Count Basie Live from the Dorchester Hotel 1973 | Sonny Payne and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis 

I see a bunch of people critiquing Sonny for his drumstick pyrotechnics. Everyone is entitled to their opinion so I'll throw in my two cents. Jazz needs/needed all the showmen it could get. Bless Sonny for giving the folks a show along with his stellar play. Unfortunately, too many people don't appreciate jazz for the great playing alone. A lot of people want to be visually thrilled. And Sonny's stickwork was thrilling. You have to hand him that much at the very least.

Sonny Payne, utterly captivating, enjoying his work, grooving mightily with the best band on the globe.

not enough words to describe how good these the guys were ........ THE COUNT AND HIS CREW ! ................ OUTSTANDING !!!

I was very fortunate in that a dear friend of my family, who loved artists like Crosby, Ella, Sinatra and bands like the Dorseys,Benny Goodman took me to see The Count. I was 16, the year 1963. I always loved the drums and was enthralled when seeing Gene Krupa on film, a flamboyant showman. Well Sonny Payne was with the orchestra and purists might disapprove, but I couldn't take my eyes off him. Later I saw Eddie Thigpen with Oscar Peterson,and Sam Woodyard with Duke Ellington and many other great artists, like Max Roach,but I always have fond memories of "The fabulous Sonny Payne ", as Basie used to call him.

My absolute favorite drummer. Amazing hearing him play, but even more a treat to watch him doing his thing. This band though... Still gives me chills.

The great Pauly Cohen on trumpet -"What's New". One of the best lead trumpeters of all time. Played with Dorsey and Goodman and just about every other big band of that era.

Personnel: Paul Cohen, Sonny Cohn, Pete Minger, Waymon Reed (tp); John Gordon, Frank Hooks, Bill Hughes, Mel Wanzo (tb); Bobby Plater, Curtis Peagler (as) Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Harold Ousley (ts); John Williams (bar) Count Basie (p) Freddie Green (g), Norman Keenan (b), Sonny Payne (dm)

This is beautiful magic. Such a privilege in fact, I feel like some Count listening and watching. Thankyou. 🌻♥️

So amazing. Sonny Payne!! Hard to believe so few younger drummers today know about Sonny. This is a great post, thank you.

ed stalling ........so very true ...........sonny payne was outstanding ........the entire cast ............. outstanding ........ thanks for the video.......... may 4 2023

I'm amazed by Sonny Payne ! I watched this entire Video and his Drumming and showmanship are excellent ! The entire band was swinging too! RIP Count Basie and Sonny Payne and long live swing!

If you happen to come across a vinyl copy of Basie in Sweden,,wear that sucker out. Great album and it shows The Count at his jazz best. He was more than just One O'Clock Jump, he could swing out of the park and right up in the stratosphere. And he had one thing most pop stars don't today: class. Long live Basie!

Count Basie is one of the greatest artists God has given us

Greatest big band of all time playing for people who look like they're at an IRS audit.

Payne swinging in a super funky way! That groove! Letting it hang loose!

The trumpet solo on "What's New?" is out of this world. This musician puts his heart and soul into this piece. With Sonny Payne on drums just completes this song. Great music! SYLVIA! 6/29/21

As usual, Freddie Green ties the whole thing together.

I love Eddie Davis's playing. I saw an interview with him where he tells many interesting stories about when he was with Basie and Ellington. I agree with the other reviewer who said that it seems Basie and Sonny Payne we're almost made to be together. And yes it seems he's doing a few more stick tricks then he usually does but maybe that's because cameras are on him. He's playing his accents almost like he's got a brass chart in front of him. He never missed a one. Some have criticized him because they feel that he rushes but if you listen to his playing on past recordings he's playing on top of the beat even when he's using brushes. In my opinion the band never swings better then when he's playing with them.

That was a class act! No one today can touch em!

The Count makes it all wonderful. Thank you for these old recordings.

No band can swing like Count Basie.

Basie at his best. Truly big band and truly jazz. Wasn't his big band just the greatest of them all?

