Videos: Basie in the '30s & '40s

No American big band had a bigger influence on swing and jazz than Count Basie's. Today, when we think of Basie, we most often associate him with his post-1952 “New Testament" band. But between 1937 and throughout the 1940s, Basie's band was electrifying for its sheer power, arrangements, infectious dance beat and soloists. Here are a bunch of videos from the period:

Here's Count Basie in May 1938 on New York's Randall's Island for the Carnival of Spring concert...



Here's Swingin' the Blues in 1941...



Here's Basie's Boogie from the same short...



Here's Take Me Back, Baby with singer Jimmy Rushing in 1941..



And here's One O'Clock Jump from the film Reveille with Beverly (1943)...