One of the Best Ever
Simply put, this is one of the finest big band albums ever made. It has everything you could think of going for it, outstanding musicians, and an arranger who was born for the Basie band.
There has never been a more complimentary arranger for any band than Neal Hefti was for Basie during their brief association. Hefti's own album "Hot 'N Hearty" is ample proof of what a superbly hip arranger he was and what he would later contributed to the Basie band. Hefti never followed trends. Like Pete Rugolo, he set them.
I'll forever be thankful to my dad for introducing this album to me in the somewhat poorly mastered stereo LP version when it was first released in the early days of home stereo. I still have that record and it features the entire band on the right channel and the Basie rhythm section on the left. If you listen to it with head phones it'll drive you nuts! The monaural version released for this cd is much better balanced.
Dang, what more can you ask for in a big band? You get burning swingers like "The Kid From Red Bank (New Jersey, that is!)" and "Whirly Bird", one of the finest muted trumpet solos ever put to wax on the soulful, "Duet" featuring Thad Jones and Joe Newman and an absolutely all-time classic "Li'l Darlin'" where Wendell Cully (again muted trumpet) just breaks your heart. And everyone's already mentioned how Jaws contributed.
My only disappointment is with all the two-fers being released by Nelson Riddle, Billy May and on and on, they didn't include the almost-as-good "Basie Plays Hefti" recorded around the same time. Just glad I kept mine.
Simply put, this is my favorite Basie Album though I wish they'd release the nicely after-hours "String Along With Basie" and "Not Now, I'll Tell You When" just for the flag wavingly superb "Ol' Man River."
Blinding
This is one of the finest big band jazz albums you can buy. I grew up listening to this as my Dad played it very loud at parties.
The Kid from Red Bank is an explosive start with Basie striding and the band screams in support. So much for Basie the minimalist!
There are a lot of great tunes on this album, and when they are played by a big band as good as this it makes it something very special.
Whirlybird is another screamer - fabulous Sax playing by I think Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis.
Absolutely essential for any Jazz collection and one of the most exciting albums ever recorded.
A Real Blast AKA as E=MC2
Recorded in 1957 this very high energy,exciting,sensual definitely sultry album whose cover sports an atomic blast, remember this was the late 50's, remains an accurate representation of the music within that remains a top seller in Basie's cannon and undoubtedly worthy of the praise all heap on it as a swinging,arousing, electrifying masterpiece of the genre.
It is all here Basie's piano coyness, licks and all, gorgeously arranged blaring Trumpets, Trombones,Reeds players galore, with Guitar,Bass & Drums all jive together in this non stop cataclysm boasting Basie's regular greats and additions of Eddie Lockjaw Davis whose distinctive playing stands out.
The issue is not categorizing Basie as others do, like Duke he was beyond category, blues.Kansa City, forays into all styles with the greats of the day and now this period ushering his stay with Roulette and Neil Hefti, the arranger and composer of these pieces.
Even the mix and fidelity of the album is crystal remastered from the original mono tapes.
Whether it was Basie's Decca period,later Columbia,Verve or this late 50's "Modern Jazz" that brought forward his collaborations with the likes of Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra and Las Vegas makes no difference since all are worthy showcasing Basie and the spread he gave his band to stretch out in styles unique to this crucial man.
This complete CD also boasts alternatives and a vocal track with the great Joe Williams, his main singer of the day.
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