Group
The Count Basie Orchestra
- From
- Kansas City, United States
- Since
- 1935–present
- Releases
- 239
- big band
- jazz
- swing
- vocal jazz
About
The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16- to 18-piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 1950s, the band has survived long past the big band era itself and the death of Basie in 1984. It continues under the direction of trumpeter Scotty Barnhart.
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Originally including such musicians as Buck Clayton and Lester Young in the line-up, the band in the 1950s and 1960s made use of the work of the arrangers Neal Hefti and Sammy Nestico with featured musicians such as Thad Jones and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis.
Members
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Al Aarons trumpet
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Count Basie eponymous
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Henderson Chambers trombone
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Sonny Cohn trumpet
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Wallace Davenport trumpet
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Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis tenor saxophone
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Eric Dixon flute, tenor saxophone
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Charlie Fowlkes bass clarinet, baritone saxophone
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Freddie Green guitar
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Al Grey trombone
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Phillip Guilbeau trumpet
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Frank Hooks trombone
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Bill Hughes bass trombone
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Grover Mitchell trombone
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Sonny Payne drums (drum set)
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Bobby Plater flute, alto saxophone
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Marshall Royal alto saxophone
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Butch Miles drums (drum set)
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Ray 'Quasi' Nelson drums (drum set)
Discography
Albums
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Basie's Back in Town
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THE GREATEST!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards
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April in Paris Apple Music
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Basie In London
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Everyday I Have the Blues
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Not Now, I’ll Tell You When
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Swinging the Blues
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Star Collection - Frank Sinatra With Count Basie
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The Legend (From the Pen of Benny Carter)
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On My Way & Shoutin' Again!
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This Time by Basie: Hits of the 50's & 60's
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Ella and Basie!
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It Might as Well Be Swing
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Basie's Beatle Bag
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Hollywood… Basie’s Way
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Broadway Basie's...Way
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Basie's in the Bag
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Basie's Beat
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Straight Ahead
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Basic Basie
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Basie on The Beatles
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Prime Time
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Singin' Up A Storm
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A Classy Pair
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The Best of Basie
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Kansas City Suite - The Music of Benny Carter
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On the Road
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I Told You So
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Basie in Europe
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Have a Nice Day
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Long Live the Chief Apple Music
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The Giants of Boogie Woogie
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The Legend, the Legacy, the Count Basie Orchestra
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Flip, Flop & Fly
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Tony Bennett with the Count Basie Orchestra
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Big Boss Band
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Shoutin’ Blues
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Frankly Basie: Count Basie Plays the Hits of Frank Sinatra
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88 Basie Street
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Basie's Bag Apple Music
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Best Of The Count Basie Orchestra On Denon
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En Concert, 1960/62
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Jazzin'
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At the Royal Roost 1948
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Warm Breeze
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Count Plays Duke
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At Long Last
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Send in the Clowns
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Basie Big Band
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Atomic Swing
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Swing Shift Apple Music
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Fancy Pants
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Shoutin' Blues
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Swingin' at the Chatterbox 1937
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Basie Meets Bond
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Bon Basie de Paris
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Basie's Beat
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Basie Land
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On the Sunny Side of the Street
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Jumpin' At The Woodside
EPs
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I’ve Got Rhythm / G. I. Stomp / Dance of the Gremlins
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Pretty Eyes / Lunceford Special / Circus in Rhythm
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Outskirts of Town / I’ve Found a New Baby / Yeah Man / Rhythm Man
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My Silent Love / The Mole / Taps Miller
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Ol’ Man River / Jimmy’s Blues / Take Me Back Baby
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Playhouse no. 2 Stomp / Sweet Sally / Zip, Zip, Zipper
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Cross Your Heart / When the Quail Come Back to San Quentin / On the Upbeat
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Diminuendo in Blue / Crescendo in Blue / Sent for You Yesterday / Jimmy’s Boogie Woogie
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Tippin’ on the Q.T. / Liza / China Boy
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Sweet Lorraine / I Believe / Just You, Just Me
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San Jose / B Flat Blues / Stompin’ at the Savoy
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Basie's Back In Town
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Swingin' Through The Holidays
Singles
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My Kind of Girl
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Untouchable / Alexander's Ragtime Band
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Not Now, I'll Tell You When
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Going to Chicago Blues
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April in Paris / Roll 'em Pete
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Open the Door, Richard! / Me and the Blues
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Brand New Wagon / Futile Frustration
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Free Eats / Bill's Mill
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Patience and Fortitude / The Mad Boogie
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Red Bank Boogie / Jimmy's Blues
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Fla-Ga-La-Pa / Mutton Leg
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Old Manuscript / Frantic Fantasy
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Lover Man / Gee, Baby Ain’t I Good to You
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Harlem Airshaft / High Tide (I Ain’t Mad at You)
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Apple Honey / Harvard Blues
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Beaver Junction / Kansas City Stride
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One O’Clock Jump / Minnie the Moocher
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9:20 Special / Goin’ to Chicago Blues
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Tuesday at Ten / Undecided Blues
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Rocking The Blues / Volcano
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Cherokee
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What Goes Up Must Come Down / Don’t Worry ’bout Me
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My Heart Belongs to Daddy / Sing for Your Supper
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Jump for Me / 12th Street Rag
