Count Basie

thumb|right|335 pxWilliam James "Count" Basie (August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. His mother taught him to play the piano and he started performing in his teens. Dropping out of school, he learned to operate lights for vaudeville and to improvise accompaniment for silent films at a local movie theater in his home town of Red Bank, New Jersey. By 16 he increasingly played jazz piano at parties, resorts and other venues. In 1924 he went to Harlem, where his performing career expanded; he toured with groups to the major jazz cities of Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City. In 1929 he joined Bennie Moten's band in Kansas City, and played with them until Moten's death in 1935.
== Tossup Questions ==
# Frank Foster composed "Shiny Stockings" while working for this musician, who frequently performed it. Sammy Nestico arranged many of this musician's late albums, including Chairman of the Board and Straight Ahead. Joe Williams recorded a popular version of "Every Day I Have the Blues" for one of this man's groups, which featured duels between the tenor saxophonists Herschel Evans and Lester Young. Early in his career, this pianist moved to Kansas City and joined Bennie Moten's band, before his own band gained fame by battling Chick Webb at the Savoy in 1938. Thad Jones quoted "Pop Goes the Weasel" during this musician's recording of "April in Paris." This bandleader named another of his songs for the hour that he improvised it. For 10 points, name this swing era bandleader who composed "One O'Clock Jump" and was nicknamed "Count."
# In September 2010, Dennis Mackrell replaced Bill Hughes as the leader of the band originally founded by this man. That band's "Second Testament" relied on arrangers such as Quincy Jones. He started in Bennie Moten's band and exemplified the Kansas City style of swing with a band that included tenor saxophonist Lester Young. That band played hits such as (*) "Taxi War Dance," "Jumpin' at the Woodside," and "One O'Clock Jump." For 10 points, name this pianist that, like Duke Ellington, led a successful big band and, like Ellington, had a noble nickname.
# This man's version of "Broadway" has Al Killian and Ed Lewis appear on trumpets, as they do in another work that uses a 12-bar blues tune broadcast from the Reno Club. He employed soloists like Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and the earlier Harry "Sweets Edison," and his rhythm section consisted of guitarist Freddie Green and drummer "Papa" Jo Jones. He was discovered by John Hammond after leaving Bennie Moten to form his own Barons of Rhythm in Kansas City. His better-known groups include the Old and New Testament bands. For 10 points, name this jazz pianist and frequent collaborator of Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, best known for "Tickle Toe," "Jumpin' at the Woodside," and his signature piece named for the time at which it was originally improvised, "One O' Clock Jump."
# His first album with Pablo Records features compositions like "One Nighter" and "Freeport Blues," and he was introduced to the organ by Fats Waller. The song "Rent Party" off the "Timekeepers" album as well as songs like "Big Stockings" and "Buns" off Satch and Josh were among his collaborations with Oscar Peterson. Ella Fitzgerald sang with his "New Testament" band, which included trumpeter Joe Newman and saxophonist Frank Foster, with whom he recorded "Doggin' Around" and "Blue and Sentimental." His group emerged with the arrival of (*) Lester Young and the dissolution of the Bennie Moten band of Kansas City; that group did a famous 1955 recording of "April in Paris." Also known for "One o'clock Jump," for 10 points, name this jazz pianist and bandleader.