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Count Basie

Count Basie
Count Basie, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (d. 1984)

William James "Count" Basie 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, and others. Many 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, plunger trombonist Al Grey, and singers Jimmy Rushing, Helen Humes, Thelma Carpenter, and Joe Williams.

21 August 1904

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Born on the same birth day (21 August): Barry Norman • Can Yücel • Cathy Weseluck • Charb • Cody Kasch • Eric Goles • Herman Badillo • Jason Eaton • Jim Bullinger • Martin Andanar • Medora de Vallombrosa, Marquise de Morès • Otto Goldschmidt • Paul Mellor • Paul Panhuysen

Born in the same month (August 1904): Alar Kotli • Henry Iba • Jean Dessès • Maurice Wilks • Minoru Genda • William Primrose