Name
Count Basie
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1904-08-21
Deathday
1984-04-26 (80 years old)
Place of Birth
Red Bank, New Jersey, USA
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.
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- 1960 Cinderfella as Count Basie
- 1979 The Last of the Blue Devils as Self
- 2001 New York in the Fifties as Self
- 2006 Jazz Icons: Count Basie Live in '62 as Himself
- 2011 All-Star Jazz Show: Live from The Ed Sullivan Theater as Self
- 1951 'Sugar Chile' Robinson, Billie Holiday, Count Basie and His Sextet
- 2022 Rat Pack as Self (archive footage)
- 1974 Blazing Saddles as Self
- 2022 Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues as Self (voice) (archive sound)
- 1981 Frank Sinatra: The Man and His Music as Self
- 1979 Norman Granz’ Jazz in Montreaux presents Ella and Basie '79—"The Perfect Match" as Sself (Piano, Conductor)
- 2004 The Harlem Renaissance as Self (archive footage)
- 1943 Stage Door Canteen as Count Basie
- Soon Ebony Parade as (archive footage)
- 2005 Judy Garland Duets as Self (archive footage)
- 2004 Improvisation as Self
- 1941 Air Mail Special as Self
- 1941 Take Me Back, Baby
- 1955 Rhythm and Blues Revue as Self
- 1993 Bluesland: A Portrait in American Music as Self (archive footage)
- 1943 Crazy House as Count Basie
- 1943 Top Man as Orchestra Leader
- 1938 Policy Man as Count Basie
- 2007 Music Inn as Himself (archive footage)
- 1950 Basie Boogie
- 2019 Sid & Judy as Self (archive footage)
- 1965 Frank Sinatra Spectacular as Self
- 2003 Piano Blues as Self (archive footage)
- 2020 Count Basie: Through His Own Eyes
- 2020 Billie as self
- 1981 Count Basie At Carnegie Hall as Self
- 2022 Charlie Parker: Bird Songs as Self (archive footage)
- 2014 Jazz Legends in Their Own Words as Self (archive footage)
- 1957 Jamboree! as Count Basie
- 1966 Made in Paris as Count Basie
- 1960 Astaire Time as Self
- 1962 The Merv Griffin Show ( 2 episodes ) as Self
- 1950 Cavalcade of Bands ( 9 episodes )
- 1964 The Hollywood Palace ( 1 episode ) as Self - Pianist
- 1980 The Big Show ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1966 ABC Stage 67 ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1956 The Dinah Shore Chevy Show ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1956 The Steve Allen Show ( 1 episode ) as Self - Conductor
- 1978 The Kennedy Center Honors ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1963 The Judy Garland Show ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1961 The Mike Douglas Show ( 1 episode ) as Self
- 1948 The Ed Sullivan Show ( 5 episodes ) as Self
- 1962 The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ( 4 episodes ) as Self
- 1956 The Steve Allen Show ( 1 episode ) as Self - Pianist
- 1956 The Steve Allen Show ( 1 episode ) as Self - Bandleader
- 1959 Startime ( 1 episode ) as Self
