The Atomic Mr. Basie
The Atomic Mr. Basie | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra | ||||
Released | January 1958 (1958) | |||
Recorded | 21–22 October 1957 | |||
Studio | Capitol[i] (New York) | |||
Genre | Swing, big band | |||
Length | 39:30[1] 56:34 (1994 Reissue) | |||
Label | Roulette | |||
Producer | Teddy Reig | |||
Count Basie and his orchestra chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Disc | [3] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
The Penguin Guide to Jazz | [5] |
Tom Hull | A−[6] |
The Atomic Mr. Basie (originally called Basie, also known as E=MC2 and reissued in 1994 as The Complete Atomic Basie) is a 1958 album by Count Basie, featuring the song arrangements of Neal Hefti and the Count Basie Orchestra. Allmusic gave it 5 stars, reviewer Bruce Eder saying: "it took Basie's core audience and a lot of other people by surprise, as a bold, forward-looking statement within the context of a big-band recording."[2] It is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Will Fulford-Jones calling it "Basie's last great record."[1] It was voted number 411 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).[7]
Recording
The tracks were recorded 21–22 October 1957. The tracks on the original release were all composed and arranged by Hefti. Part of the second day was used for recording tracks by Jimmy Mundy - "Silks and Satins" and "Sleepwalker's Serenade". It also featured recordings of "The Late, Late Show", which had been a hit for Dakota Staton that year, also likely arranged by Mundy. These additional tracks were released in 1994 on The Complete Atomic Basie.[8]
Release
This was the first Basie album released by Roulette Records.[8]
Reception
The album won Best Jazz Performance, Group and Best Performance by a Dance Band awards at the 1st Annual Grammy Awards.[9]
The success of the album led to Basie, Hefti and producer Teddy Reig collaborating together again six months later to record Basie Plays Hefti.[8]
Track listing
All tracks composed and arranged by Neal Hefti, except where indicated.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Kid from Red Bank" | 2:38 |
2. | "Duet" | 4:10 |
3. | "After Supper" | 3:22 |
4. | "Flight of the Foo Birds" | 3:21 |
5. | "Double-O" | 2:45 |
6. | "Teddy the Toad" | 3:40 |
7. | "Whirlybird" | 3:46 |
8. | "Midnite Blue" | 4:25 |
9. | "Splanky" | 3:35 |
10. | "Fantail" | 2:50 |
11. | "Li'l Darlin'" | 4:47 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
12. | "Silks and Satins" (Jimmy Mundy) | 4:05 |
13. | "Sleepwalker's Serenade (Alternative Take)" (Mundy, Hefti) | 3:37 |
14. | "Sleepwalker's Serenade" (Mundy, Hefti) | 3:39 |
15. | "The Late, Late Show" (Roy Alfred, Murray Berlin) | 2:52 |
16. | "The Late, Late Show (Vocal Version)" (Alfred, Berlin) | 3:02 |
Personnel
- Wendell Culley — trumpet
- Snooky Young — trumpet
- Thad Jones — trumpet
- Joe Newman — trumpet
- Henry Coker — trombone
- Al Grey — trombone
- Benny Powell — trombone
- Marshal Royal — reeds
- Frank Wess — reeds
- Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis — reeds
- Frank Foster — reeds
- Charles Fowlkes — reeds
- Count Basie — piano
- Eddie Jones — bass
- Freddie Green — guitar
- Sonny Payne — drums
- Joe Williams — vocals (track 16)
- Neal Hefti — arrangements (tracks 1–11)
- Jimmy Mundy — arrangements (tracks 12–14)
Notes and references
Notes
- ^ Basie's session for the Atomic album was at Capitol Studios Studio A (Capitol Records, Inc.), located in the Theater District, Midtown Manhattan, on the first floor (one floor up) in the Eaves Building at 151 West 46th Street. The Eaves Costume Company occupied the ground floor. (The Sound Studies Reader, Jonathan Sterne, ed., Routledge, 2012, pps. 310–311; OCLC 916524063)
References
- ^ a b Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (2008). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Octopus Books, London. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-8440-3624-0.
- ^ a b Eder, Bruce. The Atomic Mr. Basie at AllMusic
- ^ Hall, Tony (7 June 1958). "Best Basie". Disc. No. 18. p. 14.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2006). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. Penguin Books. pp. 91–92.
