The Atomic Mr Basie

Amazing, reminds me of the cuphead soundtrack or fallout. Truly a timeless classic, loved all of it.

A great record from the big band jazz era. Count Basie was an amazing band leader as well as a great piano player. This music brings a smile to my face as I listen to its easy listening from the last time that jazz was really popular.

The first thing I noticed even before starting to listen to this album were the fun song titles. This album was pure joy plus some relaxation thrown in for good measure. Atomic indeed!

One of the best jazz albums i have ever heard

fallout, baby! no pasaron ni dos compases and this shit had me tapping my foot like i own the nuclear wasteland. de verdad quiero darle 5 estrellas a este disco, pero se siente raro hacerlo con solo un listen. de fijo 4.5 estrellas minimo. teddy the toad? hell yeah that's how he sounds. excelentes lineas de saxofon que a ratos me recordaban a henry mancini.

I've always loved big band/swing music since my dad was an avid listener (8-tracks!) in his company truck and at home on an 8-track player that still lives (though my dad does not). Yes, I do love this stuff. 5 "reminds me of my dad" stars!!

As energetic as big band gets (at least in my limited experience with the genre)! There are also some mellow songs to add contrast, with the closing track being my favorite of the album.

interesting and enjoyable

Splanky

Could play this every day

Nice

Masterpeiece!

Fun and wholesome. Music my grandparents may have fooled around to. Me gusta. I wonder if the album cover was controversial at the time.

Yeah great jazz album from this era

Nice

Excelente disco de jazz

genius music

A masterclass in orchestral dynamics and rhythmic precision. Despite its 1958 vintage "Lo-Fi" warmth, the recording captures the explosive power of the brass section and the delicate nuance of Basie’s minimalist piano with incredible clarity. The interplay between silence and sound creates a gripping tension that remains a gold standard for big band production, offering a visceral and sophisticated listening experience.

surprisingly like it

MS jazz band moment. We weren't this good, I'll tell you that.

One of the Greats

Count Basie, when I hear that name, I know what to expect, but I’m not sure I could have told you what instrument he played or anything else about him. I figured we’re talking jazz here, but not the weird, avant-garde jazz, but the jazz that makes you want to jump up and boogie your arse off. Plus, when I think of Count Basie, I figure he died in like 1950. Nope, the dude made it to 1984. What must he have thought about music at that time? By the by, Basie was a piano player, organist, band leader, and composer. He led the Count Basie Orchestra for around 50 years. This album was recorded in 1957 and released in 1958, and was called the last great record by Count Basie. That’s probably why it’s included in the 1,001 Albums list. The same year this album came out was the year of the first Grammy Awards. This album won Best Jazz Performance by a Group and Best Performance by a Dance Band. Here we go. Just hearing the opening of track one, The Kid from Red Bank, I might not do a track-by-track of these 11 songs. In fact, this might be one of my shortest pieces because I want to sit and enjoy this. This first track is piano-heavy with blasting horns. I’m all the way in already. I feel like I’ve heard this before. Maybe in a movie or on a Tom and Jerry cartoon. You know the one, where Tom and Jerry are living over a jazz club or something. Remember when all those Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry cartoons had incredible music? I remember some of the music more than the cartoons these days. Track 2 is Duet, and it’s got a funky bass line holding it down. It's another in a long line of great tracks. As I move through the music on this album, I notice that every song seems to have a different instrument or two that get their time to shine. It really catches your ear as in one song there’s a great sax solo, then in the next it’s the bass that really attracts the attention, then Basie’s piano will be the star in another song. It’s like Basie wanted to give everyone in the band a time to shine. It’s rather grey and cold here in Kentucky as I write this, but listening to the Atomic Mr. Basie, it gets you fired up. Loving this. There hasn’t been one song on here that I have thought, “Ugh, that’s a clunker.” Most of the songs are uptempo bangers, with the last track, Lil’ Darlin’, being a nice, slower tempo, get close with your sweetie on the dance floor type song. As a fan of classic movies, songs like these really take my mind back to the time when this was popular music. Lil’ Darlin; is such a beautiful song to close this album of absolutely burn your face of jazz. a I have said before I’m no jazz expert. I’d like to become even more familiar with the genre, but I know what I like. Count Baise’s got what I like. Is it must-listen? I think so. Especially if you’ve never dipped that toe into the waters of jazz before. This is a great album to start with. It just makes you feel good. It’s definitely going into my playlist of great finds from the 1,001 Albums list.

#303/1001. Jazz creeps in to this list, and for me I welcome it to wash away all the mossy rolling stones and 90s and 00s rock saviours. The title and the cover couldn't be any more kitschier and out of context, but the music be-pops the hell out of most on this project.

great! jazz, love it

Loved. I should listen to more jazz.

Genuinely enjoyed this one, first 5 star rating. 8.9/10 lol

I dream of playing my trumpet this brightly

Listened in the car. Loved this big band classic. Great solos, incredible arrangements, and the fact that the audio quality is so good from a recording of this time is amazing. Loved it.

Awesome jazz orchestra sound - plus Basie's way of playing at the piano conveys such cleverness and confidence. "Teddy The Toad" and "Splanky" are classics (and throwbacks to playing in high school jazz band...), and "Flight of the Foo Birds" and "Fantail" are also highlights!

More spicy than Sir Duke, more big band than Miles. This was excellent!

Fabulous. Classy. Love it.

