Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthdate
1904-08-21
Day of Death
1984-04-26
Place of Birth
Red Bank, New Jersey, USA
Count Basie
Biography
William James "Count" Basie (/ΛbeΙͺsi/; August 21, 1904 β April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. He led the group for almost 50 years, creating innovations like the use of two "split" tenor saxophones, emphasizing the rhythm section, riffing with a big band, using arrangers to broaden their sound, his minimalist piano style, and others. Many musicians came to prominence under his direction, including the tenor saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, the guitarist Freddie Green, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison, plunger trombonist Al Grey, and singers Jimmy Rushing, Helen Humes, Dennis Rowland, Thelma Carpenter, and Joe Williams. As a composer, Basie is known for writing such jazz standards as "Blue and Sentimental", "Jumpin' at the Woodside" and "One O'Clock Jump". Description above from the Wikipedia article Count Basie, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography (34)
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
2022
Rat Pack
2022
Charlie Parker: Bird Songs
2022
Billie
2020
Count Basie: Through His Own Eyes
2020
Sid & Judy
2019
Jazz Legends in Their Own Words
2014All-Star Jazz Show: Live from The Ed Sullivan Theater
2011
Music Inn
2007
Jazz Icons: Count Basie Live in '62
2006
Judy Garland Duets
2005
The Harlem Renaissance
2004
Improvisation
2004
