The Basie band as a unit secured a place for itself as one of the greatest and most distinctive big bands of all time. In the 30-odd years that the Basie band spent recording, the full excitement of its in-person sound was never reproduced with such clarity and accuracy as in the sessions at hand. The heft and thrust of the Basie machine are the salient features on the two albums included in this CD, comprising of Broadway and Hollywood standards with a Basie twist. Chico O Farrill did all the arrangements, and proved that he knew how to use the powerhouse brass section, how to leave proper space for soloists, and how to let the Basie rhythm section glow with its special inner fire. Basie s way has been the swinging way for generations of musicians... and here it s even Basier than anything you have ever heard before.