William "Count" Basie (21 August 1904–26 April 1984) was a jazz pianist, organist, composer, and bandleader. As a pianist, he had a distinctive and influential style (the song title "Splanky" is an onomatopoetic reference to the sound of his playing), equally at home in the barrelhouse and the concert hall. Willie "The Lion" Smith, James P. Johnson, and Fats Waller were among his influences. As a bandleader...
Genre(s):
Blues, Jazz, Miscellaneous
