Count Basie: Complete 1936-1941 Columbia Recordings (Definitive, 2002)

Wanna know what swing is? Look no further than this four-disc set, which is simply loaded with masterpieces, from “Twelfth Street Rag” and “Pound Cake” to “Five O’Clock Whistle” and, of course, “Lester Leaps In.” Besides Lester (Young), Basie’s band at this time featured tenor saxophonist Herschel Evans, trumpeter Buck Clayton, and the five-star rhythm section of guitarist Freddie Green, bassist Walter Page, and drummer Jo Jones. Hipper cats have rarely walked the earth. MAC RANDALL

Learn more about The Complete 1936-1941 Columbia Recordings on Amazon.