From 1935 to his death in 1984, pianist and bandleader Count Basie led one of the most important jazz institutions of the 20th century, in the process forging a distinctive sound that changed the jazz ...

MURRAY HORWITZ, American Film Institute: The worst part of doing the NPR Basic Jazz Record Library is having to fade out music like that. Hi, I'm Murray Horwitz, and that's one of the greatest ...

No, the Count isn't literally back... in fact, he's never really been away, as the Count Basie Orchestra has kept rolling along under a series of leaders since Basie's death in April 1984. This latest ...

Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) was a legendary American singer, actor, and cultural icon whose unique phrasing, powerful vocals, and masterful interpretation of lyrics revolutionized popular music in the ...

Founded in Kansas City in 1935, the Count Basie Orchestra celebrates its 80th anniversary with the release of its first Christmas album. With delightful assists from guests including the Christmas ...

Trumpeter Joe Smith, who fronts the vintage jazz band Joe Smith and the Spicy Pickles, originally wanted his act’s third album to comprise all Count Basie songs. Last November, veteran jazz vocalist ...

A CONCERT APPEARANCE by the Count Basie Band is a sort of minor miracle in defiance of the caprice of show business. This is his 34th year as a bandleader, and in the style that won him fame almost ...

How’s this for some classic Jersey cool? William “Count” Basie, the iconic, Red Bank-born bandleader and composer is celebrated in grand fashion with “Late Night Basie,” a new tribute album arriving ...

PITTSFIELD — It’s easy to get lost in the instrumentation of the Count Basie Orchestra — the outfit has maintained a roster of up to 18 members for the past nine decades. But the key to the jazz ...

Basie Rocks! A great idea? One best left on the cutting-room floor? Or perhaps a little of both? There are reasonable arguments to be made on all sides of the equation. On the one hand, this is the ...