Count Basie, Slim Gaillard & Nat King Cole - The Jubilee Shows 96 & 171

This music was made to boost the morale of U.S. soldiers overseas during World War II. What better way than to send them the best popular music of the day, performed by America's top jazz musicians. Just the thing to remind our boys what they were fighting for, make them miss their sweethearts and in general make them proud to be Americans. Even today, the exhuberance - and especially the excellence - of the music, together with the bubbling ebullience of master of ceremonies, Ernest Bubbles Whitman, is an uplifting experience. The first of the two half-hour shoews featues the COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA on top form with great soloing from LESTER YOUNG. The second features an all-star band of L.A. musicians, led by arranger JIMMY MUNDY, with wonderful performances from ERROLL GARNER and the NAT KING COLE and SLIM GAILLARD trios.