The Atomic Mr Basie

Really enjoyed this and did not expect to. Great to just have on in the background. Great trumpet and the musicianship is off the charts. Jazz drums!

Energizing! Olde Time-y! Brassy! Blam! Pow! Splash! Also what a crazy album cover for a jazz album. Great symbolism of both the energy of the album and of the atomic age in general.

Perfectly inoffensive and listenable. I don't love it but, more importantly, I don't hate it.

For some reason I have a real soft spot for big band and swing music. Therefore this was very much up my alley. From 1958, it's a late album of its genre, probably one of the last hurrahs of swing, and right slap-bang in the middle of the Atomic Age. When I first saw the album cover I for a second expected a punk album, before noticing it was a Basie album. An interesting cover choice for sure, but I'm sure there had to be a weird public fascination about nuclear weapons at that stage of the Cold War. Pure speculation though, this came out 40 years before I did. Either way the songs were wonderful and it was a nice warm treat on a Thursday evening. Some of the songs were a little too slow for me, but it was still just lovely. Favourite: Flight of the Foo Birds

3.5

"The Atomic Mr. Basie" is an album by American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader and composer Count Basie and his Orchestra. Swing and big band are the noted genres. This apparently caught a lot of the big band core audience by surprise with its forward-looking statement within a big band recording. A fair bit of free-form jazz going on here for sure. The Orchestra included four trumpets, five trombones, five on sax and flute, a drummer, a guitarist, a bassist and Basie on piano. This album won Best Jazz Performance for Group and Best Performance by a Dance Band at the first Grammy's. Wow! "Kid from Red Bank" kicks things off with piano, horns and a prominent rhythm section. Back and forth between the piano and horns. A piano jam. It was written by Basie and Neal Hefti who would go on to do a lot of 60's TV songs including Batman! "Whirlybird" has a big horn start and a driving bass. Hey, a horn jam. The album ends with my two favorite songs. "Fantail" is fast paced. A great drum solo. OK, I could dance to this. An explosive horn ending. "Li'l Darlin" is slow and sultry. More jazzy and relaxing. Dominating horns. I've opened up more to big band musictoday than from the early to mid 1970's where I'd be forced to watch PBS Lawrence Welk re-runs while staying at my grandparents. The only break I'd get was having to run down to the basement and get my Grandpa another beer and since that was quite often, it lessen the big band pain. Now, I would quite enjoy this: the music. Not running down to the basement. Anyway, an enjoyable listen if like big band music or even jazz.

High School Jazz band energy... living for this

Solid hot jazz

A lively big band album that really works for me. The opening piece; The Kid From Red Bank might just be the perfect introducton for a newbie to big band jazz. Throughout this album the music is fast paced and joyful and infectious and incredibly played and arranged. I can't even imagine how incredibly amazing it must have been to be present at the recordng sessions. 5 stars

Swing jazz, which is not really my kind of jazz. Also a bit dated. not a favourite

good but a little bit boring

Просто отличный джазз. Я очень плохо осведомлён об этом жанре в принципе и мне трудно писать о нём что-то стоящее, но я не могу не отметить, что все инструменталисты на данном альбоме играли просто божественно. Хотелось бы продлить некоторые треки и сделать больше акцент на некоторых инструментах, но в основном всё было исполнено прекрасно. (7.5)

This album is so great that it can name one of its tracks “Splanky” and make it sound cool.

Interessante

Love it. These songs melted together so nicely it was hard to distinguish when one song was ending and another was starting. Very cozy, coffee shop/fancy restaurant vibes. Favorite track - After Supper Least favorite track - N/A

Another album i'd like to give 3.5 stars. I honestly expected crazy bombastic big band songs based on the album cover but there were a lot of low key cuts on here which were a nice contrast to the huge moments. Count Basie's drumming was for sure the highlight, those huge big band fills and drum rolls are something you don't hear much from even the best rock drummers.

Awesome. I usually don’t even like Jazz, but this was nice.

Really cool at this point in life it feels like a period piece. Definitely moment and time kind of music.

Appreciate it. But it’s very much a session.

It was okay, had a few good tunes but Jazz is not really my thing.

Listened Before? N Count Basie was incredible. I'm familiar with his work from his time with Frank Sinatra, but I've never listened to just him and his orchestra. It's a good solid jazz/big band record. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Fantail

Man do I love the Count

Good fun Jazz - hectic and vibrant - not my favourite but definitely a fun record to put on in a party

Best Song: Whirly-Bird. High intensity, nice solo, killer bassline. Worst Song: Duet. Too slow and plodding for my liking. Overall: The rhythm section really shines here, but unfortunately it's just not the style of music that I like, so I can't stomach much more than the album's (short) runtime.

Oh, hot dog. This is fine

I believe we've come across the only artist on this list that I can say this for - I have been on stage and played a song from this album to an audience (in my grade nine Big Band). The song was Splanky and I even busted out a sax solo.

