Pianist and bandleader William James "Count" Basie is an American institution that personifies the grandeur and the excellence of Jazz. The count Basie Orchestra, today directed by Scotty Barnhart, has won every respected jazz poll in the world at least once, won 18 Grammy Awards, performed for Kings, Queens, and other world Royalty, appeared in several movies, television shows, at every major jazz festival and major concert hall in the world. In the summer of 1961, Count Basie and his Orchestra played in the iconic New York jazz club, Birdland, which Basie considered his musical home. The live recording from two of those nights, Basie at Birdland! has been called simply the best live recording of a big band ever. Almost 60 years later, the Count Basie Orchestra, now under the direction of Scotty Barnhart and still performing all over the world returns to Birdland to once again record a live record. Those four nights in January 2020 would prove to be fateful as this country and the entire world would fall prey to a global pandemic shortly thereafter and virtually all live music performances would cease for the next year and a half. None of these coming challenges were on anyone's mind as the crowds poured into Birdland that week. They knew that the Basie band remains a very special unit and that a four-night stint at Birdland promised special moments. The added element of a live recording made those nights that much more electric and the buzz in the room was palpable. 'Live at Birdland!' captures the current band at its peak, and with its potent mix of seasoned veterans and emerging voices, simultaneously honours the tradition and looks forward. The Count Basie Orchestra retains the typical high level of musicianship we've come to expect over the last 85 years.