Scotty Barnhart Named New Director of Count Basie Orchestra

The Count Basie Orchestra and All That Music Productions, LLC, is pleased to announce the appointment of Scotty Barnhart as the new Director of The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra. He follows Thad Jones, Frank Foster, Grover Mitchell, Bill Hughes, and Dennis Mackrel in leading one of the greatest and most important jazz orchestras in history. Founded in 1935 by pianist William James Basie (1904-1984), the orchestra still tours the world today and is presently ending a two-week tour in Japan. The orchestra has released hundreds of recordings, won every respected jazz poll in the world at least once, has appeared in movies, television shows and commercials, Presidential Inaugurals, and has won 18 Grammy Awards, the most for any jazz orchestra. Many of its former members are some of the most important soloists, vocalists, composers, and arrangers in jazz history. That list includes Lester Young, Billie Holiday, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Jo Jones, Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Thad Jones, Joe Williams, Sonny Payne, Snooky Young, Al Grey, John Clayton, Dennis Mackrel and others.

Mr. Barnhart, born in 1964, is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. He discovered his passion for music at an early age while being raised in Atlanta's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church where he was christened by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.He has been a featured trumpet soloist with the Count Basie Orchestra for the last 20 years, and has also performed and recorded with such artists as Wynton Marsalis, Marcus Roberts, Frank Sinatra, Diana Krall, Clark Terry, Freddie Hubbard, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Nat Adderley, Quincy Jones, Barbara Streisand, Natalie Cole, Joe Williams, and many others. Barnhart is a graduate of Gordon High School, Florida A&M University, a solo recording artist with Unity Music, the author of The World of Jazz Trumpet - A Comprehensive History and Practical Philosophy (published by Hal Leonard) and is Professor of Jazz Trumpet/Jazz Studies at Florida State University where two of his former students won First Place in the National Jazz Trumpet Competition. His first concert as leader of the orchestra is September 25, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia at the Cobb Energy Center in a tribute to Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Joe Williams. Barnhart resides in Los Angeles, California, and Tallahassee, Florida.

To post a comment, you must register and login.