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 ...

Count Basie's band was the epitome of swing and his pioneering sound can still be heard in jazz orchestras all over the world. Basie, who was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, on August 21 1904, died 30 ...

NEW YORK and PHOENIX, April 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As the jazz world observes Jazz Appreciation Month, former Count Basie Orchestra vocalist Dennis Rowland is releasing a new memoir reflecting on the ...

Welcome to a special themed hour of jazz as we journey deep into the pages of Larry Tye's acclaimed book Jazz Men. This compelling work brings to life the triumphs, struggles, and sheer brilliance of ...

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 ...

The craft of live shows and touring acts across America is oftentimes underestimated, and can be one of the most difficult things for any musical group or artist to consistently accomplish. If an ...

THE VIRUS. WELL, TODAY MARKS INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY, A GLOBAL CELEBRATION OF ART FORM THAT HAS SHAPED CULTURES AROUND THE WORLD, AND MANY CONTRIBUTE ITS ROOTS THROUGH RIGHT HERE IN KANSAS CITY. THE ...

For traveling musicians, there are two versions of life on the road. Jazz greats Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Louis Armstrong gave their own sentimentalized retelling of their nomadic existence ...

Forecasting the paths that big-band jazz might travel is difficult now that another of its pacesetters has reached the end of his journey. In symbolic terms, the loss of Count Basie, who died last ...

Benny Goodman, the clarinet player who looked like a banker but whose sound swooped and soared like a bird, led a band that sparked a worldwide craze in the 30s. He was hailed as "the King of Swing", ...