Count Basie Orchestra Biography

The Count Basie Orchestra was created back in the 1930’s, when Count Basie formed a nine-piece band comprised of some of the best musicians of that era. The group quickly expanded to thirteen pieces, and then to sixteen, and began releasing notable hits such as “One O’clock Jump,” bringing the Count Basie Orchestra both critical acclaim and commercial success.  

Since that time, the Count Basie Orchestra has survived multiple challenges, including the 1940’s ban on instrumental recordings, to remain one of the most long-lasting bands of the big band era. By the 1950’s and 1960’s, the Count Basie Orchestra was recording and performing with such notable contemporary performers as Frank Sinatra, Billy Eckstine, and Ella Fitzgerald. Songs such as "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," "Blame it on My Last Affair", "I Never Knew" and "Louisiana" have stood the test of time and left their enduring mark on American music history. Since the passing of Count Basie in 1984, the Orchestra has continued to perform and record, releasing new material periodically.

Recent albums from the Count Basie Orchestra include: (2006), A Very Swingin’ Basie Christmas (2015), Standing Room Only (2018), and All About That Basie (2018.) The group has thus far earned seventeen Grammys, including awards for Live at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild (1997) and Count Plays Duke (1999.)