Hi to all,

Don't worry I am not trying to sell you autographs.

As you know I also deal in vintage signatures etc and recently someone asked me to sell their Big Band Collection
of autographs that she obtained as a usherette - mic set up person. She was able to obtain all the autographs of the great bands during the l946-l948, she was about 16 years old than.

I thought you might enjoy seeing this and hearing the story behind these Count Basie items.
The opening song by Count Basie features their guitarist, Freddie Green playing background rhythm and a few riffs here and there. All the great jazz legends signatures are here You won't see this again.

I think you will enjoy this. Be sure to click on the interview I had with the owner of the autographs - great stuff.

Now - if only I could get my Technics keyboard to sound this good!!!

Click here:

( http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=150334195137 )

Best,

Walt Tenay
Walt Tenay Keyboard Studios
Rutherfordton, NC 28139

Gee Walt!!!
Three days and not a comment.
Where are all those music lovers?
Superb rendition by a very accomplished band of musicians, and not a note of music to be seen. Oh !! if I were only half as good as they.
I would love to have been in Carol's shoes in that era.
Off to practice now...and as someone keeps saying "one two cha cha cha"
Ray
P.S. To hell with the autographs, keep the music playing.

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Ray The Saint

Perhaps this is why Ray - this is an extract from Wikipedia about Count Basie.

Post war and later years
The big band era appeared to be over after the war, and Basie disbanded the group. For awhile, he performed in combos, sometimes stretched to an orchestra, until he re-formed his group as a 16-piece orchestra in 1952. Basie credits Billy Eckstine, a top male vocalist of the time, for prompting his return to Big Band and Norman Granz for getting him into the Birdland club and promoting the new band through recordings on the Mercury, Clef, and Verve labels.[48] The jukebox era had begun and Basie shared the exposure along with early rock'n'roll and rhythm and blues artists. Basie's new band was more of an ensemble group, with fewer solo turns, and relying less on “head” and more on written arrangements.

p.s. Yer don't need sheet music with 12 bar blues which is what the band on the video were playing...


[This message has been edited by RMepstead (edited 03-25-2009).]

Thanks Walt for that 'Heads-Up' - some nice stuff there
I had the good fortune back in the 80s, to attend a live concert of The Count's band, here in UK and I still rate it as one of the best musical experiences of my life.

Lots of Count Basie video clips are available on YouTube......

The Band in full cry here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xyD4CEtpRc&feature=related

For some sheer magic, watch this video clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIs1vcoPQbw&feature=related
Count Basie and Oscar Peterson on a pair of huge Bosendorfer Pianos back to back, accompanied by Martin Drew on Drums and one of the world's finest Double Bass players, Niels-Henning Pedersen.

Enjoyed that video of Basie and Peterson.

Wish I could have been there.

Talk about the variety of big bands, I just listed some Spike Jones "stuff". We sure
have some strange taste in music.

Regards,

Walt

Walt, I don't know what your problem is, I sound like that all the time!!!!!!.
Roger, your reference to age on my post, is probably more appropriate here. BTW, I cannot play more than two bars of Chopsticks without some paper in front of me.
See Ya !! Ray

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Ray The Saint

For our younger viewers in case they dont know, Spike Jones at his best.

http://s172.photobucket.com/albums/w34/keys2240/?action=view¤t=spike.flv


Walt

Hiya Grandad
Spike's great - so is Eric http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP8TUe993uo
Rog

Now THAT has got to be one of the all time classic musical sketches - and I use the term 'musical' loosely
I remember seeing the original on UK TV and absolutely fell about laughing!

Morecambe and Wise were comedy geniuses....