TIGHT! ALRIGHT! OUTTA SIGHT! I don't even like jazz, and you can't go wrong with Count Basie. Smooth, dynamic, big band jazz delivering something you can just jam along to and be productive or just listen and tap your feet. The songs never feel overdone or leave you wanting more. I could listen to this about 15 more times and not get tired of it.

fire

пока шла под этот альбом, перед моими ногами с крыши упал огромный кусок льда. Хорошая была бы последняя музыка. раньше люди умели веселиться

Amazing

9,5/10 JE POURRAIS L'ÉCOUTER TOUS LES JOURS POUR RÉVISER

Beautiful…

Fucking *finally*. I have been dying for some jazz. And big band jazz is a great way to start (i say start because I don't think we've rolled jazz yet? idk i can't remember) By 1958, obviously big bands were sort of on their way out in favor of the would-be traditional solos, trios, and quartets of jazz musicians that would rule the 60s; still, though, this album (or more generally, count basie and his orchestra) left indelible marks on the jazz scene at its absolute peak. coming on the heels of work from people like duke ellington, it was virtually impossible for this album not to be a critical success. and thank god it was: while *this* particular album wasn't necessarily fundamental in my early jazz appreciation years, it definitely ranks in the top ten (it would take me a week or more to decide my top three, but i don't think count basie, or duke ellington for that matter, rank that high). when i first heard count basie in i think 2012, i was walking around chicago at night in 2012 and there are few, i would argue, better places to listen to jazz if you want the love of it to become a personality trait. in the next decade alone i would end up at jazz clubs all over the world trying to find local groups that could do what these guys were doing. i found some! people will tell you that it's hard to beat nyc if you want to find good jazz in the 21st century (as many cities, especially those abroad, began to fizzle out as Blue Note clubs and their similarly-styled contemporaries closed), but don't listen to the purists: there's still all kinds of cool shit going on in chicago, in denver, and hell, even in prague. prague might have one of the best jazz clubs i've ever been to; better than most in paris, to my mind. this album is so fucking great for so many reasons. hefti's arrangements are among the best big band arrangements to have ever been played by anyone ever, and i don't think that's a bold claim-- i think that's actually a pretty lukewarm take. the standards that are included here ("Li'l Darlin'", "Corner Pocket", etc.) are some of my favorite records OF those standards, making this album infinitely re-listenable. swing jazz is so so so important for the emergence of hard bop, which is my favorite. i think we'll eventually roll some of my favorite hard bop records, and i'm excited for that. count basie is one of the first to really hone the walking bass, call-and-response lines from different instrument sections, and my absolute favorite, the blues influence. these two genres play together like starsky and fucking hutch, and you can hear it all over this record. "Whirly-Bird" might be one of the greatest big band standards of all time. you cannot listen to this song and feel anything but electricity and joy. this album fucking slaps. count basie is a fucking legend. thank god and the USA for big band jazz.

Count Basie is one of the artistes I grew up listening to, courtesy of my grandfather. It was him who introduced me to some of the best rhythm and blues, blues, swing, and of course, jazz, and Basie was right in there alongside Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, and Cab Calloway. This album is probably some of the best music Basie laid down, and listening to it even now still brings back some happy memories from my childhood. That alone is reason enough to give this one five stars.

Listening to The Atomic Mr. Basie instantly paints a picture in my mind: my grandparents dropping the needle on the record, the stereo humming to life, and the two of them dancing across the living room floor. I don’t actually know if that scene ever played out in real life (though with both of my grandfathers being WWII veterans, it certainly feels possible) but that’s the unmistakable atmosphere Count Basie & His Orchestra create. It’s timeless, classic big band at its finest, and from start to finish, it was an absolute joy to hear.

peak background music

Absolutely sensational. Makes you understand why people loved to dance to Big Band and Swing. It takes you through the same sensations as techno and hardstyle. All the more remarkable that it's all being played with instruments.

This is my jam. No notes - the nuke on the cover is fully earned.

Basie at his best, Big Band at its best. Lots of great energy and soaring melodies and a sweet ballad at the end. Reminds you why swing jazz is a real thing.

Bought this a few years ago and gave it 5* then, but it dropped off my radar. Back on again now…. I love the way that the arrangements move effortlessly from big time swing to after midnight shmooze, and just flows along. 1. After Supper 2. Whirly-Bird 3. Midnite Blue 4. Lil' Darlin'

I'm probably overrating this one, but i love Big Band music, and there wasn't a bad song on this album. This is one I want to go out and find on vinyl just to have something to put on. Its not Heavy Weather, its not Kind Of Blue, its just good Big Band Jazz music. Is that so wrong?

As a random album that came across my plate, I found it to be fun, energetic, and high-energy, but it also had some really good mellow sections with wonderful pianos and great percussion. That being said, I'm always open to listening to anything that comes my way, but this was definitely the first big band, swing, ballroom jazz album I've ever played from beginning to end. Other than that, it's fair to say this is definitely not my usual style of music, so I don't have much of a reference point on what makes this such a monumental album compared to others from its era and genre.

One of the finest recordings of a big band ever put to disc. Neil hefti arrangements, sublime direction and a masterclass for the up and coming rock n rollers who took over.

Nice Big Band vibe. Considering it was recorded at the dawn of the HiFi era sound is remarkably clear and crisp

Awesome swing album.

I love Skullgirls, I wish Big Bands were real.

My biggest takeaway from this project is that big band and jazz can actually be really fun. This is one of the really fun albums. I'd love to know how they came up with names for the tunes. Teddy the Toad? Is this a Wind in the Willows tribute, anthropomorphic character, or a diss track?

Incredible! So glad I now know this exists

excellent big-band jazz stuff!