Bombs away, Mr. Basie! Regardless of the apocalyptic nature of the album cover, this is a perfect soundtrack for winding down your day and sailing off into the night, bopping around as though no one is watching with nary a care in the world and not having to worry about time, place, et al. From my experience, anyway.

Really nice big band sound you expect from Basie. One of the last of it's kind in an era that didn't appreciate it.

Always love a good jazz record

Definitely not my music but I did appreciate the talent but was too much

Perfect workout music

Et av mine absolutte favorittjazzalbumer! Det smeller og spreller!

I can certainly understand why it is considered good, but it's not really my type of music. The first couple of tracks sounded familiar and were interesting listens but after that, the remaining tracks melded into one another. Overall not bad for background, choring music.

Nice

Pretty decent. Hard to distinguish it from other music of its kind so I'm not overly infactuated with it, but I still enjoyed it nevertheless.

I wanted to like this, but I just don't think jazzy big band music is the one for me 😱

Well that was utterly charming. My dad was always a huge fan of jazz/swing/big band music, but he died when I was young and I never got to experience it with him the way I might've had I been able to listen and explore it as an adult with him. Anyway, this just put me so much in mind of him and felt so at home that this is absolutely going into my mix of albums!

Nah

Well, this should certainly help my jazz and 50s score, as I enjoyed this quite a bit! I knew I actually quite enjoyed jazz in the right style, and this more big band approach is definitely more up my alley. Each song pops so much and it's really appreciated how Count Basie let's his whole orchestra speak rather than taking the limelight like some other jazz artists I hear, it makes it feel like a full group. It does suffer from songs being hard to differentiate, especially at the beginning, but in the middle and end it tries to fix that a bit. I also don't usually judge an album on being an "album", as not every album is meant to be a concept album, but this one also does just feel like a collection of songs taped together, which while expected of the 50s, does still drag it down a little. Just a suprisingly enjoyable album, although unsure what kind of mood I'll have to be in to listen to most of this again. Not exactly driving or chilling music, and I don't dance. The last song may be good sunny day walk music, but as it's snowy where I am, may have to wait a little on that.

Wow, much more enjoyable than expected.

It was a-ok background music.

Bangers only

Really great big jazz album. Really enjoyed this one, it was a lot of fun. Album art is fun too.

Viby

Great, fun classic Jazz

Not a bad album. Have heard some of these pieces before but never knew they where by Count Basie.

Pretty good album :) Made me want to listen to jazz all day Splanky slayed 💅🏽 but we all knew that

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: No, could tolerate it at barely Audio level in a restaurant or something, not my cup of tea Favourite song: didn’t have one

Tom & Jerry sountrack vibes. Love it

Listened to the first 3 songs, I like it

I want to come back to this album

good big band music. i chilled to it, coulda done it to it. wink wink. whatever, someone out there wining and dining their lover to this shit. toot toot mother fucker.

Very enjoyable, good background music

Bit dull, in contrast to the album cover

Pretty good album. It was calm and soothing, sounded like what would be played at a classy 1950s party. I enjoyed it but wouldn't listen to it much. Favorite song: Whirly-Bird

Perhaps just me but I find it impossible to dislike big band (swing) music,it has a universal appeal. Sophistic style but catchy enough to be popular. It also doesn't seem to suffer from sounding dated. I really like it.

I think I only listen to big band music at holiday time for the Christmas music. So maybe that made me particularly amenable to listening, but I really enjoyed this.

Maybe because i lived through the swing revival. Thought this was pretty good.

Listening to this one reminded me of driving around in the car with my grandfather when I was a kid visiting him for the summer. He was a huge Big Band guy, and this one took me back to then. It's easy to tap your toe to it, and I was surprised by how much I liked it, mostly due to those great memories.

If I had to choose only one record to listen to for the rest of my life, this would be it.

Amazing swing/jazz. Makes me want to sit and listen and dance at the same time. Would be great music to paint to.

Basie <3

T3B 1. Splanky 2. Midnite Blues 3. Teddy the Toad Little older, but still great Jazz.

I don't get jazz. This is pleasant enough but I don't really have to ability to differentiate it from most other work in the genre. It certainly doesn't suck, but I will probably never ever listen to it by choice again.

I love me some Big Band music. Such an elegant yet fun time (well, ignoring the whole WWII part). I even leaned hard into the late 90s Swing revival (ask me sometime about when we put on a swing dance in college, complete with jazz band and tuxedoes). I do admit I tend to prefer the slightly modernized Brian Setzer Orchestra versions to the original, but still, big fan of the genre. What's cool about this album is that it's late 50s Big Band. I'm assuming it was slightly old-fashioned at the time, given the other late 50s albums we've rated - they sound more 60s or transitional, where as this is definitely retro. But man, good working music, and I'd love to hire these guys for my dream Christmas party.

