William James Basie, better known to the musical world as Count, was born on this day in 1904 in Red Bank, N.J. Fondly remembered as one of jazz’s all-time greats, the bandleader/pianist had a profound influence over the big-band sound of the mid-20th century; he died in April 1984. His music was often featured in movies: Here’s a clip of his band doing “One O’Clock Jump” from the Columbia film “Reveille with Beverly” (1943) and one of Jerry Lewis pantomiming to the Count Basie Orchestra in “The Errand Boy” (1961).
