The Count Basie Orchestra is a band formed in Kansas City, Kansas.
It is one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 1950s, the band survived long past the Big Band era itself and the death of Basie in 1984. It continues as a 'ghost band'.
Selected Discography[edit]
Note: This list is intentionally incomplete. The releases included in this list are those recorded during the early period of the band, up until the departure of Jimmy Rushing in 1950. The artist has continued to release music regularly ever since.
Compilations and live albums included in this list are those which specifically focus on this era of the band's history.
78s[edit]
Released as Count Basie and His Orchestra
- Boo-Hoo / The Glory of Love (1937)
- Boogie Woogie / Exactly Like You (1937)
- Pennies from Heaven / Swinging at the Daisy Chain (1937)
- I Keep Remembering (Someone I Should Forget (1937)
- Let Me Dream / Time Out (1937)
- Good Morning Blues / Our Love Was Meant to Be (1937)
- One O'Clock Jump / John's Idea (1937)
- Honeysuckle Rose / Roseland Shuffle (1937)
- Out The Window / Every Tub (1938)
- Texas Shuffle / Mama Don't Want No Peas an' Rice an' Cocoanut Oil (1938)
- Every Tub / Now Will You Be Good (1938)
- Do You Wanna Jump, Children / Panassie Stomp (1938)
- Jumpin' at the Woodside / Dark Rapture (1938)
- Sent for You Yesterday and Here You Come Today / Swinging the Blues (1938)
- Thursday / Shorty George (1938)
- Stop Beatin' 'Round the Mulberry Bush / London Bridge is Falling Down (1938)
- Georgianna / Blues in the Dark (1938)
- Blame It On My Last Affair / The Blues I Like to Hear (1938)
- And the Angels Sing / If I Didn't Care (1938)
- Blue and Sentimental / Doggin' Around (1938)
- Don't You Miss Your Baby? / Topsy (1938)
- Onyx Club Spree / Listen My Children and You Shall Hear (1938) with Stuff Smith & His Onyx Club Boys
- What Goes Up Must Come Down / Don't Worry 'Bout Me (1939)
- Evil Blues / Jive at Five (1939)
- Miss Thing (1939)
- I Left My Baby / Riff Interlude (1939)
- Cherokee (1939)
- Rock-A-Bye Basie / Baby Don't Tell On Me (1939)
- Clap Hands. Here Comes Charlie / Pound Cake (1939)
- Song of the Islands / Nobody Knows (1939)
- Oh Lady Be Good / You Can Depend On Me (1939)
- If I Could Be With You / Taxi War Dance (1939)
- Moonlight Serenade / I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me (1939)
- Jump for Me / 12th Street Rag (1939)
- Hollywood Jump / Someday Sweetheart (1939)
- You Can Count on Me / You and Your Love (1939)
- My Heart Belongs to Daddy / Sing for Your Supper (1939)
- How Long Blues / Sub-Deb Blues (1939)
- Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea / Ham 'N Eggs (1940)
- Tickle-Toe / I Never Knew (1940)
- The World is Mad (1940)
- Gone with "What" Wind / Blow Top (1940)
- What's Your Number / Draftin' Blues (1940)
- The Apple Jump / Blues (I Still Think of Her) (1940)
- I Want a Little Girl / It's Torture (1940)
- Super Chief / You Can't Run Around (1940)
- Five O'Clock Whistle / My Wanderin' Man (1940)
- Let's Make Hey! While the Moon Shines / Somebody Stole My Gal (1940)
- Easy Does It / Louisiana (1940)
- Evenin' / Moten Swing (1940)
- Wiggle Woogie / Jump the Blues Away (1941)
- I Do Mean You / Feedin' the "Bean" (1941)
- Tuesday at Ten / Undecided Blues (1941)
- 9:20 Special / Goin' to Chicago Blues (1941)
- Let Me See / Basie Boogie (1941)
- Fiesta In Blue / Take Me Back, Baby (1941)
- King Joe (Joe Louis Blues) (1941) with Paul Robeson
- Broadway / The Jitters (1941)
- Moon Nocturne / Something New 1941)
- One Two Three O'Lairy / Fancy Meetin' You (1941)
- Rocking the Blues / Volcano (1941)
- Love Jumped Out / It's the Same Old South (1941)
- You Lied to Me / Tune Town Shuffle (1941)