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Evil Blues / Jive at Five
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If I Could Be With You / Taxi War Dance
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Rock‐a‐Bye Basie / Baby Don’t Tell on Me
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Oh Lady Be Good / You Can Depend on Me
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Blue and Sentimental / Doggin’ Around
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Jumpin’ at the Woodside / Dark Rapture
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Every Tub / Now Will You Be Good
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Don’t You Miss Your Baby? / Topsy
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Do You Wanna Jump, Children? / Panassie Stomp
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Blame It on My Last Affair / The Blues I Like to Hear
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Sent for You Yesterday and Here You Come Today / Swinging the Blues
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Thursday / Shorty George
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Georgianna / Blues in the Dark
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Stop Beatin’ ’round the Mulberry Bush / London Bridge Is Falling Down
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Topsy / Jumpin' At The Woodside
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Texas Shuffle / Mama Don’t Want No Peas an’ Rice an’ Cocoanut Oil
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One O’Clock Jump / John’s Idea
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Listen My Children and You Shall Hear / Smarty
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Boo‐Hoo / The Glory of Love
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Honeysuckle Rose / Goodmorning Blues
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Boogie Woogie / Exactly Like You
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Honeysuckle Rose / Roseland Shuffle
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Good Morning Blues / Our Love Was Meant to Be
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I Keep Remembering / Out the Window
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Pennies From Heaven / Swinging at the Daisy Chain
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Let Me Dream / Time Out
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Roseland Shuffle / Gin Mill Blues
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Queer Street / Stay Cool
Live
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Live At Birdland Apple Music
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Complete Live at The Crescendo 1958
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Complete Live at the Americana Hotel 1959 (1)
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Mustermesse Basel 1956 Part 2
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Basie is Back
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Jive at Five
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Live at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild
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The Swingin' Machine, Live!
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Count Basie, Lester Young and the Stars of Birdland on Tour
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Live in Stockholm 1954
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Live From Tilburg, Holland 1971 / Live From La Cabaret Casino, Paradise Island, Nassau 1969
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Corner Pocket
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A Night at Count Basie’s
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Live at El Morocco
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Basie In Sweden
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Count Basie at Newport
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Basie in London
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Count Basie et son orchestre Live in Antibes, 1968
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Basie at Birdland
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Live in Japan '78
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A Perfect Match: Ella and Basie
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Basie in Sweden
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Sinatra at the Sands
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Sinatra at the Sands
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Basie At Birdland
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Breakfast Dance and Barbecue
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In Person!
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Live!
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1963-09-16: Liederhalle, Stuttgart, Germany
Compilations
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Swingin' Together
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Count Basie & His Orchestra Play Neal Hefti Complete Studio Sessions 1951-1962
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The Complete Recordings (In Person - Basie / Bennett)
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Count Basie on the Beatles
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Basie Swings Standards
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Broadway and Hollywood… Basie’s Way
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1953-1954
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1952-1953
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Complete Recordings
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The Jubilee Shows Vol. 9, No. 194 & No. 195
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Anything Goes
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The Jubilee Shows Vol. 8, No. 26 & No. 32
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1952
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Anything Goes
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Panassié Stomp
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1950-1951
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One O'Clock Jump
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1947-1949
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Definitive Columbia Best Recordings
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One o'Clock Jump and Other Hits
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1946-1947
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1947
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The Early Years
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Jimmy Rushing with Count Basie 1938-1945
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1945-1946
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The Golden Years 1936-40
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The Jubilee Alternatives Apple Music
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Basie's Golden '58
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1943-1945
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Frankly Basie
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Basie's Best
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Duke Ellington / Count Basie
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20 Golden Pieces of Count Basie and His Orchestra
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1942
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This Time by Basie
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The Complete Roulette Studio Recordings of Count Basie and His Orchestra
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1941
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Ain't Misbehavin'
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1 O'Clock Jump
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Rock-A-Bye Basie: Live in '38 & '39
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1939-1940
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1940-1941
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The Complete Roulette Live Recordings of Count Basie and His Orchestra (1959-1962)
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The Jazz Collector Edition
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Anthology
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1939, Volume 2
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Tony Bennett with Count Basie
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1938–1939
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The V-Discs Volume 2
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1939
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The Music of Neal Hefti & Benny Carter
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The Chronological Classics: Count Basie and His Orchestra 1936–1938
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The Best of Count Basie
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The Legend, The Legacy Apple Music
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From the Southland Cafe: Boston 1940
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Do You Wanna Jump…?
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Lester-Amadeus (Lester Young with Count Basie, His Quintet, Sextet and Orchestra 1936-38)
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Count on the Coast, Volume 2
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The Best of Basie Vol. 2
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The Basie Special (1944-1946)
Links
Listen
Official
Social
Concerts
Buy
Conductor position
Instrumental supporting musician
Also known as
Basie, Count & His Orchestra · Count Basie & His Atomic Band · Count Basie & His Orchesta · Count Basie And His Orchestra (Vocal By Joe Williams) · Count Basie Orchestra · Count Basie and His Orchestra · Count Basie and his orchestra · Le Count Basie Orchestra · The Word Famous Count Basie Orchestra lead by Frank Foster
Tags
- shoutin blues
Identifiers
- MusicBrainz
- 885f0f99-e945-4181-9990-bff2762ef9b8
- ISNI
- 0000000119390406
Data from MusicBrainz, saved 12 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.