I love jazz

It would be illegal to rate him any lower

Shoutout to one of the coolest album covers I've seen on this list, and one from 1958 to boot. I don't know what I expected out of this, or Count Basie, but this album is so cool. Every single song serves its purpose, almost feeling like a last hurrah before rock and roll takes over completely in the 60s. The Kid from Red Bank kicks the pedal down from the start, giving the titular Count Basie his time to shine. The meat of the album consists of Flight of the Food Birds, Double-O, and Teddy the Toad, all great pieces on their own, before culminating with Whirly-Bird, a speeding exhibition of pure energy and saxophone. Midnight Blue follows immediately afterwards, giving the listener a chance to catch their breath, and chill. Splanky and Fantail aren't to be underestimated either, the latter including a sort of dueling solos from the sax and the drums, before Lil' Darlin' just about wraps you up in a blanket. Just a super clean, engaging, 39-minute-long love letter to swing and big band jazz. Highlight: The Kid from Red Bank Lowlight: Duet Highlight #2: All those other songs mentioned above.

5 Sterne. So ist es.

Helluva title and album cover.

Sassy orchestral sounds with a Moody vibe. Like that it's instrumental (background while working)

Really liked this!

5 I think it's a great album

finally, 154 albums after Birth of the Cool, I'm back in the world of medium-to-large ensemble jazz. this is the first big band album I've been assigned for this challenge, and it's also a truly pivotal one! in 1958, the roster of musicians in the Count Basie Orchestra was a "who's who" of past, present and future names in big band jazz. alongside longtime Basie sidemen including (but not limited to) lead alto saxophonist Marshall Royal, guitarist Freddie Green, trumpeter Snooky Young and drummer Sonny Payne, you also have future big band heavyweights like Thad Jones and burgeoning small-group leaders like Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. long story short, and pardon the pun: this band is explosive, even if it doesn't quite match up to Basie's 30s lineups in terms of star power. the solos from Davis are especially memorable! this "Atomic" band is captured here performing a set of original compositions by Neal Hefti, who would go on to become most well-known as the composer of the famous "na-na-na-na" theme tune for the 1966 Batman TV series. despite his greatest successes being in the world of Hollywood, Hefti's legacy in the big band world as one of its finest composers and arrangers is well-known among aficionados, and the 11 charts he penned for Basie here did a lot to establish his reputation at this earlier stage of his career. the bulk of them are based on a 12-bar blues form, and it's really intriguing to see just how many different ways he was able to approach that simple formula. the melodies of the tunes themselves are memorable, but Hefti also goes above and beyond to make sure that the shout choruses, the backgrounds behind soloists, the drum setups, and every other little detail is perfectly placed and accounted for. big band jazz is so often about the little moments that make up the bigger compositions, and there's more than enough of those on The Atomic Mr. Basie to go around. the extreme staccato horn phrasing on "The Kid from Red Bank"; the return of the melody on "After Supper" when Hefti doubles the melody up an octave in the alto saxophones; the call-and-response between all three horn subsections (trumpets, trombones and saxes) on "Teddy the Toad" and "Whirly-Bird"; the sloooooow bends in the melody of "Midnite Blue"; the incredible shout chorus of "Splanky" where the whole horn section leans way, *way* back. the sheer level of depth in these compositions, and in the performances Basie's band gives them, is truly staggering. 10/10.

A must listen!!

I'm discovering that I really like instrumental jazz, especially while I work.

Insanely insensitive album cover and album name but beautifully executed swing music. Also, Red Bank, NJ mentioned ❤️!

Fucking love big band

I really liked it, it feels energetic and fun 12/1/26

THIS RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I need another 50 swing albums STAT

I couldn’t stop movint

day 1

Incredible album! Basie in general always means great big-band jazz, but this later era Basie is just so tight and arrangement based. I love this so much. My only complaint is I wish it was longer than 40 minutes.

Very upbeat and fun

It is very nice to have in the background while doing any kind of activity. It makes me feel like a cartoon character that is being aired on a black and white tv show in an old television box.

Great! Wild big band

- Depois da segunda guerra mundial e a ascensão do bebop, as big bands quase desapareceram. Tiveram que ser reinventadas por nomes como Dizzy Gillespie, com novos ritmos, acompanhamentos e improvisação. - Count Basie captura as tendências novas de Miles, Gil, Dizzy, Ellington e Kenton, com arranjos modernos de Neal Hefti, mas fazendo alusão ao swing clássico.

To me, this is the platonic ideal of swing/big band music. Since this is a purely instrumental album, I don't have enough musical training to coherently write about the details, but I sure enjoyed it. The propulsive opening of "The Kid from Red Bank" flows right into the groovy "Duet"; this song sounds like the soundtrack for strolling down a trendy city street on your way to a jazz club. "After Supper" is a more staid affair but the energy picks up again and doesn't much let up after that. I LOVE the brash brassiness of "Double-O"; the horns and saxophone just sound so good here. It's very 'noisy' and goes just to the edge of playing with dissonance, but also sounds warm and pleasant, which seems like such a difficult balance to achieve. "Teddy the Toad" is kind of a rhyming callback to "Duet". Next is the charming swagger of "Whirly-Bird" which will definitely wake up you with its relentless energy if you're feeling tired by this point. Then "Midnite Blue", which starts out slow and moody but eventually erupts. I really like the satisfying horn motif on "Splanky". And "Lil Darlin" gently closes out the album. Overall, there's not a dull song in the bunch! Albums like this are the reason I want to do this project, and The Atomic Mr Basie is definitely going into my regular rotation.

nice stuff !

Oved it

I didn't listen to all of it. I wasn't feeling very jazzy yesterday but I loved the few I listened to

INPUT = {"artist": "Count Basie & His Orchestra", "album": "The Atomic Mr Basie"} LINEUP = {"men": 16, "women": 0} FEATURED_ARTISTS = {"men": 0, "women": 0} TOTAL_MEN = 16 TOTAL_WOMEN = 0 WOMEN_PERCENTAGE = 0 OUTPUT = "Maximum score awarded. 5/5"

I enjoyed how this album encapsulated the essence of the time it was written. Would pair well with a dinner.

