner -Jazz FM


"Mostly enjoyable, though I would have been happier with less by the threesome and certainly with a good deal more of Charlie Shaver's trumpet."

Bert Whyatt -Jazz Journal