| | Count Basie (Site not responding. Last check: ) |
 | | Count Basie, who was born on August 21, 1904, in Red Band, New Jersey, began his music career by playing piano with his mother. |
 | | At this point they became known as Count Basie's Orchestra and also one of the leading bands of the "swing era." Basie developed an "elliptical' style of melodic leads and cues which allowed him to control the band from his keyboard while also blending in with his rhythm section. |
 | | Much of the success of the rhythm section was due to both "Papa" Joe Jones, one of Basie's contemporaries and pioneer of the constant high-hat cymbal style, as well as the fact they practiced independently of the band on many occasions to exact the buoyant swing heard in the music. |
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