Red Bank Native Count Basie To Be Celebrated With Jazz Show

RED BANK, NJ — Red Bank native and famed jazz pianist Count Basie is being honored on the day that would be his birthday, with a special concert at the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 21.

The jazz show on the front lawn will feature a performance from the group Music Beyond Measure, with vocalist Tamara Williams.

Admission is $25 and tickets can be bought here. They include entrance to the Count Basie exhibit "A Love Letter to Count Basie: From The Great Migration to The Harlem Renaissance."

Born in 1904, Basie became the first African American male recipient of a Grammy, in 1958, according to biography.com. Some of his greatest hits include "One O'Clock Jump" and "Blue Skies."

"One of jazz music's all-time greats, he won many other Grammys throughout his career and worked with a plethora of artists, including Joe Williams and Ella Fitzgerald," according to the website.