No Count Sarah

Album Notes & Community Reviews

In a brilliant conceptual twist, the legendary vocalist is backed by the entirety of the Count Basie Orchestra—except for Basie himself, who was restricted by contract, leaving Ronnell Bright to handle the piano duties. Thad Jones provides the exceptionally punchy, hard-swinging arrangements, which perfectly frame her impossibly agile, operatic jazz phrasing. The remarkably tight collaboration resulted in one of the most exhilarating and rhythmically aggressive vocal jazz records of the decade.