Count Basie - Me And You / LP Analogue Productions

Count Basie sat at the piano in front of the band that had been his natural environment for more than half a century, almost until the very end. The American jazz musician, who played a decisive role in shaping the term “swing,” recorded “Me And You” a little over a year before his death.

Basie, who frequently visited Pablo Studios in his final decades to work with combos of varying sizes, divided the performances between his big band, which featured Sonny Cohn (trumpet), Bill Hughes and Grover Mitchell (trombone), Cleaveland Eaton (bass) and Dennis Mackrel (drums),

among others, and a small group. The latter consisted of the talented young trumpeter Bob Summers, the experienced trombonist Booty Wood and saxophonists Eric Dixon and Chris Woods. Whether in a large or small ensemble, Basie and guitarist Freddie Green formed the heart of the whole

and, thanks in part to the arrangements of conductor Ernie Wilkins, elevated the swing to a level that has never been reached again since their deaths.

As part of the “Pablo Reissue Series,” Analogue Productions now honors this jazz gem with a sonically outstanding reissue, lovingly mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab. The LP, pressed on 180-gram vinyl by industry leader Quality Record Pressings (QRP) and cut at 33 RPM,

comes in an tip-on pocket jacket by Stoughton Printing.

We recommend the use of "L'Art du Son" LP cleaner to wet wash your vinyl. Even new records of high quality production will benefit from this.

Title

Side A

1. Mr. Softie

2. Moten Swing

3. She's Funny That Way

4. Right On, Right On

Side B

1. Me And You

2. Crip

3. Bridge Work

4. Easy Living