Wed 3/27 @ 7:30PM
Jazz pianist, composer and bandleader William James “Count” Basie died in 1984 at the age of 79. He formed the Count Basie Orchestra in 1935, the height of the big band era. Despite the passing of that era and of Basie himself, the Count Basie Orchestra soldiers on, under the direction of trumpeter Scotty Barnhart who was just 19 when Basie died. He’s the group’s seventh director, the first not hired by Basie himself. But he’s dedicated to keeping alive this historic style whose energetic, danceable appeal to audiences never seems to flag.
“Mr. Basie and his musicians set a precedent in jazz that has been given to us to preserve and protect,” says Barnhart on his website. “I want us to continue to work together to ensure that we are always adhering to the highest standards on and off the bandstand, but I want us to have fun too. Mr. Basie himself said that a happy band is a great band. I want us to leave no doubt after every single tune we play that we are the greatest jazz orchestra on this planet.”
The legendary Count Basie Orchestra will be performing at the Tri-C Metro Auditorium with guest vocalist, Carmen Bradford, who has a history with the orchestra: Discovered by Basie himself, she performed with the group from 1983-1991 before going on to an illustrious career as a solo artist and collaborator with a who’s who of jazz, pop and R&B musicians. Her 2019 Grammy-nominated album All About That Basie featured the CBO conducted by Barnhart, with guest performances by Kurt Elling, Take 6 and Stevie Wonder; her 2022, Live at Birdland, was also nominated for a Grammy and again featured the orchestra. She says of the ensemble “When they call me, I go,” in gratitude for Basie launching her career.
Go here for tickets.
tri-c-performing-arts-presents-the-count-basie-orchestra
Cuyahoga Community College Metro Campus, Cleveland, OH 44115