In today’s episode, Mike spotlights three unique singers, who each were featured vocalists with the Count Basie Orchestra. 

Jimmy Rushing was a well established singer before he started collaborating with Count Basie, singing with Jelly Roll Moten, Billy King, Walter Page, and Benny Moten. He’d be featured with Count Basie from 1935 to 1948. Here’s a video of him performing with the Dizzy Gillespie Quintet. Jump to 3:05 to watch Rushing playfully shove Gillespie off the mic so he could sing the blues. 

Helen Humes was with the Count Basie band from 1938 to 1942. Although she was largely relegated to singing love ballads with Basie, she was also a prolific blues singer. Here she is singing “I Cried for You” with the Count Basie sextet. 

Joe Williams, who performed with Basie from 1954-1961, had an illustrious career as a vocalist, performer, and actor. He would appear numerous times on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Here’s an incredible performance of “Here’s To Life.” In an episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Jamie Foxx remembers the moment Carson finally asks Joe Williams to join him at the couch, including a clip of him tripping on the way there. 

Listen to the songs featured in this episode, as well as some bonus tracks, check out this episode’s companion playlist on Spotify. 

Song Credits: 

“Get Me To The Church;” Performed by Frank Sinatra with Count Basie & His Orchestra; Written by Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner; Reprise, 1966

“Good Morning Blues;” Performed by Count Basie & His Orchestra; Written by Eddie Durham; Decca, 1937

“Exactly Like You;” Performed by Count Basie & His Orchestra; Written by Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields; Decca, 1937

“Pennies From Heaven;” Performed by Count Basie & His Orchestra; Written by Johnny Burke & Arthur Johnston; Decca, 1937

“Sub-Deb Blues;” Performed by Count Basie & His Orchestra; Written by Skip Martin, Sally Sears, & George McKinnon; Vocalion, 1939

“Dark Rapture;” Performed by Count Basie & His Orchestra; Written by Benny Goodman, Edgar Sampson, & Manny Kurtz; Decca, 1938

“Be Baba Leba;” Performed by Helen Humes; Written by Helen Humes; Columbia, 1945

“Everyday I Have The Blues;” Performed by Joe Williams & Count Basie; Written by Peter Chapman; Parlophone Records, 1959

“In the Evening (When the Sun Goes Down)”: Performed by Joe Williams & Count Basie; Written by Don Raye & Leroy Carr; UMG Recordings, 1955

“I’m Beginning to See The Light;” Performed by Joe Williams & Count Basie; Written by D. George, H. James, J. Hodges, & D. Ellington; Verve, 1956