The iconic pianist and bandleader hopped around the early jazz hotspots…Harlem, Chicago, New Orleans, St. Louis. He put together the Count Basie Orchestra in Kansas City and, with the help of radio broadcasts at KC’s Reno Club, they became one of the premier big bands of the era. They recorded “Aint It The Truth”, a Columbia 78, in 1942. While their club performances put improv at the forefront, the studio recording involved a more complex arrangement. Part of that arrangement: The “call and response” which you hear… right here.

This episode was written in part by Syracuse University student Mark Perkins, as part of the Sound Beat Class Partnership project. To learn more about the program, click here!