Search - Count Basie :: Basie Meets Bond

THE SPY MEETS THE SWINGERS!

Giovanni | Chicago, IL | 05/03/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Count Basie was one of the greatest musicians of all time. His classic recordings of "April In Paris", "Corner Pocket" and "One O'Clock Jump" became classics. Most of his frontmen went on to have amazing careers of their own, such as the grandaddy of guitarists, Freddy Green, and musicians Frank Foster and Quincy Jones, who would later become pretty good leaders themselves (it's staggering to know the ageless Quincy Jones got his break with Basie's band so many years ago) Basie, Count Basie, meets Bond, James Bond in this swingin' collection of themes from the immortal James Bond movies of the 60's. Arranged in the high swingin'latter-day style that made Basie the beloved man he was by Basie camp stalwart Chico O'Farrill and George "The Fox" Williams, this 1965 album has been out of print for too long. Commercial as it may seem, this collection of songs swings hard. It can't be said that Basie wasn't up for trying "new" things; a year later he would record the even more commercial "Basie's Beatle Bag", a collection of tunes by the Fab Four, with equally unbelievably great results) The standouts here (in my humble opinion) are the lusty GIRL TROUBLE and the ballad type - turned - free-for-all FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, both turned inside out by Basie and the boys and stamped with that unmistakeable 60's Basie sound. As always, Basie meanders through the charts with his few frugal piano "plinks & plunks"
but never was so much conveyed with so little. GOLDFINGER, probably the best known piece on this side, is a brassy and bold statement that removes any doubts that this collection isn't worth its weight in gold, if only from a nostalgic standpoint.
A must for Basie and Bond fans alike!"

Good but missing something

05/26/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I love Basie, I love Bond - perhaps because this was recorded early on in the Bond phenomenon, is because it's missing some "oomf" - too much of the music - played by this - the swinginest of bands - sounds like a board group of cocktail party musicians. Worth having on many levels but didn't reach my expectations."

Basie, but tepid. And I didn't think Basie COULD be tepid!!

D. P. Bostaph | Murfreesboro, TN United States | 08/09/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Basie is always worth putting on the player.

But this...it lacks punch & sizzle. Too laid back.

Perhaps the band didn't like the material?

Basie or Bond fans may still like it--I like it---but I'd hoped for more."