#0009: Count Basie - The Complete Atomic Basie [****]

I don't how many horns Count Basie had in his band but it sounds like a thousand.  This is an enormous sound.  Paint yourself an aural picture of the glitzy, flamboyant overture before the likes of Sammy Davis Jr took to the stage in Vegas and you're half way there.

This instrumental collection really doesn't feel the want of vocals.  The tones, the textures, the sweeping undercurrent of horns juxtaposed with the delicate finesse of intricate piano licks, the measured, reflective slower swing numbers, it all blends beautifully.  

The saxophone solos are played often with very little piano presence, leaving ample space for the implied chords to wow and the infinitesimal note lengths of the runs, ducking and spiralling like otters swimming through red bull to amaze.