When the big band era went bust, Count Basie held on longer than most - not disbanding until late 1949, at which point he tried out several combos playing a mix of swing, bebop and R&B before finally settling on this Octet with arrangements by Neal Hefti and others.  Featuring among others Clark Terry, either Buddy De Franco or Marshall Royal on clarinet, Wardell Gray on tenor, either Serge Chaloff or Rudy Rutherford on bari sax, Basie, Freddie Green and Buddy Rich!