Appropriate times to listen to "The Atomic Mr Basie by Count Basie & His Orchestra:" - During the opening credits of a cartoon - During the gathering period before a keynote speech in a large convention center ballroom - While you are doing the dishes - When you are compiling data, processing help desk tickets, or systemically deleting or moving all the random files on your desktop - When you've got a mystery to solve, but darn it, she's just so beautiful Inappropriate times to listen to "The Atomic Mr Basie by Count Basie & His Orchestra:" - When you are driving someone to the hospital - When you are driving someone from the bar to your place - When you are driving alone - When you have friends over - When you have family over - When you are answering email from your boss, your spouse, your child's teacher, or your probation officer

nice

Fine bit of swing a ling ling

Really great album. I was listening while working and it really got me focussed. Bonus points for a sick cover

Another delicious jazz (this time big band) for the list. No misses on the genre here

10/10 shout out to swing jazz easily one of my top five favorite genders

really liked it, some good jazz

Oh, swingeraj! Zbog covera albuma sigurno nisam pomislio na taj žanr, but here we are. Ako si u ovom điru? Stari moj, definitivno ovaj album šubeknut na liniju i lagano đuskanje.

Awesome, awesome jazz record. Way more enjoyable than I was expecting it to be.

Let the band swing. Love it.

It's nice, but if I'm honest it just feels like background music, or the theme tune to an old looney tunes cartoon.

the oldest album I have ever listened to. makes you feel young. nice retro tune

No one was offended. Glad to know it exists. If I have a posh sophisticated dinner party it can be part of the background music. Cover art. Odd choice. Still living with the direct aftermath of WW2 in 1958.

Next stop Pottersville

Very fun and suprising album. Ive been big on listening to jazz while studying so ive always treated it like background music. But this is loud, its bold and sounds fantastic, lots of talented musicians involved, The skill they had to record an album like this

Fun

This is about music right? Well this is music. Pretty much everything else can only dream of this energy and talent and musicianship.

I’m into it

This was great

Kinda fun.

The sort of jazz I can dig

Too dated for me. Fun for historical context, but the recording is rough, and every song is basically the same blaring noise.

Big band isn’t really for me

I’m hype for jazz Bass line goes crazy hard Banger 5/5

My Amazon music had moved on to shuffling other count Basie music long before I checked if the album had finished, it was really good

Pretty cool.

A very enjoyable jazz orchestra album. The tracks are short and sweet, nothing overstays its welcome. I really enjoyed it.

Quite enjoyed this. Never listened to an album like this before. Strange album artwork for a jazz album but was pretty banging so fair play

Awesome album! Lots of fun, start to finish.

Big Band/Piano Jazz. Not really my thing. 2.5/5

Love big band

Yes - this is a really good big band album. Not sure about the atomic theme, though.

A more than decent jazz album, quite enjoyable and interesting. Maybe not my cup of tea, but a solid record for sure.

It’s jazz

Yeah jazz slaps

A lot of energy but the horns are a bit much for morning listening.

Excellent

23rd September 2022 Listened mainly on Sunday driving back to our hotel from castle bay in France. Chris and Imane’s wedding weekend. Big band jazz, very cool.

It was very nice. The sort of jazz you'd think of if you pictured a cool 1950s beatnik saying hey Daddio. Very dated (duhdoy, it's 70 years old), but the band is so tight, and the whole thing was very enjoyable, even though it just further confirms jazz as soon me thing I will always respect, but rarely love.

Love how it kicks off. Only started listening more actively to jazz recently, beginning with Thelonious Monk, then branching out into Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, etc, but somehow the various algorithms didn't spit out Count Basie. Anyway, enjoyed the swingy feel.

Although I'm not too familiair with big band or jazz, this sounds great! Def come back to this one

art is booom! Nice and relaxing

Good, but felt a bit like background music for vocal jazz. If you’re into jazz you’ll find something you like though

4/11, 36%

It’s a fine big band album. I feel like big band doesn’t really stray too far from that classic sound, which is fine, but still won’t blow me away necessarily. 5/10

Good. Not really my type of music.

Big band jazz stuff - not my cup of tea. Pleasant enough but sounds like muzak.

Not my favorite Count Basie, but always enjoy his music.

High-level big-band jazz. Maybe a slightly thinner sound than the best of the Ellington band, but every bit as polished, and perhaps even a touch smoother. There’s plenty of swing to go around, and some lovely understated touches by Basie on the piano (which contrast nicely with the big and brassy tutti sections at the end of several tracks).. I love the sultry (or “slinky”) “After Supper” and generally prefer the mid-tempo and quieter cuts, including “Midnight Blue” and “Splanky” especially “Lil Darlin’” with its hook for the ages.

Wouldn’t typically listen to this genre so I gave it two listens and it’s fun. Started out hot with The Kid From Red Bank which turned out to be my favourite track. This album is more than background noise.

