TrustNEWS Item

Ref: tn_3705
Date: 13th May 2005

Out For The Count

Basie's Boys Are Back In Town!

Count Basie The word legend is not one you want to use lightly… even in jazz circles.

But when it comes to the King of Swing, the one and only Count Basie, it's perhaps not quite adequate enough.

And while the big man himself may have left us for that great piano stool in the sky 20 years ago, his boys - The Count Basie Orchestra - are still doing the business.

They'll prove it in fine style when the 20-piece big band blows into Wigan on Saturday July 16 to headline the town's 20th International Jazz Festival. The Count Basie Orchestra's Wigan gig is a real coup for the Festival because it is the only time they'll be performing in the UK this year.

The Orchestra’s exclusive appearance is a key component of the ‘Big Band Extravaganza’ at the Festival this year that will witness performances from The Mingus Big Band, The Woody Herman Orchestra and Elmhurst College featuring Herb Geller, Sounds 2000, Wigan Jazz Club Big Band and High Brass. Basie, was born William Basie in 1904 in Red Bank, New Jersey. His parents were both musicians and he cites one of his early mentors as the great Fats Waller.

Count Basie Orchestra At the height of his power during the 1940's and 50's Basie and his orchestra had a string of US top 10 hits, appeared in five feature films and picked up a handful of Grammy's (the American music industry Oscar).The band leader and his troupe also teamed up with the very best of the jazz world's vocal talent, including Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and soul star Jackie Wilson.

This year the orchestra celebrates 70 years in showbiz and while they keep the Count's music alive they're not living in his shadow. The band has picked up a total of 17 Grammy's in its own right, including the 1999 honour for best large jazz ensemble.

Wigan International Jazz Festival Musical Director Ian Darrington says: "The swing and big band revival continues to gather pace and more people are becoming fans of this great style of music, including a lot of young people. And while there are many excellent examples of contemporary big bands out there, fans old and new always return to Basie."

Ian added: "The Count Basie Orchestra's performance is exclusive to Wigan and for those lucky enough to get tickets it will be a chance to experience that unique 'Basie swing' at first hand. "This year we are lucky enough to have a new venue, The Pier Centre in Wigan, which has a much larger capacity than our previous venues and for a band of this magnitude, we're going to need it!"

Tickets for the 20^th Wigan International Jazz Festival will be on sale soon
For regular updates visit the official festival website www.wiganjazz.net
To request a festival brochure and/or to be placed on the festival mailing list call 01942 825677.All artists appear by arrangement with Ernie Garside Productions.

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NOTES TO EDITORS:
For further information on this News Release please contact Chris Dunbar, Public Relations Consultant, Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust, on 01942776719 or at C.Dunbar@wlct.org, or Phil Green at Wigan Council’s Press Office on 01942 827369.

SPONSORS: Wigan International Jazz Festival is supported by Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust and Wigan Council’s Education Department. The Festival is kindly sponsored by Manchester Airport, Greenberg Glass, John Smith's Ltd, Kronenbourgbuy and fly!, Leisure Tec, Executive Chauffeurs, Arts Council England, Jazz Review Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, The Rotary Club of Wigan, Wigan & Leigh College and Wigan Jazz Club.

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