Count Basie
Count Basie, real name William Basie (1904-1984). Black US jazz bandleader. He studied the piano as a child and joined Bennie Moten’s big band in the early 1930s. When Moten’s died (1935) Basie took the best musicians and formed his own band. He specialized in the 12-bar blues form and developed a relaxed style of performance.
