The First Black Prez Aug 27, 2009
He played several instruments including drums and violin in a family band, but settled on the tenor saxophone in 1930 when he joined Walter Page and the Blue Devils, the great Kansas City band that became the template for the Count Basie Orchestra ... There were many great jazz orchestras in the late 30s: Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson were three of many, but the Count Basie Orchestra was the No. 1 band in the land, and Young was a major reason why. (Slate)
Get Broadway series tickets Aug 11, 2009
This season's Broadway Entertainment Series features five shows, including the national Broadway touring performance of "Camelot" on Oct. 23; an evening of holiday jazz with five-time Grammy Award-nominated artist Nnenna Freelon and The World Famous Count Basie Orchestra on Dec. 5; "The Wedding Singer," based on Adam Sandler's feature film, on Jan. 27; highly acclaimed Michael Flatley's "Lord of the Dance" on March 2; and the acrobatic spectacular "Cirque Le Masque: Evolution" on April 27.... (Athens Banner-Herald)
Funk soul brother now a frontman Aug 7, 2009
The Age: national, world, business, entertainment, sport and technology news from Melbourne's leading newspaper. Music man: Fred Wesley. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Hazel Scott Jazz Pioneer And Activi... Aug 2, 2009
Two years later at sixteen she was a star on the Mutual Broadcasting System and playing at the Roseland Dance Hall with the Count Basie Orchestra. Being A Pioneer And Labeled Communist. (Suite101.com)
•Meet the artist: John Tilford Jul 30, 2009
The music of legends such as Glenn Miller and Count Basie is still swingin', thanks to performers dedicated to the big band era. The Big Swing Band is one of those groups. (The Daily Journal)
* New craze for 1920s Lindy Hop Jul 27, 2009
The dance spread quickly thanks to the music of Count Basie, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller. In the 1930s, dancers introduced the airsteps X acrobatics in which the man throws his partner over his head or between his legs. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir Jul 24, 2009
James Brown, Mavis Staples, Aretha Franklin, Wayne Shorter, Count Basie, Dinah Washington, Otis Redding, Johnny Mathis, Donny Hathaway and Mongo Santamaria. 3. (San Francisco Chronicle)
iPod Shuffle Jul 24, 2009
I ve Got You Under My Skin, live version, Sinatra with Count Basie. 9. (Boston Globe)
Jackson Was A Study In Black And White Jun 29, 2009
or Little Richard, Otis Redding, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, ect. by gravyboat3000 June 28, 2009 8:05 PM PDT. (CBS News)
Charlie Mariano, saxophonist, musical sojourner Jun 17, 2009
Born Carmine Ugo Mariano in 1923, he was weaned on his father s beloved Italian operas and the big bands he heard on the radio: Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie, whose saxophonist Lester Young became Mr. Mariano s first musical hero. He would not get his own saxophone until his 18th birthday, but in short order, the ambitious young musician was playing nightly at Izzy Ort s bar and dance hall in what was then known as Boston s combat zone, for $19 a week. (Boston Globe)
Father's Day Jun 16, 2009
Former Count Basie vocalist Dennis Rowland fronts two big bands for what is expected to be the dance event of the year. It takes place at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort in the Grand Ballroom. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
John D. Hale Band headlines this year's Fulton Street Fair Jun 3, 2009
You are apt to hear anything from Jelly Roll Morton to Count Basie and all the stops in between. The band uses the five-horn front line typical of such bands as those of Matty Matlock, Billy Maxted and Red Nichols. (Fulton Sun, MO)
Grand opening for the new Knick May 23, 2009
It was known as a major destination for talent like Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins, Albert King, Big Walter Horton, The Coasters, Shirelles, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds not to mention Rhode Island s own Roomful of Blues. The Grand Opening celebration is the culmination of 3 years of planning and construction, done with careful attention to bringing back the original look from the 1940s, right down to the 520 square foot rock maple dance floor, known as one of the best in New England. (Westerly Sun, RI)
Valley loses music icon Jimmie Cannon May 22, 2009
He played with legendary band leader Count Basie, she said. He moved to the Imperial Valley in 1964 and has lived here since, she said. (El Centro Imperial Valley Press, CA)
Pearl Django: Adding to the gypsy jazz lexicon May 22, 2009
