Count Basie's final small-group studio session (one of a countless number for
Norman Granz during
Basie's last decade), this outing features trumpeter
Snooky Young (who was last with the orchestra in the early '60s), tenor great
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and the dependable guitarist
Joe Pass (along with rhythm guitarist
Freddie Green). The repertoire lives up to the album's title: blues and swing standards all played with joy and spirit. ~ Scott Yanow