Budd Johnson discusses arranging.

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Budd Johnson discusses Count Basie as an editor.

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Budd Johnson discusses Billy Eckstine.

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Q: “I’ve always thought Basie was a marvelous editor. He was able to take arrangements and simplify them down to the core, and the core was just swinging and whatever happens with it is what happens with it but at the core it’s always been swing at the middle of it, hasn’t it?”

A: “Yeah. Well, he finds the right tempo. He doesn’t do anything to the notes, you know. He leaves that up to the guys, you know. Like Marshall Royal who is a terrific lead man, and of course, the arranger that made the tune. You see, in bands, like this we all had section leaders, section leaders, always have section leaders. And even back in the old Hines band and back in the old days, if I was the section - my section leader of the reed section, and I wasn’t satisfied with the way we were phrasing or playing or somebody kept missing or something, I could call my own rehearsals. Just the reeds alone and we’d work out all of that music. And same with the trumpets, and same with the trombones. And even now, if I had a band or when I rehearse a band, I like to have section rehearsals first. You see, like I am an associate director of the New York Jazz Repertoire Company, we usually have a 3-day rehearsal. Now, what I would like to do, I'd like to take the rhythm section on each day. I'd like to take the leads on the first day, the brass on the second day, and the third day, put the whole band together, you know. And then you’re ready, you don’t need the three days.”