But whereas American jazz of that time featured brass-based big bands (Count Basie, Duke Ellington), Reinhardt's take was string-based and drummerless, driven by guitar and violin and backed by percussive rhythm guitars, giving the music a totally different sound. "It was completely original. There was nothing like it before," said Michael Gray of Pearl Django, one of this year's Jazz and Classic's guests. (Juneau Empire)
Come One, Come All! The Saturday Night Rebel Rockers Traveling Circus & Medicine Show starring Counting Crows, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Augustana plus special guests - come see a musical spectacle under a big top near you! May 19, 2009
6/26/09 Milwaukee, WI SummerFest supporting Keith Urban 6/27/09 Chicago, IL Taste of Chicago 6/29/09 Columbus, OH LC Outdoor Amphitheatre w/ Augustana 7/1/09 Muskegon, MI Muskegon Summer Celebration @ Heritage Park Landing 7/3/09 St. Louis, MO Live on the Levee @ St. Louis Riverfront 7/4/09 Sioux City, IA Saturday in the Park Festival 7/6/09 Cincinnati, OH PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center w/ Augustana 7/8/09 Rochester Hills, MI Meadow Brook Music Festival w/ Augustana 7/9/09 Sarnia, ON... (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
George Wein stresses avant-garde acts for Newport jazz festival May 17, 2009
The Newport jazz festival has always attracted the biggest names and most popular acts, from Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, and Count Basie to Dave Brubeck, Herbie Hancock, and Diana Krall. Brubeck, in fact, has become a mainstay of the festival - he's performing at Fort Adams State Park again this August, as will such luminaries as Tony Bennett, Etta James, Branford Marsalis, Roy Haynes, and Joshua Redman. (Boston Globe)
Konotey Ahulu at the Caribbean Centre May 15, 2009
Ray Charles, Steve Wonder, James Brown, Louis Armstrong , Count Basie , George Benson , Brook Benton , Church Berry , Fats Domino, Billy Eckstine, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Al Green to mention a few and all the great American musicians. His answer is that they all have at least 3 things in common beginning with the letters A, G, and M which he interprets as AFRICA, GENIUS, and MUSIC. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
A sweet melody May 12, 2009
He also has tuned pianos for the likes of legendary musicians Count Basie and Lee Luvisi. After working for almost two decades in the music departments at the University of Memphis and the University of Louisville, Grossman decided to parlay his knowledge of the piano into a business. (Louisville Business First, KY)
• Events calendar May 8, 2009
College of Southern Idaho Jazz Ensemble Concert, 7:30 p.m. at CSI's Fine Arts Center auditorium, 315 Falls Ave. W. Directed by Paul Pugh, the full big band will perform, among other things, Sammy Nestico's "The Heat's On," written for the Count Basie band; "My One and Only Love," featuring the trombone section; "Like Someone in Love," a great swing tune; "That Old Black Magic," a Frank Sinatra hit featuring Jazz Ensemble assistant director Gene Conley on the vocal; and "All of Me," a Count Basie... (Burley South Idaho Press, ID)
Sacramento Jazz Fest May 7, 2009
Led by Allred on trombone, this group draws upon the sounds of Jelly Roll Morton, Count Basie and others. "It's just a tremendous band," Berthelsen said. (KCRA 3, CA)
The King of the Lindy May 6, 2009
The swing era, heralded by bands lead by Count Basie and Fletcher Henderson, created a new vibrant and powerful music full of fast tempos and exuberant solos. The Lindy Hop was the dance to match this music. (Slate)
Get "UP CLOSE" with Montreal's singing sensation & two-time JUNO Nominee Nikki Yanofsky! May 1, 2009
Sold out performances, teaming up with greats like Marvin Hamlisch, Count Basie Orchestra, and Wyclef Jean. and Nikki's career is just getting started. (Canada Newswire)
Leinen selected to Celebration Iowa group Apr 30, 2009
The group performs classic swing charts from Count Basie and Duke Ellington, as well as more modern big band charts from the likes of Charles Mingus and Dizzy Gillespie. The band performs original songs and arrangements from some of today's newest composers as well as original arrangements written just for this group. (Harlan Tribune, IA)
MCHS to present Dimensions in Jazz Apr 30, 2009
Jazz Band II will open the concert with a composition written for the Count Basie Orchestra by Sammy Nestico, entitled Front Burner. The band will then continue with the boogaloo Sidewinder by Lee Morgan. (Mason City Globe-Gazette, IO)
Gambit, WWLTV.com's picks for the second weekend of Jazz Fest Apr 30, 2009
He released a Christmas album with the Count Basie Big Band in 2008. 101 Runners. (WWLTV.com, LA)
Frankie Manning, 94; was dancer, Lindy Hop pioneer Apr 30, 2009
It was an elegant, racially integrated dance hall boasting a marble stairway, crystal chandeliers, and two large stages where the big bands of Count Basie, Chick Webb, and Cab Calloway could duel rhythmically. Some of the Savoy's finest dancers, including Mr. Manning, were recruited to join Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, a dance performance team that appeared in Hollywood movies such as "Hellzapoppin' " (1941). (Boston Globe)
