9) Count Basie: 'The Atomic Mr. Basie'

Best known for his big band work in the 1930s, Count Basie is another one of the jazz greats. It was during this period he perfected blues-drenched 4-4 rhythm of Kansas City from where he hailed. Yet by the 1950s, there was just no market for the big bands of old. As fashions changed; so did musicians in order to survive in the music business. It is also of no surprise that the longevity of the greatest musicians, in the case of Basie fifty years, is largely due to them constantly evolving and changing with the times, or in many cases, actually setting the tone for times.

After initially disbanding group work in the 1950s, Basie returned in 1958 with this masterpiece: ‘The Atomic Mr. Basie’. This recording is largely regarded as his best work from that period and, in fact, never to be surpassed again during his lifetime. Basie obviously felt that the idea of a big band was redundant whereas all that was required was some fresh blood. This came with the inclusion of Neal Hefti as the primary composer and arranger of these eleven compositions. Not only does Hefti create amazing moodscapes from frenetically paced, full sounding numbers, such as the opener ‘The Kid From Red Bank’; but also wonderful late night solitary numbers where all you have for company is your thoughts and a scotch, as in ‘After Supper’. Not only this, but he has done so in such a way which captures the greatness of each individual musician involved in this project.

Eddie Davis provides wonderful saxophone solos and there is an equally impressive all star trumpet section led by Thad Jones. Underpinning all of this is the flawless rhythm section of bassist, Eddie Jones; drummer, Sonny Payne; and rhythm guitarist, Freddie Green. Then of course there is Count Basie himself. He plays piano with such understatement in such numbers (‘The Kid From Red Bank’) that one would think he is doing his best not to be heard. Other times, he shows he is capable of full bombast, all accomplished with ease and swing.

Part of the reason for this albums success was that Basie built upon the blue foundations but this recording appeared to see Basie being more ambitious. He went beyond the blues to create something far bolder and dynamic which was able to sound modern and fresh (such as including some dazzling improvisation common within the emerging bebop sound) but still contained within the concept of a big band setting.

I was actually surprised at just how much I liked this album. I certainly approached this with a certain degree of hesitancy realizing that Basie was fusing elements of bebop with big band. However, this album never loses the listener as many bebop albums do. The beat is always solid and never drifts into endless improvisation. Equally, the melodies are crisp and memorable. Whether the pace is glacial or frantic the listen is still equally as impressive. ‘Duet’ is a fantastic muted trumpet piece with an unforgettable melody and ‘A Flight Of The Foo Birds’ really does deliver on all fronts. ‘Li’l Darlin’ ‘ is Basie’s answer to Ellington’s ‘Mood Indigo’ and just as impressive but it is the later two numbers ‘Teddy The Toad’ and ‘Splanky’ which remain most impressive for me. Indeed, the latter almost epitomizes everything which is good about a jazz recording.

This is largely considered the final great work of Count Basie’s, as well as gifted arranger Hefti. The former settled comfortably into churning out his back catalogue until his death in 1984 whereas the later ditched serious jazz for the glitz of Hollywood. Batman theme anyone?

Standout Tracks: ‘Splanky’, ‘Teddy The Toad’, ‘Duet’, ‘ A Flight Of The Foo Birds’

Rating: 9/10

8) The Crickets: 'The "Chirping" Crickets'

Any mention of Buddy Holly instantly initiates counterfactual history. What if he didn’t board that ill-fated flight in 1959? What if he were never born in the first place? How would music have been different to the course it did ultimately follow? Would he have just faded into the background during the 1960s or revolutionized music even more than he managed to do? It’s impossible to say. All we can say for certain is that in his all too short life he became one of the most influential musicians in rock and roll history, influenced countless to come, and did so all in eighteen months and by the age of twenty two!

The “Chirping” Crickets was undoubtedly one of the most important rock and roll releases of the 1950s. His name; along with Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, and Elvis, are synonymous with rock and roll history and his influence cannot be underestimated. Cited as a major influence by future artists such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan he was also one of the first artists to actually write, perform, and produce his own songs. Also, with The Crickets, he set the template for rock and roll which still holds true today; two guitars, bass, and drums. Not only this, but his look inspired people for another twenty years to come (Hank Marvin and Elvis Costello) as well as giving others the confidence that you don’t need to look like Elvis to succeed in the music business. Along the way he also did more than anyone else to popularize the fender Stratocaster.

The ‘Chirping’ Crickets was Holly’s first full length release and introduced audiences to the classic ‘That’ll Be The Day’. At under 30 minutes in length these twelve songs are basically simple love songs. Charles Hardin Holley, formed his band with schoolmate Jerry Allison eventually emerging into ‘The Crickets’ which although short lived (with Holly at the reins at least) still had a major impact. Not one to escape being influenced himself, it was Elvis who inspired Holly. The band stood out quite simply because, unlike other studio bands at the time, they wrote their own material in a style they penned ‘western bop’ which basically fused country and bebop music together. Along with Elvis’ rockabilly element and deference to the blues and early R&B, this melting pot of sounds became explosive.

Holly’s distinctive vocals were as good as his influential guitar work; strong and bold, while the Crickets drove the rhythm along perfectly. It’s interesting to note that it’s not actually The Crickets providing backing vocals here but an uncredited vocal group called The Picks. Listening back upon it now gives the sound a rather dated feel to the arrangements; it’s almost like a church choir backing Holly. Nonetheless, it was relevant for the 1950s and in no way takes away from the quality of the album.

There are a whole host of classic songs here; ‘Oh Boy’ is as stunning an opener as you get and truly states its rock intent. ‘That’ll Be The Day’ demonstrates Holly’s amazing guitar dexterity and blues influence. Others such as ‘Rock Me Baby’ are literally pulsating with rhythm, truly fantastic. ‘It’s So Easy’ is also great but the show stopper is the near pop perfection of ‘Not Fade Away’ with its Bo Diddley beat showcases everything which is good about Holly. Even the songs with melancholic lyrics are hidden by upbeat melodies. This is not to say this album is perfect. There are a few forgettable numbers such as ‘Send Me Some Lovin’ ’ and ‘An Empty Cup’ However, there is certainly more to treasure than forget here.

The Crickets were the first truly independent rock and roll band and Buddy Holly was largely responsible for their success. At times it is hard to look back from the viewpoint of 2010 and realize the immense impact this would have had on the people who were listening to it for the first time. Indeed, it certainly sounds outdated, however this in no way diminishes the quality or importance of this music from one of rocks greatest. Buddy Holly may have died well before his time yet in our memories he certainly will not fade away.

Standout tracks: ‘Not Fade Away’, ‘Oh Boy’, ‘Last Nite’

Rating: 9/10