Count Basie
Sign in to saveAmerican jazz musician and composer (1904–1984)
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Count Basie was an American jazz musician and composer who lived from 1904 to 1984 and became one of the most influential figures in jazz history. He is significant because his innovative approach to jazz helped shape the genre and left a lasting impact on American music and culture.
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Person
- Born
- 1904-08-21
- Died
- 1984-04-26
via Open Library + Wikidata
Film & TV
Acting · Red Bank, New Jersey, USA
William James "Count" Basie (/ˈbeɪsi/; August 21, 1904 – 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…
Known for
- Rat Pack — Self (archive footage)2022
- Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues — Self (voice) (archive sound)2022
- Charlie Parker: Bird Songs — Self (archive footage)2022
- Count Basie: Through His Own Eyes2020
- Billie — self2020
- Sid & Judy — Self (archive footage)2019
- Jazz Legends in Their Own Words — Self (archive footage)2014
- All-Star Jazz Show: Live from The Ed Sullivan Theater — Self2011
- Music Inn — Himself (archive footage)
Article
William James "Count" Basie (/ˈbeɪsi/; August 21, 1904 – 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.
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1904 births1984 deaths20th-century African-American male actors20th-century American jazz composers20th-century American male actors20th-century American male composers20th-century American male pianistsAfrican-American jazz composersAfrican-American jazz pianistsAmerican big band bandleadersAmerican FreemasonsAmerican jazz bandleaders