Bennett, 82, enjoys the good life Apr 28, 2009
A I loved Count Basie, but the best I've ever performed with was Bill Evans. I never heard anyone who matched him. (Erie Times-News, PA)
Juicy Jazz Pairs Dance, Band for BPAS Season Finale Apr 28, 2009
Florida Dance Theatre; Swingin Jazzland (Full Company); Music: Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Dorothy Dandridge, Duke Ellington; Choreography: Ferdinand de Jesus. Bartow High School Jazz Band, Brass Machine, Music: Mark Taylor. (Bartow Polk County Democrat, FL)
Ambos Nogales plans Mingus Jazz Festival Apr 18, 2009
At 8:30 p.m. the transition will begin with Young Sounds of Arizona, Barb Catlin, director; featuring Dennis Rowland, jazz vocalist formerly with the Count Basie Band. . (Nogales International, AZ)
More of this story Apr 11, 2009
Fans will be grabbing their hats or bonnets and hopping on over to the newly restored Knickerbocker from 7 to 11 p.m. on Easter Sunday for two long sets of the blues that caused the late Count Basie to call Roomful the hottest blues band I ve ever heard. Downbeat once put the band in a class by itself. (Westerly Sun, RI)
On his 70th birthday, Andriessen still relies on surprise Apr 6, 2009
Stan Kenton and Count Basie were early, irrepressible influences on Andriessen's style and palette. Jazz and pop musicians manned the ensembles he formed in the 1970s for playing his music (he believes that music should be performed by the musicians who want to play it, for audiences that want to hear it). (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Leno returning to honor man who helped launch career Mar 30, 2009
Lennie's drew Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, Count Basie, and other jazz greats. Roast beef sandwiches with pickles and Lennie's homemade chili were on the menu. (Boston Globe)
Hunt Family Fiddlers to launch LCCCs Community Concert Series Mar 29, 2009
The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. and feature big band renditions of Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and others. The group also features music from Broadway, Latin American rhythms, waltzes and big band rock n roll arrangements. (Lake City Reporter, FL)
Imaginative musing predicts Washington’s future? Mar 27, 2009
Think about the Roaring 20s jazz music, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, flappers, vaudeville, showboats and silent movies, he said. You left out the Great Depression. (Washington Daily News, NC)
NovaJazz to perform at Primoz Mar 19, 2009
Heitbrink said the group borrows from the ideas of such jazz legends as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington and Count Basie. They also go to the other end of the spectrum with more current pieces, even taking traditional rock songs and giving them in a jazz flavor. (Mason City Globe-Gazette, IO)
Arranger George Mesterhazy: The beat goes on Mar 8, 2009
Parris was a Boston singer who had performed with Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and others. Mesterhazy arranged a show for her that included a medley of tunes by Sarah Vaughan, who had just died. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Cherished Citizen Mar 8, 2009
"But I liked jazz from my New York days, when I went to Small's Paradise in Harlem and met a lot of guys like Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie and Nat King Cole. "When we moved to San Francisco, I lived on Spruce Street near Kezar before we bought a house in Forest Hills, near where Mayor (George) Christopher lived. I just didn't go out much, but Sammy Davis would come over to the house, and I'd see Dizzy and Duke when they'd come to town. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Sports)
Essentials: This weekend's live music picks Mar 6, 2009
The Chicago native scored a jukebox hit in 1958 with Horace Silver's "Seor Blues," toured with Count Basie, and made a classic album with Oscar Peterson. He just released a new CD powered by drum master Roy McCurdy, and at 82, he's sounding as suave and authoritative as ever. (San Francisco Chronicle)
U.S. Military Academy Jazz Knights to perform at Chi-Hi on Thursday Mar 5, 2009
Past and present members of the band have played with such icons as Count Basie, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson, Ahmad Jamal, Chaka Kahn, Prince, Billy Cobham, and the Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller Orchestras. The Jazz Knights highlights over the years include playing with Benny Goodman at Lincoln Center in 1982, performing with the Duke Ellington Orchestra for the 200th Anniversary of the New York State Legislature, and twice appearing at the Hatch Shell for Boston s Independence... (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Tom Patrick, drummer and band leader of Big Band Express, was recently presented with a Jerry Lewis drum cover when his band backed the famous comedian in concert at Desert Diamond Casino. He also recently backed Las Vegas singer Wayne Newton. Feb 20, 2009
