William James "Count" Basie 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.
Samuel Louis Nistico, better known as Sammy Nestico, was an American composer and arranger. Nestico is best known for his arrangements for the Count Basie orchestra.
Sinatra–Basie: An Historic Musical First is a 1962 studio album by Frank Sinatra, arranged by Neal Hefti.
The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 1950s, the band survived long past the Big Band era itself and the death of Basie in 1984. It continues under the direction of trumpeter Scotty Barnhart.
Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings is an album by pianist/bandleader Count Basie and vocalist Joe Williams recorded in 1955 and originally released on the Clef label.
Our Shining Hour is a 1965 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr., accompanied by the Count Basie Orchestra, arranged by Quincy Jones.
Peter Christlieb is an American musician, playing tenor saxophone in the styles of jazz bebop, West Coast jazz, hard bop and pop music.
Orchestral jazz or symphonic jazz is a form of jazz that developed in New York City in the 1920s. Early innovators of the genre, such as Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington, include some of the most highly regarded musicians, composers, and arrangers in all of jazz history. The fusion of jazz's rhythmic and instrumental characteristics with the scale and structure of an orchestra, made orchestral jazz distinct from the musical genres that preceded its emergence. Its development contributed both to the popularization of jazz, as well as the critical legitimization of jazz as an art form.
Send in the Clowns is a 1981 studio album by Sarah Vaughan, accompanied by the Count Basie Orchestra.
Basie Big Band is a 1975 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra.
Basie Straight Ahead is an album recorded at TTG Studios, Hollywood, California in October 1968 featuring Count Basie and his orchestra. This album marked the first collaboration between Basie and his long-time orchestrator, Sammy Nestico, who composed, arranged and conducted all of the songs on the record. The engineers were Ami Hadani and Thorne Nogar, and the producers were Tom Mack and Teddy Reig. The disc was issued in 1968 on Dot label and on English EMI.
Prime Time is an album by Count Basie that won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band in 1978.
88 Basie Street is a 1983 studio album by Count Basie.
Fancy Pants is a 1983 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra. This is the last recording that Basie made with his big band.
Bing 'n' Basie is a 1972 vinyl album recorded for Daybreak Records by Bing Crosby, accompanied by Count Basie and his Orchestra. The orchestral tracks were laid down over three days at the end of February and the beginning of March, 1972 at Amigo Studios, North Hollywood. Crosby added his voice to the pre-recorded orchestral tracks during three sessions on March 14, 15, and 16, 1972 at Coast Recorders Studio, Bush Street, San Francisco. Bing Crosby also added his voice to "If I Had a Hammer" and while this has appeared on pirate issues it has never been commercially released.
Montreux '77 is an album by Count Basie and his orchestra, recorded at the 1977 Montreux Jazz Festival.
Live in Japan '78 is a 1978 live album by Count Basie and his orchestra.
On the Road is an album by the Count Basie Orchestra that won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band in 1981.
Warm Breeze is a 1980 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra.
Sinatra at the Sands is a live album by Frank Sinatra accompanied by Count Basie and his orchestra, and conducted and arranged by Quincy Jones, recorded live in the Copa Room of the former Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in 1966.
