Count Basie Orchestra- Swingin' the Blues

Count Basie (August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was among the most important bandleaders of the swing era. He helped define the words 'jazz' and 'swing.'

In 1936 he founded the Count Basie Orchestra. By the end of the 30s, the Basie band was one of the most popular in the world. Basie's orchestra was characterized by a light, swinging rhythm section that he led from the piano, lively ensemble work, and generous soloing. His style of piano playing was to-the-point and focused on the blues, relying on simple melodic phrases.

Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years. Many notable musicians came to prominence under his direction, including tenor saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison and singers Jimmy Rushing and Joe Williams. Basie's theme songs were "One O'Clock Jump" and "April In Paris".

At the first Grammy Awards ceremony, Basie won the 1958 awards for Best Performance by a Dance Band and Best Jazz Performance, Group, for his Roulette Records LP Basie. Numerous nominations and awards followed.

Basie's health gradually deteriorated during the last eight years of his life. He suffered a heart attack in 1976 that put him out of commission for several months. He was back in the hospital in 1981, and when he returned to action, he was driving an electric wheel chair onto the stage. He died of cancer at 79.