Three days into the week, I'm still hooked on Count Basie. What can I say. The sound, the feel, the simplicity and the prowess—no band was as influential in jazz over the decades. Duke Ellington was a towering figure with a singular band, but I think it's fair to say that he didn't influence nearly as many players, arrangers and bands as the Count. To this day, Basie brings pure joy.
Today, here's an hour-long Dutch TV documentary from 1983...