GOT DAYUM this goes hard. I wish I could've experienced this live. All of the instruments make their presence felt. Nothing excess, nothing missing, and an album cover that would make a punk band jealous.

complete

amazing arrangements, wide variety of grooves

loved it. listened to the album like 6 times on repeat without noticing

9/10

Basie continues his string of albums that glide him gracefully through his later years!

I've always loved Basie's cool, tasteful, minimalist style. And what a stellar band! Hard to find fault with this one. 4.5/5

I love this so much. I could strut around my house all day to it

Now THIS is music. A rollin' good jazzin' big band time. 5*

https://1001albumsgenerator.com/as

There's an idea that a musical genre begins to fade when the people stop dancing. When the audience sits and watches as opposed to being part of the action. When it becomes intellectualized. I defy anyone to stop their feet from moving when The Kid from Red Bank comes on. It's impossible to maintain that level of energy - this album is radiant. Aptly titled. I always feel a little better after putting it on.

The last great moment of the big band era from its greatest band

Sensational! Ability to switch between beautiful ballads and full on swing is amazing and such an amazing level of one take musician ship.

I can recognize why this is groundbreaking, and I can hear the immense talent. I still don't think im a jazz person.

What a beautiful album. It sounds like it was recorded yesterday; the musicianship is wonderful and the entire album fizzes with energy.

Love Basie and his big band albums. I hadn't listened to this one. The Hefti arrangements are more punchy and energetic than the Nestico arrangements I'm more familiar with and still have a lot of nice melodies. The Kid from Red Bank, Flight of the Foo Birds, and Splanky are all great.

I fucking love it. Starting with the title and that atomic bomb cover. I just love atom bomb references in general. Lynch used them in Twin Peaks, Blondie used atom bomb in her music, Count Basie used atom bomb too. Give 1 atom bomb reference per person please and let's see what will happen with the world. I listened to this twice, fantastic. Yep, a couple of songs are too similar but it's okay because you have time to relax before the next super banger song! "- What about an atom bomb? — Carol - .... - Yes or No? — Carol - Ultimately, Yes. ..... — Hivemind - .... - Would you like an atom bomb? — Hivemind" Pluribus, 2025 Yes, I don't mind to buy a vinyl of this! 5/5 —————————————— Liked ALL: — The Kid from Red Bank — Duet — After Supper — Flight of the Foo Birds — Double-O — Teddy the Toad — Whirly-Bird — Midnite Blue — Splanky — Fantail — Lil' Darlin'

wow. This sounds amazing. A Big band with pure direction.

Presumably his worst selling album in Japan

Bosh

I loved it made me feel like a time traveler and was enjoying the upbeat tempo, it really makes you want to dance.

This is the kind of jazz I like! Upbeat, sassy saxophone that wakes you up in the morning.

yes bigband bonanza

Beautiful. The band’s confidence is a match for their precision and cohesiveness. A 5.

No notes.

Loved it! Count Basie is a favorite.

Big band perfection!

some good ol big band jazz. takes me back to the good old days, saved it to ethan's post-mission playlist as well. favs were midnight blue and splanky, 4.5-5 (we'll see how i feel in the morning)

This was great - swinging, big band jazz. The nuclear bomb on the front is a bit weird, because the music itself is really joyous and uplifting. I can imagine dancing to this in the 50s against the backdrop of rock 'n' roll being the cooler style. A small nod to the rhythm section as I liked the bass playing, and in general the interplay between the band is really seamless, they sound like they have good chemistry together.

5

Love this. Nice break from the routine. Interesting, varied, and not something I'd stumble upon on my own.

This made me smile throughout the day! I pictured my grandparents sitting and playing cards listening to this record.

Beautiful instrumentals

I listened to this twice in a row, in between listening to the Minutemen. If there's anything better than that I don't know it, haven't seen it and never heard it. This is music for a rainy morning at home- you break the glass and listen to make yourself feel more alive. I couldn't tell you which song was which, it all blended together into a joyous cacaphony of jazz and swing and big band and stupid grins.

omg! this is exactly what i am looking for, this is going to be go-to album, its beautiful

This album swings hard. Amazing!

First song (The Kid from Red Bank) started extremely strong, but I think it did capture the spirit of the 50's Cold War era, but it makes for an intense listen. The more relaxed songs are a lot more enjoyable to listen to casually. Overall, this is a very solid album, and while it starts off a little bit much, the rest of the album is extremely nice and fun to listen to.

This album takes me straight to Frenchmen Street in New Orleans — torn between getting up to dance or sinking into a dimly lit bar, mesmerized by the pianist, trombone, and sax players.

Super solid album. I truly enjoyed this Album in its entirety. Count Basie & His Orchestra delivered in every way. I’ve heard these tunes all my life and have never listened to them all in one sitting and am glad I did. Added to the rotation!

Очень приятный джаз

Highlight songs: The Kid from Red Bank Duet After Supper Flight of the Foo Birds Double-O Teddy the Toad Whirlybird Midnite Blue Splanky Fantail Li'l Darlin

Big swing band music is always fun!

Masterclass I bigband-musik

Count Basie is not only an icon in jazz, but one of the major players in advancing and promoting big band to the world. This album is clearly a powerful and diverse trek through a wide range of vibes that can be evoked with jazz, executed beautifully with excellent playing from the brass and percussion. I don’t know where jazz would be without Count Basie’s influence, and I’m glad this came up on our trek through music.

Your grandma definitely got fingered to this multiple weekends in a row at her local dance hall when this thing came out. Phenomenal listen.

