Jump 'N' Stomp

Count Basie from the album cover of Straight Ahead (1969)

We can't let the birth date of Count Basie go by without a celebration. Born on this date in 1904, Basie was an influential figure in the formation of jazz, especially during the Swing era.

Here's a quote from Wikipedia concerning Basie's legacy:

Count Basie introduced several generations of listeners to the Big Band sound and left an influential catalog. Basie is remembered by many who worked for him as being considerate of musicians and their opinions, modest, relaxed, fun-loving, dryly witty, and always enthusiastic about his music. As he summed up the key to his understated style, in his autobiography, "I think the band can really swing when it swings easy, when it can just play along like you are cutting butter".

Let's get to the music after the jump.


Here are a few of the classics Basie songs:

Enjoy!!!