Un viaje genial para encarar el día! Música de otro tiempo pero imperecedera

I don’t really like all instrumental albums and I don’t really like jazz music all too much so this was a hard one to get through. But I appreciate the artistry here to be fair and (while I know the cover influences this) the whole album portrays a gloomy style of like the day after the apocalypse kinda thing it’s got some insanely gloomy tracks then other tracks that take a more traditional upbeat feeling (see the 1,2 punch of after supper then flight of the foo birds). The music actually reminded me quite a bit of playing fallout and Cuphead and how both of those games soundtracks are very jazz based at the core ( and I love both those games so that’s a point in the albums favour. I can’t say I love it though it’s really, really not my kinda thing so 2/5 for good instrumentation and random gaming memories.

Oh, I love Cuphead. Good day for a swell battle! Turns out that the only time I can enjoy jazz is if I can imagine a rubber hose animation dancing to it. Wow, okay. I actually really liked this. Made me feel many things: Like I'm in a Tom and Jerry chase sequence, a cooking montage and a video game boss fight at the same time.

When Jazz was allowed to be something other than A Credit to the Race. Halcyon days...

Swing - verb. The Count Basie Orchestra. While Ellington’s band was pure sophistication, Basie’s band was pure swing. Great arrangements and great hearing the Count before his piano playing became more “economical.”

Quite good.

tom n jerry music. feels like adderall and coffee

I’m normally not a fan of jazz (that’s was this was, right?), but I didn’t hate it.

This was released in 1958?? Some of these tracks had some STANK. Best track: Midnite Blue

Count Basie zei me helemaal niks en ga ik ook weer heel snel vergeten.

Allemaal leuk en aardig die toeters, maar zo prominent hoeft niet voor mij. En jazz, tja....

Heb het zowaar 7 nummers volgehouden. Toen bereikte ik het punt dat ik de eerstvolgende persoon die ik tegen zou komen met de vlakke hand in het gezicht wilde slaan. Gelukkig kwam ik er net op tijd achter dat die persoon er ook niks aan kon doen dat Count Basie zo'n toeterende zenuwpees is.

Ik heb een hekel aan jazz, maar omdat dit zo'n kort plaatje was en ik me er nauwelijks aan gestoord heb: drie sterren.

7/10

70/100: Our first jazz album, and a big band jazz album at that! This was a really fun listen to and came at a perfect time: on a day where I had to knock out a lot of homework. This album provided the perfect soundtrack for that. Although, I wouldn’t ever listen to this album solely to listen to it, I think that’s an unfair metric for jazz. I find my appreciation for jazz doesn’t come from listening to it in the same way that I listen to other genres—making the act of listening to the music the primary focus. I instead find it beautiful how jazz unconsciously seeps into your mind while it plays as background music to another activity. Multiple times while working on my aero homework, I found myself unconsciously bobbing from side to side to the music I had gotten so used to hearing for the past hour that I forgot it was even playing. That’s the power of jazz, and this album did as good of a job as most jazz albums I’ve listened to in revealing that power. There are jazz albums I like better than this one, though, and I hope to see those at some point in this project.

I enjoyed the energy of this album very much, even though it was not really the type of music I lean towards.

Enjoyable jazz. Good soloing, jolly melodies. Accessible big band jazz with hints of the experimental soloing of Miles and friends in the coming few years, but less “difficult”.

Was really digging it at first but by the end felt super over it

Excellent

Cool album cover, sweet piano flicks, all right jazz music, not really any memorable songs, good vibe.

Honestly really dug it, very toe-tappy and bombastic at times and the track titles mostly reflected the vibe of the songs which isn’t a given for instrumental music, but appreciated. Also shout out to my boy Teddy the Toad, in deference to Peace Frog off Morrison Hotel.

It was pretty good big band jazz. Not really my thing.

A delight to listen to!

It was fine. In my limited exposure to jazz this is not my favorite 2/5

I dug it. Not sure how often I’d go back to it though.

2/5 - Impressive for the genre, but I have little interest in listening to swing or big band.

Classic

Good jazz album, not my cup of tea though

Loved this album, a great vibe and almost every track a banger. I will be returning and also trying more of Mr Basie.

Solid jazz album, sadly for someone of my generation music without lyrics all is harder to distinguish. The songs didn’t sound the same but it makes me very curious why they were named like they were.

Fun jazz.

6/10 not quite my style, not bad, not exceptional. At some point, probably influential. Cowboy Bebop vibes. Bouncy horns and dreamy waltzes.

Appreciate it for what it is. A few songs made me feel like dancing in the kitchen with my non-existant husband in my poodle-type skirt and kitten heels. Others sounded like they were sampled in Family Guy, so that was a bit of a turn off. Rating 2/5 because it's not an album I'd ever choose to listen to again, but obviously is still a phenomenal piece of art.

Jazz swing 1958

Du bon big band, mais j'avais plus l'impression d'écouter une compilation qu'un album avec une narrative et un flux constant.

