On Camera - Count Basie

On Camera interviewer Judith Fyfe encounters American jazz bandleader William ‘Count’ Basie (1904 - 1984) on a 1971 NZ tour, 35 years after founding his legendary band. The Count Basie Orchestra defined the big band era, scoring multiple Grammys and backing Holiday, Crosby, Sinatra, King Cole, Bennett and Fitzgerald. In this interview the former silent movie pianist smokes, smiles and seems simultaneously laid-back and a tad testy, as he talks touring and early days, side-steps personal questions and laughs about rain impeding his gee-gees gambling habit in NZ.

I’d rather you point out like some of the personalities you would like me to tell you something about, such as … you have it there [smiling and gesturing at the interviewer’s question sheet].

– Count Basie side-steps the interviewer’s prompt for him to do some name-dropping

Key Cast & Crew

Judith Fyfe

Interviewer