St. Augustine — The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra will perform tonight, Friday, February 18, at St. Augustine’s Fort Mose Historic State Park.
The St. Augustine Amphitheatre has joined with Fort Mose Historic State Park to present a series of of award-winning jazz and blues artists beginning with The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra.
Winning 19-Grammy awards since their inception in 1935, the 18-piece ensemble, led by musical director Scotty Barnhart, will showcase their signature show-stomping, blues jazz and swing music of the great, and legendary, Count Basie.
The series was established in conjunction with the St. Augustine Amphitheatre to honor and celebrate the cultural and historical significance of Fort Mose Historic State Park while raising funds to support the construction of an on-site fort representation with additional interpretive resources. The original fort was destroyed during the Battle of Bloody Mose in 1740.
Barnhart says that the band is excited to kick off a series that represents the importance of American freedom and democracy. He described Fort Mose as a place where its citizens had “aspirations to live their lives fully and to participate in a society with all rights and privileges afforded to them as equal human beings.”
“We’ve played all over the world,” he said. “And we’re really excited to be here. In the words of Count Basie, ‘We’re here to share our Blues so you can get rid of yours.”
Barnhart described the band as a group of the best jazz musicians in the world who not only work well together on the bandstand, but who enjoy each other as friends off the bandstand as well.
With its origins steeped deep n musical history, The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra is a jazz band like no other.
Pianist and bandleader William James “Count” Basie remains an American jazz musician icon that personifies the grandeur and rich tapestry of jazz music. The band has and continues to perform worldwide to sold out crowds. Members even include those hand-picked by the legend years ago.
Barnhart noted that the Legendary Count Basie Orchestra has won every jazz poll in the world at least once, has performed for royalty, appeared in movies, television shows, and at every major jazz festival and major concert hall in the world. Honors also include the 2018 Downbeat Readers Poll Award as world’s number one jazz orchestra, plus a 2018 Grammy nod for “All About That Basie,” which features Stevie Wonder, Jon Faddis, Take 6, and Kurt Elling.
Accolades continue with their 2015, “A Very Swingin’ Basie Christmas!”, their sole Christmas Album in their 80-year history that stole the number one slot on the jazz charts and sold out on Amazon. Johnny Mathis, Ledisi, Carmen Bradford and pianist Ellis Marsalis were among those gracing their talents on the album.
Legendary jazz soloists, composers, arrangers, and vocalists that have accompanied the band include Lester Young, Billie Holiday, Frank Foster, Thad Jones, Sonny Payne, Freddie Green, Snooky Young, Frank Wess, and Joe Williams.
Current members include those hired by the Legendary Basie to include frequent guest vocalist Carmen Bradford (joined in 1983) and trombonist Clarence Banks (joined in 1984). Long-time members include Doug Miller (1989, formerly w/Lionel Hampton), and members who have joined in the last 15-25 years; trombonists David Keim (formerly w/Stan Kenton), Alvin Walker and Mark Williams, guitarist Will Matthews, trumpeter Endre Rice, saxophonists Doug Lawrence (formerly w/Benny Goodman, Buck Clayton) and returning on lead alto, David Glasser. Newer members include bassist Trevor Ware, trumpeters Brandon Lee and returning member, Shawn Edmonds, our new lead trumpeter Frank Greene III, pianist Glen Pearson and the youngest members; 27 year old Robert Boone on drums, 24 year old Joshua Lee on baritone saxophone and 24 year old Markus Howell on alto.
Doors open at 6 p.m. Show starts at 7 p.m. And oh, yes, please do bring your dancing shoes!
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