The Count Basie Orchestra was formed by William "Count" Basie in 1935. Itspopularity has continued to the present, despite the decline of the big bandera. Today it is composed of 19 performers, most of whom were hand-picked byCount Basie prior to his death in 1984. Highlights of the orchestra'sworldwide popularity include15 Grammy Awards, Royal Command performances,presidential and gubernatorial inaugurals, numerous Reader's Poll awards andinduction into the International Jazz Hall of Fame.
Performing with the orchestra will be award-winning jazz vocalist JoeWilliams, who received an honorary doctorate from Hamilton in 1988. Hisaccomplishments include over 30 albums, numerous television and movieappearances, symphony orchestra appearances and other honorary degrees.
The Count Basie Orchestra is directed by Grover Mitchell, whose associationwith the orchestra includes 22 years as lead trombone player. His solo creditsinclude five albums, studio performances for network television, numerousstudio recordings, films, live performances and awards shows.
The Count Basie Orchestra concert is the premiere performance of the 1996-1997Music at Hamilton Artist Series. Additional concerts in the series include theRochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Friday, Sept. 20; the Orion String Quartet,Saturday, Oct. 12; pianist Mykola Suk, Friday, Nov. 22; and the SyracuseSymphony Orchestra, Sunday, Feb. 9. Tickets for the five-part series,including the Count Basie Orchestra performance, are $40 for the general publicand $10 for students.
For further information, or to order tickets, call the Schambach Center forMusic and the Performing Arts at 859-4331.