Alphabet of Jazz Masters: B – Count Basie

William James “Count” Basie

August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984

Piano, Bandleader

Favorite Composition: One O’Clock Jump

Recording to Watch: BBC Special with Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, and Joe Pass (1980)

I started Count Basie as a blind contour then added paint…a lot of paint! Started with watercolor, then sketched over with a Sharpie, and finally added acrylic…and voilà — my interpretation of Count Basie.

“count basie”