Count Basie : NPR

Branford Marsalis And Joey Calderazzo's Top Five Jazz Duos

Branford Marsalis (left) and Joey Calderazzo. Stephen Sheffield/Marsalis Music hide caption

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Stephen Sheffield/Marsalis Music

Branford Marsalis And Joey Calderazzo's Top Five Jazz Duos

June 8, 2011 • Inspired by their own album of duets, we asked the jazzmen to name their favorite pairings.

Judy Garland (right) sang "I Got Rhythm" in the 1943 movie version of the 1930s musical Girl Crazy. Courtesy of MGM hide caption

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Courtesy of MGM

Evolution Of A Song: 'I Got Rhythm'

WBGO

February 9, 2011 • When George Gershwin wrote "I Got Rhythm" for the 1930s musical Girl Crazy, he created one of the most catchy melodies in American history. But little did he know that his lovable song — apart from becoming a hugely popular jazz standard — would evolve into something far greater.

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5 Depressing Blues Songs For Christmas

Jazz24

December 14, 2010 • The holiday spirit, powerful though it may be, just doesn't work for everybody: Some folks simply hate the season. These five blues songs are for the killjoys -- who, after all, need to get something for the holidays.

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Inside Wolfgang's Jazz Vault: Newport 1959

WBGO

December 30, 2009 • Studio recordings from 1959 make a strong case for that year as one of the best ever for jazz. Now, a large set of 50-year-old live recordings from the Newport Jazz Festival have been released online. WBGO's Josh Jackson and The New York Times' Ben Ratliff select some choice highlights.

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Big Apple Jazz: Five Picks From The Orchard

WBGO

October 19, 2009 • There are thousands of apple varieties — even a new breed called "Jazz." Much like the music that lends its name to this autumn delight, Jazz is a hybrid. The time is ripe for planning that apple-picking day trip, so get the caramel ready for five crisp, fleshy jazz tunes related to a certain favorite fall fruit.

courtesy of the artist

All Their Loving: Jazz Covers The Beatles

September 9, 2009 • As the British Invasion changed the landscape of the music industry, jazz musicians had to adapt to popular music written by the bands themselves instead of hired songwriters.

Ledisi, The Count Basie Orchestra In Concert

WBGO

December 18, 2008 • The Count Basie Orchestra, with Basie on piano, came roaring out of Kansas City during the Great Depression. Unrehearsed and unplugged, soul singer Ledisi shines with the famed Count Basie rhythm section — and, later, with the whole band.

Ledisi and The Count Basie Orchestra in Concert on JazzSet

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September Songs: Classic Jazz, Born In The Fall

Duke Ellington, Max Roach and Charles Mingus on the cover of Money Jungle. Courtesy of Blue Note hide caption

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Courtesy of Blue Note

September Songs: Classic Jazz, Born In The Fall

WBGO

September 2, 2008 • The change of season offers a chance to look ahead to fall and look back at summer simultaneously. For many, it's an especially productive month: In the world of jazz, September sessions have produced some special recordings.

Count Basie: The Man and His Music, Pt. 3

With the help of great arrangers such as Neal Hefti, Ernie Wilkins, Benny Carter, and Quincy Jones, bandleader Count Basie relaunched his career after the big-band era had already passed. Central Press/Getty Images hide caption

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Central Press/Getty Images

NPR's 'Jazz Profiles'

Count Basie: The Man and His Music, Pt. 3

June 4, 2008 • In the 1940s, the bandleader found himself staring at the impending decline of the Swing Era. But the sophisticated groups he put together in the years to come started a musical renaissance which helped confirm his place in jazz history.

Count Basie: The Man and His Music, Pt. 3

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Count Basie: The Man and His Music, Pt. 2

Though Count Basie's band received lukewarm reviews on their first stint in New York, the public warmed up to it quickly. Reg Burkett/Getty Images hide caption

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Reg Burkett/Getty Images

NPR's 'Jazz Profiles'

Count Basie: The Man and His Music, Pt. 2

May 28, 2008 • Its conception unique, its talent unmatched, no group ever swung harder than the Basie big band of the 1930s and early '40s. It transformed its leader from Bill Basie, journeyman pianist, into Count Basie, American folk hero.

Count Basie: The Man and His Music, Pt. 2

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Count Basie: The Man and His Music, Pt. 1

Though he came of age in New Jersey and New York City, Count Basie developed his band's trademark sound largely in Kansas City. Express Newspapers/Getty Images hide caption

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Express Newspapers/Getty Images

NPR's 'Jazz Profiles'

Count Basie: The Man and His Music, Pt. 1

May 21, 2008 • From humble beginnings at the turn of the century, the pianist and bandleader rose to become an American success story. By 1935, Count Basie had passed through Harlem and arrived in Kansas City, primed to take his place among jazz royalty.

Count Basie: The Man and His Music, Pt. 1

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Concerts

The Count Basie Orchestra with Ledisi in Concert

WBGO

January 7, 2008 • From the new Yoshi's Jazz Club in San Francisco, the Count Basie Orchestra showcases its joyous swing sound, together with the big, resounding voice of Bay Area native Ledisi.

Listen: The Count Basie Orchestra with Ledisi in Concert

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Holiday Music

Jazz for the Holiday Season, from WBGO

WBGO

December 19, 2007 • With the holiday season comes the holly and mistletoe, as well as a new batch of improvisations on holiday classics. WBGO's Gary Walker suggests a few well-aged jazz pairings for eggnog and yule logs.

Music Interviews

A Birthday Tribute to Count Basie

August 21, 2004 • Aug. 21 would have been the 100th birthday of the influential bandleader Count Basie. He's credited with taking the Kansas City style of jazz to a national and international audience. He helped launch the careers of Lester Young, Buck Clayton, Harry Edison, Helen Humes, and Jimmy Rushing, among others. Tom Vitale reports.

A Birthday Tribute to Count Basie

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All Songs Considered

Count Basie, Ani DiFranco, Califone

January 27, 2004 • Down in the valley with Greg Brown; Indie folk punk from Ani DiFranco; The electronic experiments of Dani Siciliano; Finger-style guitarist Harris Newman and more.

Count Basie, Ani DiFranco, Califone

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