The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra and the Music of Ella Fitzgerald

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The Count Basie Orchestra honors “The First Lady of Song.” Ella Fitzgerald and the orchestra made American musical history for decades, including their 1963 album Ella and Basie! with arrangements by Quincy Jones, an album that many rank among the most important ever made. Recently, the Count Basie Orchestra performed their “Ella” concert at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. At The Soraya, vocalists Lizz Wright and Carmen Bradford will front the band, each with their distinctive artistry and stylings.

Pianist and band leader William James “Count” Basie personified jazz. Since forming in 1935, his orchestra won 18 Grammy awards, performed for kings and queens, appeared in films and TV shows, and headlined every major jazz festival in the world. Some of today’s players remain those hand-picked by Basie himself. For the past 18 years under the direction of Scotty Barnhart, the band continues the legacy throughout the world