August 21: Today is "Count" Basie's birthday.

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William James Basie was born on August 21, 1904 in Red Bank, New Jersey."The Count" died on April 26, 1984.He was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer.

His mother taught him to play the piano and he started performing in his teens. Dropping out of school, he learned to operate lights for vaudeville and to improvise accompaniment for silent films at a local movie theater in his home town of Red Bank, New Jersey. By 16, he increasingly played jazz piano at parties, resorts and other venues.

In 1924, he went to Harlem, where his performing career expanded; he toured with groups to the major jazz cities of Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City. In 1929 he joined Bennie Moten's band in Kansas City, and played with them until Moten's death in 1935. That year Basie formed his own jazz orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording.

With singer Ethel Waters

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 notable 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 and Joe Williams. Count Basie introduced several generations of listeners to the Big Band sound and many musicians got their start in his band.

Basie's theme songs were "One O'Clock Jump," developed in 1935 in the early days of his band, and "April In Paris.”

Just when William "Bill" Basie become "The Count" is uncertain. One possibility is he preferred it to his previous nickname "Nutty."

Press following links to view You Tube videos:

-- "April in Paris"

-- "One O'Clock Jump"

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