Customer Reviews

Basie Meets Bond

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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 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.

The Hipster gives it a reluctant Thumbs down!

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!

One word for this album "Tasty." Combine two of the coolest sounds out there; Classic Bond tunes and Smokin' Basie adaptations and you have one heck of an album. I loved this the first time I heard it on the radio and knew I'd have to buy it. If you love Basie or Bond you'll love this album. Don't even think about not buying it. As far a Jazz albums go this one has a lot of bang for very few bucks. The only possible complaint I can think of is that it's not long enough. Still the tracks were done very nicely in true tasty-Basie fashion.

This recording was a great dissapointment. A good record I play again and again. This one I listened to once, and set aside forever,

Okay, this is still fun big band music, not great jazz. For years I enjoyed my original reel to reel edition from 1966. Bought this CD and it is a fantastic sounding MONO edition. Yeah...no stereo separation like my reel to reel. In fact, I am A/B comparing the two recordings as I write this review. Now that it is out of print, perhaps someone will revisit it in the near future (hello, Mosiac Records?).

It is a nice, well-arranged and enjoyable album to listen. I think it is one of the greatest achievements for the early James Bond movie themes in the off-soundtrack category, especially in the jazz section. If you like jazz and are a fan of James Bond movie themes, it is a must album to own and listen. I would like to listen to the jazz version of James Bond movie themes after Thunderball.

The CD version here has been remixed and is BARELY stereo. As someone who prefers WIDE stereo, especially as found in releases of this era, I was extremely disappointed with this CD. As clean sounding as it is, most of the instruments are dead centre with some of the horns slightly to the left, and that's about it.
Seek out the original LP version of this otherwise great album in a long line of Bond tributes.