She’s Just My Size
CD Classics 1446
I was lucky to be able to hear the two most famous big bands in the world when I was very young. Duke Ellington and Count Basie had in common total control over their orchestras.
Here we have Basie’s orchestra from 1954, when they just returned from their first successful tour in Europe, including several wonderful concerts in Sweden.
Unfortunately, for contractual reasons, they did not make any studio recordings on the trip, but some live documentation bears witness to their top form.
The tune features a flute solo and one coming from the trumpet section. I will not guess who plays what, and I think that the most important is the ensemble with sharp brass, a very full-sounding sax section, and a lightly swinging rhythm group, all trade marks of Basies great band described as “relaxed perfection.”
Ernie Wilkins wrote the arrangement and is also the composer of the tune.