- ^ Hull, Tom (n.d.). "Essential Jazz Albums of the 1950s". tomhull.com. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (2006). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 153. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
- ^ a b c Cuscuna, Michael (1994). The Complete Atomic Basie liner notes.
- ^ "1958 Grammy Winners". Grammy.com. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
- ^ "Count Basie – The Atomic Mr. Basie (Vinyl, LP) at Discogs". Retrieved 30 June 2012.
- ^ "Count Basie – Count Basie – The Complete Atomic Basie (CD, Album, Mono) at Discogs". Retrieved 30 June 2012.
- v
- t
- e
- John Duke (Bass)
- Sal Nistico (Tenor Sax)
- Frank Wess (Alto Sax/Flute)
- Joe Williams (Vocals)
- Earle Warren (Alto Sax/Occasional Singer)
- Preston Love (Alto Sax)
- Danny House (Alto Sax)
- Sonny Cohn (trumpet)
- Reunald Jones (Trumpet)
- Neal Hefti (Trumpet)
- Harry Edison (Trumpet)
- Joe Newman (Trumpet)
- Lester Young (Tenor Sax)
- Herschel Evans (Tenor Sax)
- Jo Jones (Drums)
- Walter Page (Bass)
- Bill Hughes (trombone)
- Dennis Wilson (lead trombone)
- Grover Mitchell (trombone)
- Freddie Green (Guitar)
- Billie Holiday (Vocals)
- Buck Clayton (Trumpet)
- Jimmy Rushing (Vocals)
- Marshal Royal (Alto Sax)
- Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (Tenor Sax)
- Thad Jones (Trumpet)
- Al Grey (Trombone)
- John Clayton (Bass)
- Cleveland Eaton (Bass)
- Gregg Field (drums)
- Dennis Rowland (Vocals)
- Chris Murrell (vocals)
- Dave Gibson (Drums)
- Jack Washington (Baritone Sax)
- Johnny Williams (Baritone Sax)
- Butch Miles (Drums)
- Sonny Payne (Drums)
- Frank Foster (Tenor Sax)
- George Caldwell (Piano)
- Charlton Johnson (Guitar)
- Tony Suggs (Piano)
- Scotty Barnhart (Trumpet)
- James Leary (Bass)
- Brian Gryce (Drums)
- Will Matthews (guitar)
- Mel Wanzo (trombone)
- Kris Johnson (trumpet)
- Ed Shaughnessy (drums)
- Bobby Floyd (piano/organ)
- Dance Session (1952–54, Clef)
- Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings (with Joe Williams) (1955, Clef)
- April in Paris (1955–56, Verve)
- The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards (with Joe Williams) (1956, Verve)
- Basie in London (live) (1956, Verve)
- One O'Clock Jump (with Joe Williams and Ella Fitzgerald) (1957, Verve)
- Count Basie at Newport (live) (1957, Verve)
- E = MC² (1958, Roulette)
- Basie Plays Hefti (1958, Roulette)
- No Count Sarah (with Sarah Vaughan) (1958, EmArcy)
- Breakfast Dance and Barbecue (1959, Roulette)
- Welcome to the Club (Uncredited) (Nat King Cole) (1959, Capitol)
- In Person! (with Tony Bennett) (1959, Columbia)
- Chairman of the Board (1959, Roulette)
- Strike Up the Band (with Tony Bennett) (1959, Roulette)
- Basie/Eckstine Incorporated (with Billy Eckstine) (1959, Roulette)
- Everyday I Have the Blues (with Joe Williams) (1959, Roulette)
- The Count Basie Story (1960, Roulette)
- I Gotta Right to Swing (Uncredited) (Sammy Davis Jr.) (1960, Decca)
- First Time! The Count Meets the Duke (with Duke Ellington) (1961, Columbia)
- The Legend (1961, Roulette)
- Count Basie/Sarah Vaughan (with Sarah Vaughan) (1961, Roulette)
- Basie at Birdland (live) (1961, Roulette)
- Easin' It (1962, Roulette)
- Sinatra–Basie: An Historic Musical First (with Frank Sinatra) (1962, Reprise)
- On My Way & Shoutin' Again! (1963, Verve)
- Li'l Ol' Groovemaker...Basie! (1963, Verve)
