Small Group Brilliance in 1962
One of Count Basie's few small-group sessions of the '60s was his best.
In 1962, Count Basie stepped away from his big band to lead a tight ensemble into the studio for Impulse!. The session brought together Joe Pass on guitar, Willie Cook on trumpet, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson on alto saxophone, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen on double bass, and Louie Bellson on drums. This was deliberate downsizing—a chance for Basie to work in the conversational intimacy of a small group, where every player had room to breathe and respond.
What emerged was lean and swinging. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow singled it out as one of Basie's strongest small-group recordings of the decade. In DownBeat's October 1962 review, Leonard Feather gave it 4.5 stars, recognizing the caliber of the playing. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings awarded it three out of four stars. These were not casual endorsements—they reflected genuine respect for how well the band clicked.
If you know Basie mainly from his orchestra records, this one is worth tracking down. It strips away the section work and the big-band machinery to show what he could do when the group was small enough that silence mattered as much as sound. It's a different kind of Basie, and on this evidence, a necessary one.
Who's playing
Niels‐Henning Ørsted Pedersendouble bass
Count Basiepiano
Joe Passguitar
Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinsonalto saxophone
Willie Cooktrumpet
Louie Bellsondrums
Where next?
More by Count Basie
The Atomic Mr. Basie 1958
First Time! The Count Meets the Duke 1961
Arthur Prysock / Count Basie 1966
Sammy Davis & Count Basie: Our Shining Hour 1965
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time