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appalachiablue

(44,358 posts)
Thu Jul 9, 2026, 10:50 PM 14 hrs ago

Count Basie, Jazz Pianist, Bandleader 🎹 Swingin' the Blues


Count Basie 'Swinging the Blues,' 1941, big band swing jazz.
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- William James "Count" Basie (Aug. 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) 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, his minimalist piano style, and others. Many musicians came to prominence under his direction...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Basie
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