Ed Richardson Big Band play Count Basie

With rock ’n’ roll eclipsing big bands by the ’50s, even the greatest of bandleaders faced a period of reassessment, and Bill “Count” Basie was no exception. Thankfully Norman Granz and Verve Records did much to extend Basie’s reign in the post-war period. And with the arrival of fresh band members—very fine composer-arrangers among them—Basie’s “New Testament” period was off and running.  April in Paris is one of those rare albums that makes its mark as an almost instant classic in the jazz pantheon. It represents the reassembly of the original Count Basie orchestra that defines swing in the 1930s and 1940s. The title track has come to define elegance in orchestral jazz. Recorded in 1955 and 1956, April in Paris proved Count Basie's ability to grow through modern jazz changes while keeping the traditional jazz orchestra vital and alive.  

Ed Richardson is one of the leading UK jazz drummers of his generation and can be seen most often at Ronnie Scott's Club as an in-demand house drummer including the monthly Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra and one of the drummers for the All-Stars and Club Quintet; he can be seen playing regularly at the club with Ray Gelato & the Giants, Georgie Fame with the Guy Barker Big Band, Callum Au Big Band, Sunday lunches, Upstairs@Ronnie’s and the Late Late shows.