The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra

Doors open at 7:15 pm. The return of The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra with vocalist Everett Greene and drummer Clayton Cameron. Plus Chicago saxophonist Eric Schneider joins the band for this appearance.

(Two separate shows — one at 5 pm, the other at 8 pm. Each is $30.)

THE LEGENDARY COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA: William Count Basie started the Count Basie Orchestra in 1935, in Kansas City, Missouri. Within a year, America was listening in on popular radio shows throughout the country to hear what would become "The Swingingest Band In All The Land"! A phenomena was born in 1935, that is still going strong today! 

Since Basie's passing in 1984, Thad Jones, Frank Foster, Grover Mitchell, Bill Hughes and Dennis Mackrel have led the Count Basie Orchestra and maintained it as one of the elite performing organizations in jazz. The Count Basie Orchestra has won 17 Grammy Awards and 20 Downbeat and Jazz Times polls, more than any other big band in jazz. 

EVERETT GREENE: Everett Greene is a late bloomer who did not record his first album ("At Last") until he was already 60. He started singing doo-wop professionally in the early '50s. Greene served in the Marines during the Korean War, and after his discharge he settled in Indianapolis. He became interested in jazz when he heard such local musicians as Wes Montgomery, Freddie Hubbard and David Baker. But Greene did not pursue his love of jazz for many years. He had a day job as a machinist, and his singing was largely confined to gospel. After Greene retired and became a full-time performer, at first he was a stage actor in several touring shows. But he eventually became interested in jazz again. He has a deep baritone voice that hints at Billy Eckstine and Arthur Prysock, without copying them. He has worked with such musicians as pianists Junior Mance and Gerald Wiggins; organists Groove Holmes and Melvin Rhyne; and saxophonists Houston Person, Lou Donaldson and David "Fathead" Newman.

CLAYTON CAMERON: Clayton Cameron is a master drummer, writer, composer, producer, historian, and educator. He has performed or recorded with legends in the music business such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr. and other artist such as James Brown, BB King, Ray Charles, John Mayer, Christina Aguilera, Molly Ringwald and Mariah Carey to name a few. Nicknamed the “Brush Master” for being the most innovative brush player since Papa Jo Jones of the Count Basie Orchestra and now he himself is the drummer for the famous big band.