Pretty fucking wild move making the cover of your big band jazz album the mushroom cloud of a hydrogen bomb in 1958. If the American public wasn’t already terrified of you (black guy) this would certainly do it.

This was really fun to listen to. Ill come back to it.

excellent big band album!

This was the lift I needed after Jeff Buckley yesterday. This would be easy to put on and feel good about at any time. I feel like I've tried finding big band all in one place in the past and it has felt hit and miss - this feels like it's all hits no skips.

Excellent. Exactly the type of album.that deserves to be in this list. Excellent playing great variety .

outstanding

Amazing. Great drive, great rhythm. Basie never disappoints!

Just when it starts to lag, it swings right back up. I love jazz albums that are “this is the show we were doing”, because they have such an amazing sense of place. I would have loved to see this.

Ahhhh yeah some good ol 50s jazz!! Really digging this. I Think I'll give this one 5 stars. It really hit the spot.

A classic swing album by a master of the genre. The thing that gets me about this album is the absolute speed at which the energetic tracks are played at. The bass work is insane and rather than letting the rhythm section do all the work, the soloist keeps up the energy and is all over the scales. Even the backing horns, particularly in Double-O and Whirly Bird, are hitting a ton of notes cleanly and strikingly. The slower songs are great too, and it's where Basie himself actually shines a bit because you can hear the piano well. It's always noted that he didn't write most (any?) of these songs, but the arrangements by Hefti are enough. His band carries it all head and shoulders above the pretenders. Hell of a cover and title.

Big Band at its absolute best. 5 stars.

excellent company for making arepas 💃🏼 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5

The Count treated me to a lovely evening

Oh god I think this album proved once and for all that I love big band music. Just an absolute blast!

Been a good while since I’ve had any jazz on the project, and several times they were all long-form tracks that would be less accessible for new listeners. This was great length, nice variety between songs but still overarching related, mastery of the individual instruments as well as true cohesion as a group… just a great album selection to have here. Enjoyment is around 4.25/5 but rounding up for the accessibility for those newer to jazz

Jazz. Love it.

Superb.

crazy riffs

It's hard to come up with a band or ensemble that does this better.

5/5. Bam! This album is an onomatopoeia of explosions, sprinkled with slow and practiced jazz licks. Each song stands out so abruptly that it feels like it could be overbearing, and yeah, it is quite loud, but damn does it slap. And even the slower, piano driven songs keep it interesting. Each player is at the top of their game and what a selection of tracks. Just a joy to listen to. Best Song: Splanky, Duet, Flight of the Foo Birds

funky fresh jazz as you're sitting alone people-watching

No favorite tracks, the whole thing is fantastic

What a vibe! And a cover!

OMG. I already loved Count Basie but never heard this album before!

Something I don’t hear or listen to a lot. Love it.

This album _SLAPS_ I love that big band sound

Awesome

Most Excellent Album!

I can hang with this. Pretty swing-y but with a bop edge.

The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is cooking by the end, but this one comes out swinging. Hot and fresh. Feels like a Fallout soundtrack.

12/10 very great

Court et explosif, un album swing/big band qui surprend! Je trouve généralement que le swing devient moins approchable plus il devient complexe, mais ici, la balance est extrêmement bien exécutée. Shout out à la personne qui a review l'album en disant qu'il n'était pas capable d'écouter du jazz trop longtemps en faisant référence à un album de 26 minutes.

Very nice, probably inspiration for Cuphead OST

Nice!

This is a wonderful album that had me smiling and tapping my foot from the jump. While I’m not the biggest fan of swing jazz (it can feel quite dated), this album is a wonderful example of Basie demonstrating that there was still some life left in this style. This fact is made even more impressive when one considers how Jazz had begun to dramatically shift towards small groups led by men like Rollins, Davis etc.

Love this album! Fantastic energy and melodies. I'm not the most knowledgeable about Jazz and its many forms, but the way a big band nimbly positions itself in such a high energy arrangement is awe-inspiring.

I really appreciated the album's nuanced discussion of the ethical concerns of using a weapon of mass destruction to end a war and how it has changed the legacy of Japanese involvement in WWII from aggressor to victim. Lol jk, this album was excellent though. I thought about going song by song in my review, but honestly I think "an incredible and genre-bending combination of soft, hard bop, and big band jazz that jumps out of the headphones." The interplay between piano and plungered trumpet is just what I need. 5/5

This album is pretty great! When im all done with this journey, I might start my mornings off with this. I like the whole style of it, especially the frenetic horns on Double-O

Loved the instruments on this album, made me wish I knew how to play piano. His talent! I loved After Dinner, such sultry vibes. When the album finished I was surprised because I wanted to hear more!

great big band sound

When I first got into jazz, I bought a copy of The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD and gradually supplemented my couple of Miles Davis LPs and Charlie Parker cassettes with selections from their recommendations, largely '50s and '60s post-bop and Blue Note classics. I am still not an expert on swing and big bands but two albums stood out enough to make my collection - Ellington at Newport and The Atomic Mr Basie. Immediately, from the first notes of "The Kid From The Red Bank", the arrangements, by Neal Hepti, stand out, the horn section popping and pulsing sinuously over the rhythm section of drums, walking bass and the Count's piano. Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis's tenor wails above it all, great stuff. The whole album is excellent but that opening track, "Flight of the Foo Birds", "Splanky" and closing ballad, "Lil' Darlin'" really stand out.

Bombastic and bold. Puts the Big in Big Band music.

This is the way I think jazz should sound. Earlier I listened to the Dave Brubeck album which was fine, but this is more my speed. Really liked this, and liked it a lot. If I'm going to play jazz, this is what I want to hear.

