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William James "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, Basie formed his own jazz orchestra, 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 and singers Jimmy Rushing, Helen Humes, Thelma Carpenter, and Joe Williams.
Birth Name
William Allen Basie
Born
Sunday, 21 August 1904
Died
Thursday, 26 April 1984
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues | Self | 2022 |
| Billie | Self | 2020 |
| Count Basie: Through His Own Eyes | Self | 2019 |
| Sid & Judy | Himself (archive footage) / Self | 2019 |
| Quincy | Self | 2018 |
| Hugh Hefner's After Dark: Speaking Out in America | Self - Band Leader-Pianist | 2018 |
| How Playboy Changed the World | Self | 2013 |
| New Orleans Jazz Festival 1969 | 2013 | |
| America's Book of Secrets | Self - Jazz Musician | 2012 |
| All-Star Jazz Show: Live From The Ed Sullivan Theater | Self | 2011 |
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