- You Betcha My Life / Down, Down, Down (What a Song) (1941)
- I Struck a Match in the Dark / Platterbrains (1941)
- Diggin' for Dex / H and J (1941)
- Stampede in G Minor / Who am I? (1941)
- I'll Forget / Beau Brummel (1941)
- It's Square But It Rocks / Music Makers (1941)
- My Old Flame / Tom Thumb (1942)
- I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town / Basie Blues (1942)
- Harvard Blues / Coming Out Party (1942)
- Blue Shadows and White Gardenias / 'Ay Now! (1942)
- Down for Double / More Than You Know (1942)
- Ride On / It's Sand, Man! (1942)
- Time on My Hands / For the Good of Your Country (1943)
- All of Me / Rusty Dusty Blues (1943)
- I've Got Rhythm / G. I. Stomp / Dance of the Gremlins (1943) with Tommy Dorsey and Orchestra
- Beaver Junction / Kansas City Stride (1944)
- (I'm Gonna Move to The) Outskirts of Town / I've Found a New Baby / Yeah Man / Rhythm Man (1944) with Louis Jordan and His Tympani Five
- Pretty Eyes / Circus in Rhythm (1944) with Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra
- Jivin' Joe Jackson / Queer Street (1945)
- Taps Miller / Jimmy's Blues (1945)
- Cross Your Heart / When the Quail Come Back to San Quentin / On the Upbeat (1945) with Artie Shaw and His Gramercy Five
- Lover Man / Gee, Baby Ain't I Good to You (1945) Woody Herman and His Orchestra
- Feather Merchant / Ain't It The Truth (1945)
- Playhouse No. 2 Stomp / Sweet, Sally / Zip, Zip, Zipper (1945) with The Light Crust Doughboys
- I Didn't Know About You / Red Bank Boogie (1945)
- High Tide / Lazy Lady Blues (1946)
- Blue Skies / The King (1946)
- Patience and Fortitude / The Mad Boogie (1946)
- Bambo / The Mad Boogie (1946)
- Fla-Ga-La-Pa / Mutton-Leg (1946)
- Old Manuscript / Frantic Fantasy (1946) with Duke Ellington and His Orchestra
- Tippin' on the Q. T. / Liza (1946) with Benny Goodman and His Sextet
- Robin's Nest / Your Red Wagon (1947)
- Money is Honey / Guest in a Nest (1947)
- Open the Door, Richard! / Me and the Blues (1947)
- I'm Drownin' in Your Deep Blue Eyes / South (1947)
- One O'Clock Boogie / Meet Me at No Special Place (And I'll Be There at No Particular Time) (1947)
- House Rent Boogie / Take a Little Off The Top (1947)
- Free Eats / Bill's Mill (1947)
- San Jose / Stompin' at the Savoy (1947) with Gene Krupa and His Trio
- Sweet Lorraine / I Believe (1947) with Buddy Rich and His Orchestra
- It's Monday Every Day / I've Only Myself to Blame (1947)
- Brand New Wagon / Futile Frustration (1947)
- I Ain't Mad at You / The Jungle King (You Ain't a Doggone Thing) (1947)
- Hey, Pretty Baby / Baby Don't Be Mad at Me (1948)
- Bye, Bye, Baby / Just a Minute (1948)
- Ready, Set, Go! / Seventh Avenue Express (1948)
- Solid as a Rock / Mine Too (1949)
- She's a Wine-O / Slider (1949)
- Walking Slow Behind You / Rocky Mountain Blues (1949)
- Bran’ New Dolly / Cheek to Cheek (1949)
- Normania / St. Louis Baby (1949)
- Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball? (1949)
- Is True What They Say About Dixie / After You've Gone (1949) with Phil Harris and His Orchestra
- Bluebeard Blues / The Golden Bullet (1950)
Studio Albums[edit]
- How About This (1969) with Kay Starr
Live Albums[edit]
- Swing Concert: Carnegie Hall Concerts 1938/39 (1979) with Benny Goodman Sextet, Kansas City Six
Compilation Albums[edit]
- Decca Presents One O'Clock Jump: An Album of "Jump" Music Played by Count Basie and His Orchestra (1941)
- Basie's Best (1950)
- Count Basie and His Orchestra (1953)
- Count Basie Highlights 1942-1946 (1954)
- Count Basie Classics by the Great Count Basie Band (1955)
- The Best of Count Basie (1963)
- The Best of Early Basie (1996)
- Listen My Children and You Shall Hear (2000)