In this edition of the Kansas City 7, Count Basie included three stalwarts of his Pablo adventures and three new to his small band efforts. Lockjaw Davis, Joe Pass, and John Heard had been along on several jams. But Freddie Hubbard and Jake Hanna were newcomers to the setting, and J. J. Johnson had rarely encountered Basie since his days 35 years earlier as a very young trombonist in the big band. No matter; Basie had a way of coalescing any collection of accomplished musicians into a unit that sounded as if its members had been on the road together every night for weeks. Here, the meeting of styles and generations produced music of classic Count Basie smoothness and swing.

Jaylock, Exactly Like You, I'll Always Be in Love with You, If I Could Be with You One Hour Tonight, Honi Coles, Blues for Norman, plus CD bonus track Count Me In

with J.J. Johnson, Freddie Hubbard, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Joe Pass, John Heard, Jake Hanna