Meh

Love me some big band. Basie, and this album in particular, is out of sight.

Some good tunes on there, higher energy

Surprisingly good. The orchestra thing isn't really my thing, but the album played well

Not usually a fan of jazz but it was pretty good working music. I liked the piano bits

The most interesting big band music I've ever heard - way ahead of its time, really good! Exactly the kind of thing I was hoping for when I signed up

Big band jazz, not my favorite jazz, but still good.

nothing necessarily fantastic but the big band interplay is an interesting chemistry that can't be found in every aspect of jazz. with that being said, this isn't the most interesting jazz you can listen to, that's for sure...

Stellar big band record.

I don't deserve to judge this album.

Just a super enjoyable listen and a showcase for the musicians' skill and musicality. I love the swing/big band/jazz sound and how it is both simple and complex.

Great album all around. The complexities of some of these songs is really impressive to listen to. Would definitely come back to this. 4.5 stars.

This Big Band sound is everything to someone who loves brass. Minus 1 Star for Splanky being a terrible song.

Very fun album, no singing, just foot tappin.

I dig it

Hahaha, what a great name and album cover. I thought I was going to listen to punk music.

so so

Excellent. Surely even those oddities who profess "not to like jazz" couldn't fail to have their feet moved by this?

V chilled. 6/10.

This album makes me feel like I’m wandering around 1950s Manhattan

I listen to these albums on my 6am drives to work and this woke me up! As much as I love yesterday's album, Dark Side of the Moon, it is not 6am driving-to-work music. This is. I enjoyed this a lot.

Babbety.

Decent. Kinda cool, felt pretty bored most of the time. 5/10

Divine

Bro i'm sad, and all this upbeat madness wasn't really getting to me. But nutty on the trumpet tho.

not my bag, but good for what it is.

This was fine, just like all the other instrumental albums on this list. I didn't notice when the album ended and Spotify started playing another artist.

I've heard of Count Basie, but I couldn't tell you what music, if any, I've heard before. Everything on The Atomic Mr Basie was new to me. I liked the album. There were energetic tracks that grabbed my attention, and there were slow grooves that also grabbed my attention. On my first listen, I didn't pick anything out as a new favorite, but I could easily come back to this album to listen again and see what I may have missed the first time. I liked the album enough that I listened to the bonus tracks from the re-issue.

Got it. From those times…wouldnt put it up in the car though…

Old school big bang swing jazz - perfectly fine, but not my lane at all

Good Jazz

Smooth, good listening. Feels futuristic for the 50's.

Loved it, though I feel that i cannot fully appreciate the musicality.

really liked one of the songs

P1 intro, ukeslutt elns? Fekk litt vintage bar følelse som forhøyna dagens dusj Slitsomt. Eg trur eg kunne levd lykkelig uten å ha høyrt ditta albumet.

reiseradioen på nrk jo litt tom og jerry og kanskje

Minne meg om Radioresepsjonen, Tom & Jerry og kasino-minigamet til Mario 64 på DS, og da e nåke eg ikkje kan sei om alle album

I’m not the biggest fan of big band, but this is once of the greatest big band albums out there.

Alright. Wouldn’t go out of my way to listen again though.

A bit much of a good thing.

Not my jam. Cool album cover though

Good but only so often I would listen to this

I should probably sit down with these more instrumental ones and try headphones but they are fantastic background music while I work.

It was very nice (and unexpected) to get utterly instrumental jazz that does not look like a revolution or something like that. I didn't expect this "normal" jazz album on this list. It was a pretty lovely album and it's worth it, for sure although I believe that I'm suspect. This is the exact type of song that I like to discover.

Lovely. Warm, nostalgic, and classy jazz, easy listening (nothing too off beat or overly clever)

I like a chunk of jazz from the swing era - Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Raymond Scott, some Louis Armstrong, some Cab Calloway... but this in particular sounds like something you would hear in an old folk's home. Time has not been kind to this.

Swing big bands seem like a foreign country, but this was enjoyable. At some point in the near future, guitar-driven rock and roll will be as foreign.

Swing the pain away

Big Fallout vibes, I love this!

Love it.

Very nice and groovy album. The instruments, and especially the drums, are intense, fast, efficient and rowdy, in a way... I love it! A record that lives up to its name!

Very much the kind of thing you’ll like if you like this kind of thing. Excellently well executed with lots of high-level soloing and some huge, way-swinging hooks. Such well-integrated playing – orchestral and strong in the details, too. Highlights for me include “After Supper” and “Lil’ Darlin’.” Shouldn’t the Foo Fighters cover “Flight of the Foo Birds”?

Just not sure what i got out of this

just like old people like

Hard to believe this is as old as it is!

I haven't heard a ton of big band stuff but among the stuff I've heard this is one of the cooler ones. Makes me want to explore more for sure. The cover is striking too and very different than what I'd expect from a big band album, or any 50s album really.

