Despite the title of this CD, the music on this 1985 studio set from
the Modern Jazz Quartet is not a program of
Count Basie tunes (with the exception of "Topsy"), although
Basie apparently liked the John Lewis composition "D and E." The other unrelated music is highlighted by an unaccompanied feature for vibraphonist
Milt Jackson ("Nature Boy"), "Reunion Blues," and three more complex pieces from pianist John Lewis. Overall this CD gives listeners a fine example of the music of
the Modern Jazz Quartet during the 1980s. [The 2002 reissue adds an alternate take of "D and E."] ~ Scott Yanow