Clarence Banks News

Celebrate the Sarah Vaughan Centennial with The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra on Feb 24. Don't miss this incredible jazz performance!

The 19-time Grammy-Awarded, 2018 Downbeat Readers Poll-winning Count Basie Orchestra will bring the most danceable swing of the Big Band era to Musco Center for the Arts on Thursday, October 17 at 7:30pm. The Chapman University Big Band will open the concert as part of the Musco Master Class program. 

 Birdland is 63, The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra is 80, and  Frank Sinatra is 100.  Gianni Valenti, Birdland owner announced the orchestra and the swinging engine of the Basie Band blasted off with "Come Fly With Me" at the "Jazz Corner of the World" last night. Regardless of how good the fidelity is on your Beats Headphones and McIntosh Amplifier, it doesn't come close to the sound being heard on 44th Street. The original charts might have some wear and tear from page turning by Basie musicians over the years, but the music was clear, precise, and  exciting as when the band made their home at Birdland in the 1950's. Scotty Barnhart is now the Director of The Count Basie Orchestra which has won 18 Grammy Awards and 20 Downbeat and Jazz Times polls. He follows in a long line of Jazz greats that have led the orchestra since Basie's passing in 1984. Thad Jones, Frank Foster, Brover Mitchell, Bill Hughes, and Dennis Mackrel have been prior directors.  Scotty pointed out that the band might have been formed in 1935, but they are very current and are on Facebook, and have a great website. Carmen Bradford, a Basie choice supplied the vocals. 

William 'Count' Basie started The Count Basie Orchestra in 1935, in Kansas City, Missouri. Within a year, America was listening in on popular radio shows throughout the country to hear what would become 'The greatest swing band in all the land!' A phenomenon was born in 1935 that is still going strong today! Harris Center for the Arts is proud to present this legendary orchestra.

William 'Count' Basie started The Count Basie Orchestra in 1935, in Kansas City, Missouri. Within a year, America was listening in on popular radio shows throughout the country to hear what would become 'The greatest swing band in all the land!' A phenomenon was born in 1935 that is still going strong today! Harris Center for the Arts is proud to present this legendary orchestra.

Recien salimos de la rueda de prensa que ha servido de presentacion de Ain't Misbehavin' en el Teatre Victoria de la ciudad condal. El acto ha comenzado con un espectacular pase de graficos realizado en el interior de la sala. Sobre el escenario nos esperaba Mel Howard, productor del espectaculo y cuatro de los cinco actores que forman el elenco, asi como la orquesta al completo, dirigida por, el tambien pianista del montaje, Kenney Green.

The era when Monday-night big bands were ubiquitous is well behind us, but the reason has little to do with that old saw about the difficulty of keeping a large ensemble together.

The era when Monday-night big bands were ubiquitous is well behind us, but the reason has little to do with that old saw about the difficulty of keeping a large ensemble together.