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Count Basie (1904–1984)
Count Basie was a New York Life policyholder
Born in Red Bank, N.J., Count Basie was a jazz pianist, bandleader and composer. He worked in dance halls and Vaudeville in New York City before moving to Kansas City — which was, at the time, a major jazz center.
In Kansas City, he joined Walter Page's Blue Devils in 1927 and moved to Bennie Morton's band in 1929. In 1935 he formed his own band, and for 40 years he produced distinctive music — noted for its powerful, yet relaxed attack. Basie's innovative piano style is characterized by a nimble right hand, that carries the weight of the melody. "One O?Clock Jump" is one of his most notable compositions.
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