CD Review: Deborah Silver, "Basie Rocks"

Vocalist Deborah Silver has just released her groundbreaking new album, Basie Rocks, a vibrant and swinging reinterpretation of some of the most iconic rock classics of the last fifty years. What makes this project truly exceptional is Silver’s bold choice to reimagine these beloved hits through the rich, brassy textures and signature rhythms of the legendary Count Basie Orchestra, under the direction of Scotty Barnhart.

Silver explains, “These classic rock songs are actually the soundtrack of my life. As a vocalist, I have always loved performing timeless big band arrangements, and it has been incredibly exciting to bring these two worlds together.” And she does so with elegance, flair, and a voice that is as strong and confident as it is silky and seductive.

On Basie Rocks, Deborah Silver doesn’t simply cover rock tunes—she transforms them. Each track is revitalized with swaggering horn sections, swinging rhythm, and sophisticated jazz phrasing. From high-energy anthems to tender ballads, the album is a seamless and joyful fusion of three powerhouse elements: the timeless melodies of classic rock, the infectious swing of the Count Basie Orchestra, and the luxurious voice of Deborah Silver. 

A large cast of super talented "Hall of Fame" musicians contributed to this project.  their contributions make "Basie Rocks" one of the year's best Jazz album!  The group included Peter Frampton, Kurt Elling, Steve Jordan, Arturo Sandoval, Pedrito Martinez, John Clayton, Monte Croft, Trombone Shorty, Bill Frisell, George Coleman, Wycliffe Gordon, Herlin Riley and Scotty Barnhart.

I have attached two cuts from "Basie Rocks" for your listening pleasure.  The first is the Sting block buster, "Every Breath You Take" and the second is the Rolling Stone's classic "Paint It, Black" with a wonderful solo from Arturo Sandoval.

                                                                    "Every Breath You Take"

                                                                "Paint It, Black"

 PLAYLIST:

1. Paint It, Black (feat. Arturo Sandoval & Pedrito Martínez)

2. Bennie and the Jets

3. Baby, I Love Your Way (feat. Peter Frampton)

4. Tainted Love (feat. Kurt Elling, Steve Jordan & John Clayton)

5. Band on the Run

6. A Hard Day’s Night (feat. Monte Croft)

7. Joy to the World (feat. Trombone Shorty)

8. Fly Like an Eagle (feat. Bill Frisell)

9. Every Breath You Take (feat. George Coleman)

10. Old Time Rock & Roll (feat. Wycliffe Gordon & Herlin Riley)

11. Life’s Been Good (feat. Scotty Barnhart)

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PLAYERS:

• Deborah Silver – Vocals

• The Count Basie Orchestra – Full ensemble conducted by Scotty Barnhart

• Arturo Sandoval – Trumpet

• Pedrito Martínez – Percussion

• Peter Frampton – Guitar

• Kurt Elling – Vocals

• Steve Jordan – Drums & Co-producer

• John Clayton – Bass

• Monte Croft – Vibraphone

• Trombone Shorty – Trombone & Vocals

• Bill Frisell – Guitar

• George Coleman – Tenor Saxophone

• Wycliffe Gordon – Trombone & Vocals

• Herlin Riley – Drums/Washboard

• Lisa Fischer & Bernard Fowler – Background Vocals

The Count Basie Orchestra’s deep roster includes standout players such as David Glasser, Frank Greene, Clarence Banks, Glen Pearson, Will Matthews, Trevor Ware, and Robert Boone, among others—each contributing their own Basie-authentic flair to the production.

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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame "It's Only Rock 'N Roll, But I Like It" Celebrating 50 Years of the Music of the Rolling Stones

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio

The Rolling Stone Tribute Band

On Saturday, October 26th, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame presented the 18th Annual Music Masters Series celebrating a tribute to the Rolling Stones and their 50 years together.  To celebrate the event, the Hall of Fame brought in a sensational group of musicians who performed with the Rolling Stones over their 50 year career and contributed to the band's long lasting success. The group was led by Grammy Award-winning drummer Steve Jordan acting as the group's musical director. I found out about this Rolling Stones Tribute Concert from my dear friend, Steve Madaio who was one of the invited musicians who participated in the concert. Steve toured with the Rolling Stones on their European tour during the early 80's and was delighted to join some of his old musical friends again to play the Rolling Stones' songbook. 

This was my first visit to the Hall of Fame and also my first visit to Cleveland.  I was very impressed by both!  At one of the pre-concert events that I attended, we sat at a table with a couple from Cleveland. When they found out I were from New Jersey and this was our first visit to Cleveland, they asked me what I thought of Cleveland. I thought for a moment and told them that I was greatly impressed with how clean the city was.  We saw no trash or paper anywhere in the city and noticed several employees cleaning throughout the day. The couple seemed very pleased at my observation and then the man told me that his name was Joseph A. Marinucci. It turns out that Joseph is the President & CEO  of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance and one of his responsibilities is running the Clean and Safe Ambassador Program.  Joseph was really pleased that this was my first impression of Cleveland.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a must for anyone that loves rock and roll music. I was literally overwhelmed by the number of outstanding exhibits, movies and lectures available on a daily basis at the Hall. There is so much to see and hear in the Hall of Fame. I recommend that anyone planning a visit should plan to spend two days at the Hall. There will be too much to see and hear if you only spend one day there!

The excitement in the sold-out audience for this Tribute Concert was almost electric, and when the band started playing the audience exploded. The opening song was my personal favorite Rolling Stones song, "Brown Sugar" and the band never slowed down from here.  Over the next 3 hours, the band played tons of Rolling Stones classic songs to the delight of everyone.  The sounds were unbelievable considering that this group had less than 3 days to come together as a group and recall all the Rolling Stones' charts. Consider the quality of these band members who performed this concert with no written charts,  just from their memory of past performances. The emotional level of the musicians for this concert was as high as I can ever remember for any concert I have attended. I highly recommend a trip to Cleveland to visit The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!