Awesome! When I was just out of high school my friends dad would talk about swinging to Count Basie. At that time we only listened to classic rock, Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Hendrix, Pink Floyd… We poo-pooed my friends dad about his old music. To use that days vernacular, what dicks we were.

Very horn heavy, bright, zooming! An excellent swing album with a modern sound for the genre and time.

Que álbum de Big Band! Estupendo. Celest x Versekeys Ultra-Sense Planet.

Bass player deserves a raise

Very representational of Big Band jazz: maestro-level musicianship, swingin' charts and arrangements, basically the 20th century version of a symphony, and Count Basie and Duke Ellington were the sine qua non acts to see and hear. After the war, these big bands really dwindled--it got too expensive to tour, and audience tastes changed to small-combo jazz acts like trios, quartets, etc. and rock 'n' roll was on the horizon.

What a treat! Thank you!!

As the title suggests the album starts at breakneck pace and is an awesome example of big band jazz.

Smooth!

Perfection. Love love. Favorite album we’ve gotten so far. The instrumentation was flawless.

Some real fun and catchy swing. If you like this genre this stuff is fire.

It’s the bomb

On of the all-timers...

There are not many that can swing as hard as the Count

It's truly criminal that this is the only Basie album on this whole list. No April In Paris? No This Time By Basie? No Straight Ahead? Psychotic.

Hadn’t heard before and loved it

4.5/5

Amazing classic!

Love this!

The best Jazz!!!

Really enjoyed, loved the compositions and instrumentation. The big band swing vibe is always so fun and just such high energy playing and solos. The solos were really strong and felt written, even if they were not.

I LOVE ATOMIC JAZZ

Monsters inc. A very relaxing and chilled half hour. I really didn't think I would enjoy this, but happy to be proved wrong. Another victory for the list. I asked a friend what decade he would put the album cover "80's punk album"

Amazing, amazing, amazing. What a goddamn treat to listen to, I could put this on repeat for an entire day and not get sick of it. Full of such emotion and energy... it's SO good. Going to have so many of these melodies and motifs stuck in my head now.

After three plus listens I'm finding it difficult to identify anything I don't like about this album, especially that name and cover. That's the 2025 equivalent of a band releasing the album "Saddam's Bunker Busters" it's just so damn American. Good shit, Count Basie.

Smooth and bright jazz at its pentacle. Perfect dinner cooking album

This site never misses with its jazz picks, I swear. It's a major compliment to a jazz artist/band to make a face like you just smelled moldy vegetables from their playing, and this whole album made me look like my tongue was about to go flying out of my head. Beyond amazing.

Big band jamz.

scho laaaang kei rchtige jazz me gha uf dere liste. und uiiii het das drive und isch geeeil arrangiert (neal hefti geile siech). duet meeega groovy und suuuper geils trompetesolo super bluesy aaah i liiike. super super geil. after supper no ruhiger aber d harmonie gebed gnueg spannig dases interessant bliibt. flight if the foo birds isch huuuuuere geil sooo geili block harmonies sie sind soo tight fuuuck. aso double o und teddy the toad hend s staubsuuge gad zu eiiiinere freud gmacht fuuuck huuuere geil. midnite blue wieder so wieni de neal hefti kenn eig langsam sanft schön schnuufigi arrangements. uiiii es chan dynamisch aber schono abgoh oyeeeeaaah. lil darlin sooo schön RIESE FÜFI.

D'apparence simple, mais beau et complexe, véhicule des émotions nuancées.

hell yea. atomi pommi baybe Tsar Bomba (1961): 50 Mt, Neuvostoliitto, Testi 219 (1962): 24,2 Mt, Neuvostoliitto, Testi 147 (1962): 21,1 Mt, Neuvostoliitto, Testi 173 (1962): 19,1 Mt, Neuvostoliitto, Castle Bravo (1954): 15 Mt, Yhdysvallat, Castle Yankee (1954): 13,5 Mt, Yhdysvallat, Testi 123 (1961): 12,5 Mt, Neuvostoliitto. omggg neukut.. neukkupojat hävisi suomen.. the line of finland you know the border.. 2 feet of bodys under ground.. graveyard of bodts. kuvassa toki operation plumbbobin jälkeinen yksi nevadan räjähdyksistä nimeltä hood.. eihän siellä lähellä ole ihmisiä... eihän tästä mitään negatiivisia vaikutuksia voi tulla.. the ki d from red bank

ok now we're fucking cooking with gas. listened to it 3x.. what a treat

This is truly an atomic album. I need this album. BOOM!!!

Thanks to a certain circumstance (married to a trumpet performance major) this one hits for me from the opening and just keeps rolling. Can't say how many times I've thrown this one on, but any time I wanna see my wife get transported to her former life, this one does the trick. Love the vibe, and the musicianship is as good as it gets in the genre. They just don't make em like this anymore.

Oh yeah! The energy on this album is fantastic. It's light and playful but with a big, full sound. The drums have a great thump-a-whump style to them, the horns are spectacular and theatrical, and the piano from Count Basie is a joy to listen to. When I'm writing, I like to make playlists of albums that fit the mood of the story. Depending on the project, that might be ambient electronica, or maybe something more industrial. Lately I've had a need for upbeat jazz, and this album is going right into my current project's playlist.

This album is just flat-out excellent. No filler, no fluff. Every track is tight, clean, and built to move. Some of the best tracks, like “The Kid from Red Bank,” “Splanky,” and “Whirly-Bird,” don’t drag or meander. They snap, swing, and stay out of their own way. Basie’s piano barely says a word, but it still leads with total authority. The brass section is razor sharp, the rhythm section feels effortless, and Neal Hefti’s arrangements know exactly when to hold back and when to punch. It’s not loud for the sake of it. It’s precise. Confident. Stylish. I played a few of these in jazz band, which partly explains why I connect with this album so much. That experience adds something personal, but even without it, this is a clear 5 out of 5.

