The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra with Special Guest David Benoit
BIO
The Count Basie Orchestra, founded by pianist and bandleader William “Count” Basie, continues to perform worldwide, nearly 40 years after his passing. Under the direction of Scotty Barnhart, the orchestra has won 18 Grammy Awards and performed for royalty, at major festivals, and in renowned concert halls. Their 2024 Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble and 2018 Grammy nominations highlight their ongoing success.
For four decades, David Benoit has reigned supreme as one of the founding fathers of contemporary jazz with 40 solo recordings. David has released several chart-topping recordings for GRP, including Freedom at Midnight (1987), Waiting for Spring (1989) and Shadows (1991), which both topped Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Charts at #5, #1, and #2, respectively and Here’s to You, Charlie Brown: Fifty Great Years (2000) to name a few. As a popular film and television composer, David’s most notable film scores include The Stars Fell on Henrietta, produced by Clint Eastwood and starring Robert Duvall; The Christmas Tree, produced by Sally Field, voted Best Score of 1996 by Film Score Magazine; and scores for the Peanuts TV special on CBS.
