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 ...

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 ...

In 1935, pianist William "Count" Basie (born August 21, 1904), a fixture on the Kansas City jazz scene since the late 1920s, organized his own rocking, riffing, blues-based big band. The following ...

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 ...

Happy rock 'n' roll birthday to the late, great Count Basie. Basie, born Aug. 21. 1904, in Red Bank, is one of music's most acclaimed big band jazz leaders, but he rocked pretty good, too. The Count ...

When William “Count” Basie formed his jazz orchestra in 1935, he probably never dreamed that nearly 80 years later, the orchestra would still be going strong. This Saturday, exactly 30 years after ...

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 ...

Jazz pioneer William 'Count' Basie was 79 when he died, which puts his old band in an odd position: they've now been around for nearly as long as he was. Currently celebrating their 77th year, the ...

The history of the Count Basie orchestra is generally divided into two broad periods—the Old Testament band, which lasted from 1935 to 1950, and the New Testament band, which lasted from 1952 until ...