Jazz! Swing om precies te zijn. Leuk album. Maar een nog leuker genre als je ik groep bent en kunt dansen

Well it's nice enough but I really couldn't tell the end from the start from the middle.

Tbf not bad, big band not necessarily for me but didn't mind

I'm still not much of a jazz fan, but this is on the good side of it.

The word of the day is : energy. Atomic may be about right for the time. Wow. Respect.

I don't know if I loved any one song, here, but this could play all day every day in the background of where ever I am and I'd be okay with it.

Big fun, a record that swings mightily, almost in defiance of the experiments in jazz going on around them. With musicians playing free and post bop just around the corner, it almost feels audacious that Basie would pick this particular moment to detonate a powerhouse big band record of this magnitude.

That's album cover is Punk Rock for sure. This whole album is pretty heavy. Dear metal, you've invented nothing.

Not one I would have thought I'd enjoy this much. "Big band" and swing are usually genres I avoid. But this was a great listen.

Strong 3

Fallout music with no lyrics

Ballsy of Basie to show a mushroom cloud on the cover in this age of nuclear paranoia and there’s definitely something powerful in these tracks which swing and jump and jive and wail, racing forward, hurtling over its 40 minutes length, perfect for a night on the town leaping from bar to bar. If there’s a distinctiveness lacking between the tracks at times not to worry - this is all part of a mood and sensation. Just keep swinging away and give in to Basie’s skill and talent.

5/1/2022 Today's Album: "The Atomic Mr Basie" by Count Basie - Basie, his big bands, and his orchestra ruled jazz for decades. Just going back through this man's discography, you can see albums from all the way back in 1936 up to as recent as the mid 90s! His jazz stylings are always iconic and even from my little experience with playing jazz, I know that his tracks are some of the most fun to play as a brass player. The fact he stayed relevant throughout essentially the entire 20th century is truly astonishing, but it isn't for no reason. These jazz tracks are ones that created the blueprint of what popular jazz music is and it is obvious that Basie never stopped innovating through the changing of what was popular in jazz throughout the decades. As for this album, the production quality, although perhaps lacking by today's standards, is pretty outstanding for being released in the late 50s. The performances are very lively and the improv from whoever is soloing at a given moment are always spot on and full of creative passion. I like that there are a variety of different jazz moods on this album, and although there is sort of this dated fuzz to a lot of the sounds recorded here, the performances really do shine through. The horns really take the spotlight on this album and it is to be expected from a Basie record. Not to say the other instruments aren't also fantastic, but horn quality, tone, range, and consistency like I'm hearing on this record it so so hard to achieve from a horn section and it is just pulled off so well in every track. Aside from that though, the saxophones are all in time with each other and whenever one of them solo's it sounds fantastic. The rhythm section feels pretty standard for a jazz outfit, but given the spotlight shined on the band, it really isn't too big of a deal. I like the tracks where the tempo picks up because Basie just has this touch with these fast and chaotic tracks that just pulls me in every time. Overall, I find myself enjoying this album as a listening experience, but it doesn't do a ton to really "impress" me in terms of jazz music. However, it is still a ton of really solid jazz tracks with some admirable solos. Jazz to me is something that is always great as background music and this album is great for exactly that. Give this one if you like ragtime jazz music. Highlights: The Kid from Red Bank, Duet, Flight of the Foo Birds, Whirly-Bird, Splanky, Score: 6.5/10 50's Jazz

Shannah unexpectedly liked. 3/5 Jane expectedly liked. 3/5 Bill liked but felt it was a bit generic. 2.5/5 Conor agrees with Bill. 2.5/5 2.75/5

Three stars, maybe? The swan song of Big Band Jazz and an all-time classic for many (plus, what an album cover!). Obviously, this is a landmark record for many but I'm not sure I'm sold on this one. Besides, there are so many *huge* gaps when it comes to jazz in Dimery's list that I think you'd first need to fill those gaps with all the wonderful albums in the genre that are still missing in the list, and then see if there's room left for "The Atomic Mr Basie". And I don't even think I'm an expert in jazz (it's just that all the important masterpieces from the post-bop period of the sixties *need* to be included, period). So, to put it in a nutshell, I can understand listening to *The Atomic Mr. Basie* once because of its cultural importance, and overall it's been an interesting or fun listen, if not a pleasant one. But I'm not sure I ever want to play that album again now I've listened to it once. Number of albums left to review or just listen to:  more than 900, I've temporarily lost count here Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens:  approximately a half so far Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: a quarter (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): the last quarter

Simply magnificent

Disc icònic del director i pianista, envoltat de primers noms del jazz, amb una secció de vents molt potent i uns temes que brillen amb uns arranjaments i una producció de primer nivell

Свинг/джаз в чистейшей его форме. Ничего плохого сказать я не могу, но и восторга, пожалуй, не возникло совсем.

Me gustó. Pasa rápido, pero de buena manera.

It's upbeat, fun, gets your booty moving. I'll probably never listen to it again.