Reminds me of 10th-12th grade Jazz Band. :-) Slappin!

sehr nice! definitiv positiv überrascht.

Wonderful!

I have adjusted my rating, this is the first album I listened to for this project and I have come back and listened multiple times since then, it deserves 5 Stars Fav songs: literally all of them!

Unbelievable

Amazing album! Every song is a masterpiece!

Beautiful, chaotic, wild

Count Basie Live at the Sands was one of my first and favorite jazz albums. Flight of the Foo Birds always blows me away, and found some new favorites this time through. This whole album just rips. The horn section is so tight. The rhythm section is blazing - Freddie Green was drilled into me as the king of subtle jazz comping - I think our band played Splanky at some point too. I honestly don't love Big Band music all that much, but everything is dialed to 10/10 on this album, it's hard to look away. Count's piano work seals it for me.

Beautiful work

A great introduction to big band jazz that reveals more of itself as you return to it.

Count Basie! No need to say more.

Incredible jazz record. It's played with so much precision that I cannot not like it.

This was amazing! I'd always meant to listen to Count Basie and now may have to do much more listening!

Nice

I felt like i'm in 1958, driving a Jaguar Mark IX while listening to this... wonderful! 5 stars.

This album gave me LIFE today

I love when these cats be cooking, especially on that sax dammmnnnn boi 🤤🫱

Very fun high tempo swing. I'm not sure what it was about the 90's that Swing and Big Band music suddenly became popular again, but I always enjoyed it.

Fav songs: Duet; After Supper Big band is enjoyable music. I prefer the slower songs.

Fantastic jazz album. I can't believe I had never listened to Count Basie, but he's here to stay in my repertoire!

Jazz might not be my cup of tea but there are songs in this album that appeals to me.

Never thought Id vibe so much with an older album. First off, 10/10 album name and artist name, and also song names. Songs had no singing, but they were still super fun and somehow didnt feel repetitive. Felt like I was in Cuphead

Excellent! Very listenable.

Las grandes orquestas y sus metales y el jazz en este nuevo vehículo, una delicia con Count Basie.

Awesome

Absolute gem! Count Basie is a legend but I had not heard this previously. It's excellent & I can't wait to find a copy for my collection.

Big band jazz! This album is such a vibe. Ya almost feel like you're in a seedy jazz bar, surrounded by the smell of cigarette smoke and whiskey. It's awesome! Favorite songs: Fantail, Whirly-Bird, Flight of the Foo Birds, Double-O, Teddy the Toad, Duet Least favorite songs: Lil' Darlin' 5/5

5 stars just for the album cover alone

A wonderful album

Veryy lovey dovey and especially while you’re cooking sexy in the kitchen :) loved the dancey vibe

Makes me travel în some old TV movie from early 60', with a Hollywood dances and sweet human interactions. I would get a cigar with some quality whiskey with honey to enjoy the evening with some giggles and swing moves) Like it a lot

Not my kind of music - but very impressive and interesting and pleasant to listen to

Double-O

Hot damn! This is big band/swing proving - quite explosively - that it never faded into irrelevance. Phenomenal.

This was so fire jazz, this has been ny favorite of the 8 so far!!!! An absolute jam bop

Love this one!! Reminds me of my father. He was a huge Count Basie, and all those jazz greats. I grew up listening to this great music.

a really great big band swing record. it's upbeat moments are sleek and grand and full of energy. the ballads are quiet and sweet. i was in my high school's jazz band, and so i have a real soft spot for this type of music. i know some basie here and there, but never listened to one of his albums in full before. this was really great! i will definitely come back to it.

Boom.

Increíble.

Big band in top form!

1958’ bebop love it!

So many great tuuunes!! Splanky - first played that in Rockshop Big band! And kid from red bank…uni big band..! Gonna join a big band now.

Oh yeah, inject about 20 ccs of this straight to my veins. Let's just make this the year we bring back big band clubs that allow smoking. Sound good?

The end of the world ain’t no thing when it’s soundtracked by big band swing.

YES! I could listen to this on a train, in the rain, in the air or on a dare. I could listen to Atomic Basie anywhere.

I don’t really like jazz music but this record is pretty awesome! I can easily understand why it was so influential. A perfect record!

В этом альбоме — запах сигаретного дыма, густого, как ночной туман над Гарлемом. В этом альбоме свет тусклых ламп, подрагивающих в такт ритму большого города, который никогда не спит. В этом альбоме — шум разгульных джазовых клубов 40-х, ещё не отошедших от эха большой войны. В середине 1950-х стало понятно, что эпоха биг-бендов уходит навсегда, как последний поезд, ускользающий в предрассветной мгле. И именно в это время Каунт Бейси записывает свой альбом. Мягкий, изысканный, с точной, почти математически выверенной гармонией. Здесь всё на своих местах: каждая медная секция, каждый удар барабана. А главное — этот фирменный, слегка ленивый, но убийственно точный фортепианный почерк Бейси, который будто бы подмигивает тебе со сцены. Парадокс этого альбома в том, что он звучит как эхо 40-х, но в то же время явно предвосхищает будущее. Почти каждый трек здесь — как миниатюрный ядерный реактор, заряженный энергией, которую джаз в скором времени подарит фьюжну, фанку и рок-н-роллу.

Whoever did the cover got it right cause this album is the bomb. Thoroughly enjoyable listening. Every track.

LOVE U MR BASIE!!!!!

8.7/10

These cats were cookin'. They were SWINGIN'! FUCK!!!

