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Up To Date

Count Basie Orchestra got its start in Kansas City. It's returning to celebrate 90 years

By Steve Kraske,
Claudia Brancart
Published April 29, 2025 at 4:00 PM CDT
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On Wednesday, April 30, the Count Basie Orchestra will celebrate 90 years swinging at the Kansas City Music Hall.

On Wednesday, April 30, the Count Basie Orchestra will celebrate 90 years swinging at the Kansas City Music Hall. "Everybody in the orchestra will be featured. And we'll just be doing what Mr. Basie began in 1935," director Scotty Barnhart told Up To Date.

The Count Basie Orchestra will celebrate its 90th anniversary in Kansas City — the town where it got its start back in the 1930s swing era — this Wednesday, April 30 at the Kansas City Music Hall.

More than 40 years after the passing of their legendary founder, pianist Count Basie, the big band continues to awe audiences around the world.

The group has won 18 Grammys over the years, including one for the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album of 2024 for "Basie Swings the Blues."

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"It'll be a swinging affair. Everybody in the orchestra will be featured. And we'll just be doing what Mr. Basie began in 1935," director Scotty Barnhart said. "Basically making everybody feel good while we play. That's what we do."

Count Basie Orchestra at Kansas City Music Hall, 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 30, 301 W 13th Street, Kansas City, Missouri, 64105. The event is sponsored by Creative City KC.

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Up To Date PodcastArts & CultureMusicjazzhistoryKansas City
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Steve Kraske
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
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Claudia Brancart
As a producer for KCUR’s Up To Date, I want listeners to leave the show feeling informed and empowered to make decisions in their daily lives. Whether we’re spotlighting the voice of a creative, business owner or lawmaker, I present stories that matter deeply to Kansas City’s diverse communities. Reach me at claudiab@kcur.org.
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