1927-34
Basie settles in Kansas City and plays with Walter Page's Blue Devils until 1929 and then with Bennie Moten until 1934. In Moten's band are Hot Lips Page, Buster Smith, Jimmy Rushing and Lester Young, all of whom join Basie in 1934 when he forms the 'Barons of Rhythm'.

1940s
The war years herald rapid personnel changes: Vic Dickenson (trombone), Illinois Jacquet and Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxs) join the group. Hard times hit the big band economy and Basie disbands, leading an octet in 1950-51.

1952-84
A 16-piece band is reformed in 1952, with Frank Foster (tenor sax), Marshal Royal (alto sax) and Thad Jones (trumpet). A successful European tour in 1954 and some popular records lay the foundations for economic stability. The band tours and records extensively, occasionally recording in popular genres, until Basie's death. Basie performs in latter years in a wheelchair.

BIG BAND STYLE
Basie's band is the Kansas City band that outgrew Kansas; the band grew within a jazz context yet remained close to its roots. The early arrangements grew from spontaneous 'riffs', a repetitive ensemble device that supported the improvising soloist, and this was memorized as a 'head arrangement' - an example of this would be Basie's signature tune, One O'Clock Jump, which was created by Buster Smith and transcribed by Buck Clayton (Basie was careful to copyright it!). By the late-1930s the arrangements became more structured, both to accommodate singers and more carefully to recreate popular numbers, and arrangements were made from within the group or bought in. After the war, more illustrious names were brought in to arrange - such as Neal Hefti, Quincy Jones, Thad Jones and Benny Carter. At all times Basie's band was well-drilled, precise and tight in its ensemble playing creating a relaxed sound with a huge dynamic range, and in each decade had something new to say.

PIANIST
Basie is one of the great jazz piano stylists, as distinctive as Erroll Garner or Earl Hines. His pared down technique, his stock of short (and clichéd) melodic phrases or ostinati patterns, made him perhaps the greatest of all the big band pianists. In his early years he was an excellent stride pianist, and his later minimalist style was not the product of laziness but a well crafted response to the dynamics of big band ensemble playing. His stabbed phrases were well-timed, carefully weighted, trod on no-one's toes, and must be seen in the context of his rhythm section - Walter Page, Jo Jones and, later, Freddy Green. Basie's influence on others - Mary Lou Williams, John Lewis, some of the West Coast pianists - was thus as an ensemble player.