No band could lay down a grove like the Basie band trust me😎

THAT performance is priceless, Sonny is in his delivery is staggering, Basie Mr cool the band outstanding, thank you very much for the post

Thank you for this wonderful upload! What a magnificent show by some superb musicians!

Track Listing: Gonna Get it All - 0:00 Pretty Girl - 4:02 April in Paris - 8:02 One O'Clock Jump (opening riff?) - 11:30 Corner Pocket - 12:17 What's New? - 18:20 Whirly Bird - 22:28 Big Stuff - 29:20 I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You - 36:38 Jumpin at the Woodside - 40:20 One O'Clock Jump - 43:40

sonny payne is the man, wow

Best rendition of "What's New" I've ever heard. And this performance has to be one of the best Basie vids on RU-vid. Love Sonny keeping his motor running between tunes @7:56. Grateful that The Basie Orchestra has been the background music to my life.

This was during Sonny Payne's second stint as Basie's regular drummer. When Harold Jones left in 1972, Sonny returned to Basie and stayed until 1974. He was with Harry James prior to 1972 and also after 1974. About 3 months before the above clip, Sonny told me it was his wife who had urged him to "get back with Basie!"

Fallbrook High School gym about 1971 or 1972 or 1973. what a thrilling treat. Memories.

....stunning.....I heard The Count live the year before.....he had over 50 years of world-class experience AT THAT TIME....

❤Always my Fav Jazz Band

This is real “Basie in London”!

i always love Basies ballads.....sonny plays like he spent alot of years in VEGAS BABY>(see april in paris) i tell all the drummers about sonny payne........the absolute best...wheres the dance floor??? cut loose...and oh yeah....jaws...nuff said

Sonny PAYNE : King of drums !!

Tutti insuperabili ❤

terrific as always----i wish i was younger Ron uk

Sonny drops a stick, just grabs another and keeps going to work, My man!

atremendous performance --i wish i was younger so pleased with your posting ron uk

the best lots of views....I believe Sonny Payne played with Harry James a year earlier at Willow Brook in Chicago suburbs our after prom dinner.....I was there....20 feet away he was IT....

Give that Drummer some! SONNY PAYNE!

Thanks so much for posting. I have looked for a better copy of this concert for years. My copy was OK but had a few glitches so it is great to finally get very good copy. Keep swinging my friend and keep up the good work.

Finally, a Basie solo by Bobby Placer, just great!

The king of cool Jazz!

Here Bobby sounds a little like Johnny Hodges with that vibrato. He even looks a little like Jeep with those sad eyes. Great playing by everyone.

What a pleasure !

Proper big band swing!

Para mi gusto esta fue la mejor agrupación que tuvo esta descomunal orquesta con los mas rutilantes nombres y uno de los mas memorables conciertos!!!

Sonny was a character on stage and off. I was 13 yrs old on a band school field trip to see Count Basie and Sonny rounded up a bunch of us to stand in a line to get autographs from Count Basie. Mr Basie seemed tired and bemused by it all so when it was my turn to hand him my program I noticed he had a jar of cashews on the desk he sat at so I asked him if I could have one of his nuts as a souvenir from the show. Man, did his face just break into the biggest grin. Of course I had Sonny’s autograph too. I taped the cashew next to Count Basie’s autograph and pinned it on my bedroom wall over my desk. It stayed there for 4 years until I run away from home and my mom decided to redecorate my room throwing my autographs and cashew keepsake away. I never did get along with my mother.

... Schon beim ersten Titel fällt mir wieder auf, dass Basie vor 1976 mehr uncomerzielle Arrangements hatte, als weit danach die letzten 10 Jahre seines Wirkens. Fast alle Live-Aufnahmen die man so findet und wie ich auf LP hat, sind immer die selbigen aus der eingängigen Schublade ohne Experimente. Die Legende hat in den letzten Jahren nur dass gespielt, was das Seniorjazz-Puplikum auf den Festivals und ausverkauften Konzerten hören wollte. Hier ist eine Andere ganz andere Dynamik. Es gibt ein Konzert aus Norwegen, dass noch besser ist. War vermutlich auch seiner Gesundheit geschuldet. Sehr gut war er in allen Dekaden.

drummin man, your comment below , perfect , the audience .....WAKE UP !!!

