Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
August 21, 1904
Place of Birth:
Red Bank, New Jersey, USA
Social Media
Count Basie
Biography
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.
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.
Known For
Filmography
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Big Show | Self |
| 1978 | The Kennedy Center Honors | Self |
| 1966 | ABC Stage 67 | Self |
| 1964 | The Hollywood Palace | Self - Pianist |
| 1963 | The Judy Garland Show | Self |
| 1962 | The Merv Griffin Show | Self |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Self |
| 1961 | The Mike Douglas Show | Self |
| 1956 | The Dinah Shore Chevy Show | Self |
| 1956 | The Steve Allen Show | Self - Conductor |
| 1956 | The Steve Allen Show | Self - Pianist |
| 1956 | The Steve Allen Show | Self - Bandleader |
| 1950 | Cavalcade of Bands | |
| 1948 | The Ed Sullivan Show | Self |