Found it intriguing that apple music labeled this as Pop, though i guess it may have been the popular music back in the late 50's. There are a few sections that are too slow/sparse, but it is mostly a solid enjoyable big band sound with a great rhythm and groove.

Ihan hauskaa kuunnella tällainenkin levy, tuntuu vaan et parikin biisiä ois jo riittänyt. Vaikea löytää hirveästi mitään eri vivahteita biisien välillä.

Not my cup of tea…

I haven't listened to much of his stuff before, but the optimism and positivity conveyed through this music was contagious. Planning to check out more of his stuff!

Jakas odmiana na liscie, tym razem powialo z hameryki dosc oldskulowo, bo big bandowy swingowy krazek the atomic mr basie Counta Basie i jego orkiestry, ktora przewodzil pan Neal Hefti, 39 minutowy krazek sklada sie z 11 utworow, ktore brzmia tak jak czlowiek sobie wyobraza brzmienie gdy slyszy, ze bedzie grany jakis big band jazzowy, jak dla mnie brzmiaca mocno kinowo, bo ile razy takie potezne kompozycje mozna uslyszec w filmach czy bajeczkach, kolejna dziwna sprawa, ze hinskie bajki tak czesto siegaja, a raczej siegaly, bo kojarzy mi sie to bardziej ze starociami gangsterskimi i hardo boilowanymi mscicielami lat 90, pomimo tego, ze plyta pana Counta Basiego to nie dominuje muzycznie tu jego fortepian, a raczej slychac bardziej trebaczy ktorych w takim big bandzie musialo byc kilku, gdy do tego dodac saksy, drumy, gitary, tamburino, to pianino schodzi na drugi plan, ale jednak znajda sie kawalki ktore hajlajtuja wlasnie skillsy pana Basiego, jak na midnite blue, ale tak czy inaczej jest to album calego zespolu a nie jednego czlowieka, czy to gwiazdy tej orkiestry czy pana konduktora, krazek plusuje takze tym ze posiada wylacznie autorskie kompozycje, a nie jak czesto bywa na nagraniach z lat 50, chociaz 58 to juz mocna koncowka, klasykow danego gatunku, bo przeciez standardy najlepiej sie sprzedaja, bo wszyscy je znaja i kochaja, a tutaj same nowosci, z ciekawostej plyta wygrala najlepszego jazzowego performenca na pierwszych grammy, na plejke dodam wspomniany juz kawalek hajlajtujacy klawisze midnite blue i dodatkowo flight of the foo birds za najpozytywniejsze wajby z calego krazka

3 stars because I don't know anything about jazz. I assume it's incredible.

4/04/22

Remember when atomic shit was sexy and cool? Well, no, you probably don't, but in 1957 it was, especially in the US (probably less so in Japan). As somebody who bought Mingus Ah Um and Miles Davis's Blue Christmas at the age of 19, largely in an attempt to appear cool and mysterious to the girls at university, and as someone who has been to Ronnie Scott's several times, I feel supremely qualified to pronounce upon this album. It's great! Good humoured, light-hearted, glad to be alive (and not vaporised into nothingness by an apocalyptic nuclear blast), joyously played big band jazz. These cats can play! Boom. We hope you enjoyed your time on this planet.

This had a nice mixture of kind of classic big band type jazz, but also some really great bebop and dixieland style. Some really sweet guitar and clarinet lines in places, and the piano playing of course is super rad. I like this quite a bit, works well as some upbeat background music, but also interesting stuff happening for active listening too.

Liked this just fine. Enjoyable but not amazing.

Not really that much into this kinda jazz but it was enjoyable enough for what it was.

I primarily know the Count from his work with Sinatra, and haven’t heard much of his instrumental stuff. But this is good! Parts of it are a little slow for my taste, as my preference towards jazz tends to be more intense, but a lot of it really swings, and every musician kills. Should really check more of his stuff out. B

I know fuck about shit when it comes to jazz, but this uhhh… this rips. Pacing, diversity of style, memorable performances? Top notch. 4

4/5

N'ayant pas regardé l'année de publication de ce CD et au vu de sa couverture, je m'attendais à un album punk. Les premières notes de jazz m'ont de ce fait agréablement surpris. Mon seul petit regret reste le moment où la bombe atomique explose et nous cause un acouphène de plusieurs minutes. Dommage.

Je pense que Robert prend un malin plaisir à se foutre de nous.

properly good.

I'm not the biggest big band fan, but I love jazz

Love this shit. Might be one of the ugliest covers ever though. 5

¡Ay, las ganas de hacer burlesque que me dio!