The Best

Great Basie band. My favorite Basie band was the one with Illinois Jacquet. Eddie Davis was one of the greet tenor saxophonists of all times. Did some superb work with Oscar Peterson as well. Thanks for the video. Do you by any chance have that Buddy Rich concert from 1981 in Japan. Some great numbers in that I believe including Good News and West Side Story. Thanks again.

Sonny, at His best here. Showcasing innate Talent .Time ,essence of a Drummer encompassing more than meets the ears or eye. The Count gave Him freedom to play ... Drummers today would not get or try it...

fdc do nada uma banda braba pra alegrar minha madrugada. foda . clap a todos os defuntos desse video e um clap a todos os vivos que estao por ai

One of the best band ever Sony on the drums is priceless

Sonny Payne the absolute GOAT

Fantastic listening

Que beleza!

The Great forever !!

Yes i thought Sonny was with Harry around this time, Butch didn't come along until '75. Sonny was the master showman but a lot of leaders would't have put up with the antics. He always seemed to not get the memo about what the rest of the band was going to wear.

basie's expression at like 35.30 is like..yea my band's badasssss

NO DOUBT

Sonny's drums and cymbals sound so much better here than they did on the Sinatra-Basie at the Sands LP

Ooops... Got the answer at the end !

Many comments, quite justified, for Sonny Payne as killer Basie timekeeper, but Harold Jones, who only went for the price in taking Sarah Vaughn chair, is great Basie drummer. And is the only such to rate mention in Basie biography.

Высшее мастерство высший стандарт оркестр приезжал несколько раз в сочи

Check out Lockjaw rolling his eyes after Sonny's drum solo. Funny.

People who think Buddy Rich was too flashy need to check this guy out at 28:00

COunt Basie's very own version of Johnny Hodges from the Duke Ellington Band......kkkk

In later years Butch Miles even more showy and flamboyant. What the hell's wrong with that? As long as you're spot on, as they both were.

What an Orchestra no conducting Jazz sweetness

Trombones lagging behind in April in Paris….why?

seems like every alto player is in the shadow of Johnny Hodges

Fantastic !!! Does anyone know all musicians names at that time ? Thanks !

Di dnt Sonny leave for Harry James? And why was Mel Lewis so critical of his playing?

Swinging awesome!!! thanks for posting. Hey what's the name of the chart playing around the 30 min. mark? It's the tune right after Sonny's big featured solo.

Lead tpt Paul_____?

Who is the bass player?

dont the count seem peeved? Im not sure the backstory here! Sonny kicking the hell out of the band tho!

OMG Daddy music

Frank Sinatra's favourite drummer.

1:52 Amy winehouse in the house!!!!!!

Great video! Sonny seems to go overboard with the little tricks. Butch Miles was a much better fit IMO. He hit everything cleanly. Sonny is all over the place here.

GREAT DRUMMER. CAN DO WITHOUT STICK FLIPS AND OTHER ANTICS. JUST PLAY GREAT AND DRIVE THE BAND. AS YOU KNOW HOW TO DO. IT TAKES AWAY FROM YOUR GREATNESS. PAST TENSE.

Love the vintage sound and vintage drummers, but not a fan of stick tricks. Leave that to the jugglers.

Drummer really works on my somewhat relatively short bass player's attention span. He obviously demonstrates some very talented drumming skills, showing that he's capable of some equally dynamic soloing. But after that much of it, it begins to sound more like noise than a seamless musical statement. Won't comment on the slight-of-hand juggling act. To each his own in that regard. There's also a lot to be said about the band member who doesn't dress uniformly with the rest of the band, but more like the bandleader. 😕