Count Basie Orchestra coming to campus Feb. 9

 The legendary Count Basie Orchestra will bring its distinctive big band jazz sound to Texas State University for a concert Feb. 9 as part of the University Arts Series.

The performance, sponsored by the College of Fine Arts and Communication, will begin at 7 p.m. in Evans Auditorium. The Texas State Jazz Orchestra will be the opening act.

Pianist and bandleader William James “Count” Basie was and still is an American institution that personifies the grandeur and excellence of jazz. Carrying on his legacy, the Count Basie Orchestra, a 16- to 18-piece big band directed by Scotty Barnhart, has won 18 Grammy Awards and 20 Downbeat and Jazz Times polls — more than any other big band in jazz.

Founded by Count Basie in 1935 and surviving long past the Big Band era itself, the Count Basie Orchestra remains one of the most prominent jazz performing groups from the swing era. Since Basie’s death in 1984, Thad Jones, Frank Foster, Grover Mitchell, Bill Hughes, Dennis Mackrel and Scotty Barnhart have led the Count Basie Orchestra and maintained it as one of the elite performing organizations in jazz.

Admission prices for the general public are $15, Texas State faculty and staff $10 and Texas State students are free. Seating is limited, however, and tickets must be reserved in advance at Texas State University's website.

For more information about the Count Basie Orchestra, visit their website.