- This Time by Basie! (1963, Verve)
- Ella and Basie! (with Ella Fitzgerald) (1963, Verve)
- Basie Land (1964, Verve)
- It Might as Well Be Swing (with Frank Sinatra) (1964, Reprise)
- Basie Picks the Winners (1965, Verve)
- Our Shining Hour (with Sammy Davis Jr.) (1965, Verve)
- Arthur Prysock and Count Basie (with Arthur Prysock) (1965, Verve)
- Basie's Beatle Bag (1965, Verve)
- Broadway Basie's...Way (1966, Command)
- Basie Meets Bond (1966, United Artists)
- Hollywood...Basie's Way (1966, Command)
- Sinatra at the Sands (live, with Frank Sinatra) (1966, Reprise)
- Basie's Beat (1967, Verve)
- Half a Sixpence (1967, Dot)
- The Board of Directors (with The Mills Brothers) (1968, Dot)
- The Board of Directors Annual Report (with The Mills Brothers) (1968, Dot)
- Basie Straight Ahead (1969, Dot)
- Standing Ovation (1969, Dot)
- Afrique (1970, RCA Victor)
- Basie on the Beatles (1970, Happy Tiger)
- Have A Nice Day (1971, Daybreak)
- Bing 'n' Basie (with Bing Crosby) (1972, Daybreak)
- Jazz at Santa Monica Civic '72 (live) (1972, Pablo)
- The Bosses (with Big Joe Turner) (1973, Pablo)
- Basie Big Band (1975, Pablo)
- Fun Time (1975, Pablo)
- I Told You So (1976, Pablo)
- Prime Time (1977, Pablo)
- Montreux '77 (live) (1977, Pablo)
- Live in Japan '78 (live) (1978, Pablo)
- On the Road (1979, Pablo)
- Digital III at Montreux (live) (1979, Pablo)
- A Classy Pair (with Ella Fitzgerald) (1979, Pablo)
- A Perfect Match (live, with Ella Fitzgerald) (1979, Pablo)
- Kansas City Shout (1980, Pablo)
- Warm Breeze (1981, Pablo)
- Send in the Clowns (Sarah Vaughan) (1981, Pablo)
- Farmer's Market Barbecue (1982, Pablo)
- 88 Basie Street (1983, Pablo)
- Me and You (1983, Pablo)
- Fancy Pants (final album with Count Basie) (1983, Pablo)
- Long Live the Chief (1987, Denon)
- Diane Schuur & the Count Basie Orchestra (live, with Diane Schuur) (1987, GRP)
- The Legend, the Legacy (1990, Denon)
- The George Benson Big Boss Band featuring The Count Basie Orchestra (1991, Warner Bros.)
- The Count Basie Orchestra Live at El Morocco (1992, Telarc)
- Joe Williams and the Count Basie Orchestra (1993, Telarc)
- Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild: The Count Basie Orchestra (1997, Blue Jackel)
- At Long Last (with Rosemary Clooney) (1998, Concord)
- Count Plays Duke (1998, MAMA)
- Swing Shift (1999, MAMA)
- Ray Sings, Basie Swings (2006, Concord)
- Basie is Back (2007, MAMA)
- Midnight in Manhattan (2007, Aspirion)
- A Swingin' Christmas (Featuring The Count Basie Big Band) (with Tony Bennett) (2008, Columbia)
- A Very Swingin' Basie Christmas! (2015)
sessions
- Basie Jam (1973, Pablo)
- For the First Time (1974, Pablo)
- Basie & Zoot (with Zoot Sims) (1975, Pablo)
- For the Second Time (1975, Pablo)
- Basie Jam 2 (1976, Pablo)
- Basie Jam 3 (1976, Pablo)
- Kansas City 5 (1977, Pablo)
- The Gifted Ones (with Dizzy Gillespie) (1977, Pablo)
- Basie Jam: Montreux '77 (live) (1977, Pablo)
- Satch and Josh...Again (with Oscar Peterson) (1977, Pablo)
- Night Rider (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo)
- Count Basie Meets Oscar Peterson – The Timekeepers (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo)
- Yessir, That's My Baby (with Oscar Peterson) (1978, Pablo)
- Kansas City 7 (1980, Pablo)
- Kansas City 6 (1981, Pablo)
- Mostly Blues...and Some Others (1983, Pablo)