1974 · Album
The Bosses
Recorded 1973 · Pablo · Produced by Not specified in source material
When the Bosses Met Their Match
Turner was on top form, proving his voice still had plenty of power left.
The Bosses arrived in 1973 without fanfare, a straightforward pairing of two blues and swing legends in the studio. It wasn't the kind of release that sparked immediate critical conversation or launched a thousand liner notes. But when AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow got around to assessing it, he recognized what had happened: a genuinely strong late-period record from "Big Joe" Turner, awarded a full four stars. That recognition mattered because Turner was deep into his career by then, well past the point where anyone expected fresh fire.
What made the album work was simplicity. Turner's voice—that instrument that had belted out blues standards for decades—hadn't lost its grit or its ability to command a room. Yanow specifically flagged his performances on "Night Time Is the Right Time," "Wee Baby Blues," and "Roll 'Em Pete," all tracks where Turner's shouting delivery found ideal company in Count Basie's leadership. The small group setting meant there was nowhere to hide; Turner had to deliver, and he did.
This wasn't a comeback album or a reinvention. It was an older artist doing exactly what he'd always done—singing the blues hard—with a bandleader who understood that sound completely. The Bosses works precisely because nobody involved was trying to prove anything beyond the basic fact that these musicians still had the goods. For listeners curious about Turner's later work, this is the record that suggests he never really declined.
Who's playing
Ray Browndouble bass
Count Basiepiano
Irving Ashbyguitar
Eddie “Lockjaw” Davistenor saxophone
Harry “Sweets” Edisontrumpet
J.J. Johnsontrombone
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