Count Basie • Basie Meets Bond

Review by Ken Dryden
This campy LP from the 1960s features the Count Basie Orchestra playing ten themes from four early James Bond movies, with arrangements by either Chico O'Farrill or George Williams. While it seems doubtful that Basie added any of this music to his regular band repertoire, his band does its best to do justice to the arrangements. The somewhat monotonous "007" is converted into a dramatic calypso, while "The Golden Horn" is straight-ahead swing and might surprise someone who hadn't seen the film From Russia with Love. But most Basie fans will want to know how the band handled the best-known themes. "Goldfinger" is given a low-key but swinging treatment that has a fine solo by Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, while the foot-patting treatment of "Thunderball" focuses on Marshall Royal's soulful alto sax and a typically sparse Basie solo. Basie devotees who have a fondness for the earliest James Bond films (Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, and Thunderball) might find this surprising LP worth the investment].
Note by egroj: Expect a musician constantly surpass itself is nonsense. Count took a break and let us take it as such, although the result is not expected, I think it is a good album Basie, with a repertoire that is not used to interpret.

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Reseña de Ken Dryden
Este campy LP de los años 60 presenta a la Count Basie Orchestra tocando diez temas de cuatro de las primeras películas de James Bond, con arreglos de Chico O'Farrill o George Williams. Aunque parece dudoso que Basie agregara algo de esta música a su repertorio regular de la banda, su banda hace todo lo posible para hacer justicia a los arreglos. El algo monótono "007" se convierte en un calipso dramático, mientras que "El cuerno de oro" es un swing directo que puede sorprender a alguien que no haya visto la película From Russia with Love. Pero la mayoría de los fans de Basie querrán saber cómo la banda manejó los temas más conocidos. A "Goldfinger" se le da un tratamiento de bajo perfil pero con swing que tiene un buen solo de Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, mientras que el tratamiento de "Thunderball" se centra en el soulful alto saxo de Marshall Royal y un solo de Basie típicamente escaso. Los devotos de Basie que tienen una gran afición por las primeras películas de James Bond (Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, and Thunderball) podrían encontrar que este sorprendente LP vale la pena la inversión].

Nota de egroj: Esperar que un músico se supere a sí mismo constantemente es un despropósito. Count se tomó un recreo y tomémoslo como tal, si bien el resultado no es lo esperable, considero que es un buen disco de Basie, con un repertorio que no acostumbra a interpretar.



Tracks:
01. 007 (From Russia With Love) (John Barry) - 2:59
02. The Golden Horn (From Russia With Love) (John Barry) - 3:42
03. Girl Trouble (From Russia With Love) (John Barry) - 3:33
04. Kingston Calypso (Dr.No) (Monty Norman) - 2:22
05. Goldfinger (Goldfinger) (Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley, John Barry) - 4:04
06. Thunderball (Thunderball) (Don Black, John Barry) - 3:58
07. From Russia With Love (From Russia With Love) (Lionel Bart) - 4:13
08. Dr.No's Fantasy (Dr.No) (Monty Norman) - 3:55
09. Underneath The Mango Tree (Dr.No) (Monty Norman) - 3:35
10. The James Bond Theme (Dr.No) (Monty Norman) - 3:46
Bonus:
11. Dr.No's Fantasy (first version) (Dr.No) (Monty Norman) - 3:53

Personnel:
- Count Basie - piano
- Freddie Green - guitar
- Norman Keenan - bass
- Sonny Payne - drums
– Al Aarons, Phil Guilbeau, Sonny Cohn, Wallace Davenport - trumpets
- Al Grey, Grover Mitchell, Henderson Chambers - trombones
- Bill Hughes - bass trombone
- Marshall Royal - alto saxophone
- Bobby Plater - alto saxophone, flute
- Eric Dixon - tenor saxophone, flute
- Eddie Lockjaw Davis - tenor saxophone
- Charlie Fowlkes - baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
– Chico O'Farrill - arranger (02,04-06,08-11)
- George Williams - arranger (01,03,07)
– Teddy Reig - producer




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