Residents who grew up in an era of some of the finest music still thrill at the sound of Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller. It seems we just can t get enough of the big band sound and real music. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
San Diego Jazz Party to get plenty of mileage from ex-Basie drummer Feb 19, 2009
He has remarried, he's rejoined and exited the present-day Count Basie Orchestra, he has relocated from Santa Fe, N.M., to Austin, Texas, and he is now a college faculty member ... "Jake was to (bandleader Woody) Herman as Miles was to Count Basie, and Metz is as vigorous and versatile as they come." ... His first departure came in 1979, five years after Count Basie had recruited the blond drummer to sub for a few days while his regular timekeeper, Ray Parello, recovered from an accident. (North County Times)
Acclaimed Jazz Drummer Dies Feb 18, 2009
Bellson was a master musician who performed with such greats as Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Benny Goodman, as well as with his late wife, Pearl Bailey, who died in 1990. Bellson's career spanned more than six decades. (KWTX.com, TX)
Big band, jazz drummer Louie Bellson dies at age 84 Feb 17, 2009
Louie Bellson, 84, widely considered one of the world's greatest drummers, who played with Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Count Basie, died Feb. 14 in California of complications from a hip fracture he suffered in November ... He toured Europe with Norman Granz's all-star Jazz at the Philharmonic and performed with Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra and Count Basie and did special projects with Ellington, including his Concerts of Sacred Music. (Honolulu Advertiser)
Drum legend Louie Bellson dies at 84 Feb 17, 2009
LOS ANGELES - Legendary big band drummer Louie Bellson, who performed with such greats as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman and Oscar Peterson, has died. He was 84. (Hanford Sentinal, CA)
Louie Bellson, top drummer of big band era, composer; at 84 Feb 17, 2009
Best known as a superlative big band drummer, driving the beat for Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Duke Ellington, and others, Mr. Bellson was also an adept player in small groups ... "Born Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni in Rock Falls, Ill., he was drawn to percussion as early as age 3. He was also urged by his father, who owned a music store, to study keyboards, harmony, and theory.Still in his teens, he was hired by Goodman.After serving in the Army... (Boston Globe)
A song in her heart Feb 14, 2009
Parris's performing pedigree includes gigs all over the world with Count Basie, Joe Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Terry Gibbs, David "Fathead" Newman, and other jazz greats. Tonight's program will entertain old, new, and potential lovebirds with standards like "My Funny Valentine," "Never Let Me Go," and "This Is Always." 8 p.m. $23, $28. (Boston Globe)
Salem State to host Leno, Woodruffs for speaker series Feb 14, 2009
From 1951 to 1972, Lennie introduced the region to the Count Basie Band, the Buddie Rich Band, and singers Mae Arnette, Stan Kenton and Duke Ellington, among many others. Appearing at Lennie s would be one of Leno s first big breaks. (Georgetown Record, MA)
New on DVD: 'Being There,' 'Frozen River' and 'W.' Feb 13, 2009
MVD also has a new $20 set devoted to Count Basie in Berlin and Stockholm. The visual quality isn't as good, but the group sizzles like 10 George Foreman Grills. (USA Today -- Life)
Temple Jazz Orchestra performs here Saturday Feb 8, 2009
This Saturday, Feb. 7, at 7:30 p.m., the Temple Jazz Orchestra presents A Tribute to Count Basie at the Yoe High School Performing Arts Center in Cameron ... The special concert will feature music written for and performed by the Count Basie Orchestra, including Satin Doll , Sweet Georgia Brown , 88 Basie Street , Take the A Train , Fly Me to the Moon , Georgia On My Mind , A Night in Tunisia and others. (Cameron Herald, TX)
Warhol's greatest album covers Feb 8, 2009
(1956) While Warhol's quirky ink drawings started appearing on classical and world-music albums as early as 1949, it wasn't until he started getting commissioned jazz covers for Count Basie and Artie Shaw that his sly sensibility came to the surface. This one, for trumpet soloist Joe Newman, contains one of Warhol's earliest attempts at collage art, even if it was done simply to please the suits at RCA, who were used to seeing their musicians' pictures on album sleeves. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
