Count Basie

Count Basie
Basie at the piano; portrait by James J. Kriegsmann
Background information
Birth name	William James Basie
Born	(1904-08-21)August 21, 1904 Red Bank, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	April 26, 1984(1984-04-26) (aged 79) Hollywood, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Jazz swing big band piano blues
Occupation(s)	Musician bandleader composer
Instrument(s)	Piano organ
Years active	1924–1984

William James "Count" Basie (/ˈbeɪsi/; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984)^[1] 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, 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, Thelma Carpenter, and Joe Williams.