The Atomic Mr. Basie

Fun on a bun.

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

I'm a fan of swing, but not of pure orchestral, so this is a bit of a toss-up for me.

Perfectly fine big band album … but won’t listen again.

This was great! I’ve never listened to Basie before and I wish I’d found him earlier.

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

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

This worked well enough as background music. Not the type of thing I could ever see myself in the mood to put on and listen to again, but the music is perfectly fine.

Not what I'd generally listen to on Spotify, but then that's what this is for isn't it - to broaden your horizons. Great BIg Band music. Fantastcally talented musicians. It will stay on my list.

Big band stuff. Meh.

Big band isn't my preferred style of jazz, but this feels pretty far removed from 30's and 40's big band. Very cool, progressive compositions.

4/5

The faster paced songs like the opening track were great

The rest of the songs dropped off, becoming the sort of café shop background music a lot of jazz and swing is

Alright as background music

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.

I can't say I've heard of Count Basie before. From what I gather, he was a renowned jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer who led his own innovative orchestra for fifty years. The Atomic Mr. Basie is one of several albums he recorded with them, and it was a delight to hear.

They let out the bombast from the get-go with "The Kid from Red Bank" with its big band swing style. Throughout the album, the blaring horns, piano arrangements, and accompanying reeds and percussion coalesce into an active lounge sound. Sure this style was declining in post-World War II America but the orchestra wanted to go out on a high note. Aside from a few lulls in the compositions, I was thoroughly engaged.

I'm glad this list included a good album to represent swing music because The Atomic Mr. Basie delivered that experience.

I can see how this guy got to make music for Frank Sinatra. I've always been a firm believer all my life that jazz sucks, but this album might be convincing me that I'm wrong. Shit. I hate it when I'm wrong.

Elite dinner party music. Put this on while you’re putting those drinks out and rolling out the pizza dough.

This music does not resonate with me at all. I enjoy jazz, swing, and big band, but while this album isn't difficult to appreciate, it makes me feel anxious and never fully connects with me.

This wasn’t for me. If you’re into big band I’m sure this is a masterpiece but it took a lot to finish this past track 4.

I haven't heard this old big band sound for a long time. I was unfamiliar with the album. I enjoyed listening to it and can imagine doing the same again.
4/5