Genre: Big Band 4/5 Count Basie, a name that's so big in the jazz world my piano tutor neighbor named her dog after him, was a bandleader/pianist known for pushing the limits of the big band sound. This was the pop music of the times. In 1958, while rock was still trying to push its way to the forefront, the music being played on jukeboxes and in living rooms around the country was the big band music and stylings of artists like Count Basie. This is, in essence, a dance album. A 40-minute concert of sorts that'll make you want to get on the floor and swing your partner round 'n round. It moves from fast and frolicking to slow and sexy, just like a live set from the orchestra. Overall, this is a genuinely enjoyable piece of music history, and a great album to play for your older relatives to watch them go "Oh fuck yeah, Count Basie."

Orquestra de jazz, só sonzao pode crê aham

Enjoyed listening to it, and watching the baby move her feet in time to it!

Good swing music. Final track was my favorite.

Saksofon

Wow - That’s what I call groovy, swing big band jazz! Excellent tunes, impecable interpretation, energetic and charming. By the way, the amount of courage they had for using a nuclear explosion in the cover only 13 years after WWII ended is remarkable.

I really like the swingy mood. It gives such a cool vibe and the whole album has this very cozy, almost a home feeling.

Música Jazz/Big band. Muy chula.

Swing, agradable

As far as classical/orchestra music goes, this was fine. If you've got an elevator around, this would be right at home there.

Not usually a big band fan, but this was pretty good

I don't like very much the jazz but I think Count Basie is one of the best.

Jazz is good but not big band jazz. Didn’t listen to all of it.

Enjoyable, not as good as some of the other jazz albums I've had on here. But still a pleasant listen throughout.

Bon swing

4.0 - I'm not normally a fan of big band jazz but this album really swings. I especially love the arrangement on "Whirly Bird" that has some complex brass backing, coupled with amazing solos on the piano and saxophone.

intrigante

This music transported me to an earlier time. I think I do have a preconceived notion with this type of music genre (big band/jazz...even blues/swing/etc...not sure if it's an anti-brass sentiment in my brain lol). However, this was truly quite enjoyable.

For a swing album from 1959 it was ok, nothing more than background music though

It's very good. What else can you say. 3/5

I quite like Count Basie's big band music, but I noticed that I like contemporary renditions much more than the "real thing". I put that to recording quality: my favourite takes on Basie are audiophile recordings. A well made recording turns the visceral impact of the big band is something else. The originals are, of course, still very good, even if their recording quality cannot compare.

Classic Jazz/Swing orchestra who played with prime Sinatra. Great to listen to whilst WFH. Not sure I'd go back to it many times like i do with Miles but enjoyed it enough to give it 3/5.

Excellent

Smooth

jazzy! finally something without words. A little too uptempo for work but an easy 4.

hvaða fucking rugl er þetta ég er ekki 95 ára gamall, hvers vegna í andskotanum er þetta á þessum lista, djöfull er þetta boring shit, 1 stjarna fuckit

It's got a great beat and you can dance to it

C'est du jazz, chiant

Yeah this kind of jazz I can get behind. Not too freeform, not too self indulgent. It’s upbeat, it’s jazzy, it’s Basie!

Extremely badass

Cool cover Killer jazz Wicked solos 5 stars or gtfo

Ta bueno. Hace tiempo no escucho algo parecido, me falta escuchar más cosas de esa época

i'm a sucker for a walking bassline. this is the kind of smooth i like and i'm down with the album cover that has nothing to do with jazz but at the same time somehow relates to the stabby explosive nature of the horn section.

The juxtaposition of the music to the album cover is confusing. A bit like an owl doing the splits, I'm afraid. Must do better. Declan Rice's girlfriend.

8/10 has some snoozer tracks but overall a fantastic album

8/10. Good stuff, but not the most exciting

What happened to that high schooler who vehemently defended his dislike of big band? This music just makes me feel happy now. 9/10

Background music at best for me

Nights out in the 50s must have been an absolute blast.

Ba-ba-BAAAAAAA

This album is a bit of an anacronism in 1958, especially with all of the landmark jazz albums that would come out the following year. It's a big band album made after the height of the big band era. However, it's a really fun album that somehow lives up to the boldness of its cover and title. I don't usually enjoy big band music, but I thought this one was well worth the listen 4/5

Little too jazz not enough big band for me. Not sure I get it mainly

I think this was good and technically really strong, but big band simply isn't my thing!

Very good one. I float listening to the trumpets!

not what i’d usually listen to but so fun and funky. feel like i’m in a movie montage

It's really great. Count Basie is a legend

Maybe I should listen to more Jazz.

The type of music that makes me nostalgic for a time I wasn’t even alive. Easy listening and good background music

The jazz!

Very interesting album.

a sense of grandiose and scale that elevates a record filled with bombastic instrumentation.

Nice music to stroll down a Parisian street to or have on in a hotel lobby

It's nice to put a sound to an iconic name of the big band / jazz world. Not my usual genre but I quite enjoyed it, especially the tracks where the bass skips along at a good pace. It all sounds very neatly put together. I'm a fan of the album cover and the cute track names too.

Nice to have on in the background. With no reference point for swing music, I'm struggling to say much more about it though.