Big band music rocks. Enjoyable all the way through.

So good.

This album is fantastic from start to finish. Every track swings with effortless charm, making it one of the easiest, most enjoyable listens you’ll find in jazz. Count Basie and his orchestra are absolutely on fire here.

So quintessential it has become omnipresent, musical shorthand for the period. Brilliant in writing and execution.

Wunderbar.

the cover on this album doesn't lie, this album BOOMS through your speakers like a nuclear bomb. this is a really solid big band album. it's a pure embodiment of what makes 50's brass bands great. the harmonies and the near-perfect collaboration between all the members make this album great both when it came out and listening more than 70 years later. i feel like this is music for a swanky casino.

Jazz rules

First 5-star album for me in this project. Growing up in jazz band, Mr. Caswell put me on this one. Count Basie is one of the greats, an iconic bandleader and composer. This album is playful and inquisitive, balancing an excitement and pensiveness. I can see myself lounging in my living room with this record on, a sizzling crackle of vinyl imperfection, getting lost in the world of jazz before returning back to reality.

One of the classic albums of jazz. Always a joy to listen to.

This album really makes a statement with its cover, equating big-band music with such modern innovations as the theory of relativity and the atomic bomb. I would have to say Count Basie is right in his comparison. Modern music has had a socially transformative effect similar to either of those two scientific developments. This album itself is a great exploration of just what is possible in music, and is still enjoyable almost 70 years later (unlike the atomic bomb). Favorite track: "Splanky"

Count Basie it a pianist, but there isn't a lot of piano on this album. His true talent is as a band leader - and he was one of the best. Him and his orchestra were some of the most talented musicians in the genre. This is probably the shiniest shining example of Big Band.

Shit is rad

Loved it

While I'd be pretty hopeless trying to distinguish one big swing band from another, this album makes me feel good and exudes optimism and good vibes – and pure fun. I admire anyone who can command an ensemble and turn a room of nine musicians into a force like this. There was an excellent dynamism to the proceedings, gale forces and slow breezes, high tides and calm waters. So I guess I don't exactly know my swing, but I like it.

Holy shit, this is a powerful album! I feel like that part in "The Jerk" when Steve Martin hears white music for the first time ever and suddenly understands rhythm. 5/5

WOW ça explose dans mes oreilles! Tu m’aurais juste montré le cover, j’aurais gagé 1000$ que c’était un album alt rock des 90s, mais ça pète tout autant! Ça fait très très très Whiplash, c’est peut-être pour ça que sa m’affecte autant, donc un gros 5 pour la surprise!

Swing fun, especially the first song

5 * Perfection

Mr. Basie and friends with the most intimate sounding big band you’re likely to hear. Splendid on every level.

кайф

This is killing. And Basie plays with so much space, and spacing, so sparse ('Midnite Blue') I’m full to the brim with pleasure. Who’s that trumpeter on ‘Duet’? Man, this is good - not quite the last of the big bands (Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Joe Henderson), but a great selection here - especially for a list so wanting of jazz.

Really felt this one. Hard to think of a better sounding big band recording and the feel is spot-on. Somehow arrives in that perfect moment when this style of music felt essential and yet recording technology had caught up enough to make it really sing.

Enjoyed this from start to finish. There is something timeless about these very good big band/orchestra ensembles that were creating music before Rock and Roll became king. I am a sucker for horns so that might contribute to my affinity for this album.

Its fab. Takes me back to listening to vinyl with my mom as a kid.

10/10 instrumental.

Excellent. Really enjoyed this.

Love me some big band, and Lil’ Darlin’ sealed the deal on this

Big band music was another thing my dad introduced me to, although I don't remember him having this album. It's brilliant.

Really lovely jazz!

блин вот это было кайфово, мне прям заходит такая старая американская поп музычка, саксофончики-пианинчики, все как положено. такие вайбы! особенно мне понравилось джазово-танцевальное, the kid from the red bank и double-o

Never heard tis one before, and I'm glad it was on the list. Great album!

Classic jazz album between big band and bebop.

Big band jazz at its best. Splanky sounded very familiar to me, and after a quick search I realised it was used as the end-tune for the Dutch current affairs TV programme Brandpunt, back in the 80s. Great album to have on the list.

(10) ★★★★★

It's amazing music. Every song is a banger.

Classic big band album. I don’t know much of the history or significance of Count Basie. I know I listened to an awesome jazz album, though. Standouts: The Kid from Red Bank, Flight of the Foo Birds, Whirly-Bird, Midnite Blue, and Lil’ Darlin’.

Awesome album. Every song was a fun time. Not sure how this compares to other big band/swing albums but I enjoyed it a lot.

Amazing album cover, especially considering my expectations of Count Basie. Come on, you just know this is some of the highest caliber of a genre. A track like Fantail is so cool. This album is full of the trumpet content we have all been looking for. Stimulates the neurons.

A lovely surprise. Wouldn't have chosen it, but very nice vibe

Bangers. Big band is a genre that needs to be revitalized. The energy that this album brings is incredible and only surpassed by the quality of the music being produced. I've learned from this journey that I need more Jazz/Swing/Big Band in my life as these albums are all fantastic.

Absolutely brilliant. At a time when American suburbanites' love for Sinatra made big band swing old fashioned and unhep, an OG said, "dig this" and makes arguably the best album in the genre's history. Cutting edge jazz at the time was Hard Bop with its faster, faster / more is better / Thousands of Notes per Minute ethos. Basie carved space into every arrangement and let very simple melodic lines dangle almost impossibly behind the beat.

Calm jazz.

Pure genius. Excellent playing and composition. Not much else to say, music speaks for itself. And the cover art is fucking HARD