Free, outdoor “Block Party” set for Basie’s birthday Friday, August 21; legendary
Count Basie Orchestra and Broadway TONY stars round out weekend celebrations

 

(RED BANK | MAY 18, 2026) As it continues its momentous Centennial Celebration, the Count Basie Center for the Arts has announced a weekend of events commemorating the birth of its namesake and Red Bank native, jazz icon William “Count” Basie.

The legendary Count Basie Orchestra will be on hand all weekend, offering a free outdoor performance on Friday, August 21, a $19.26 concert inside the Basie Center’s historic theater on Saturday, August 22, and accompanying Broadway stars and Tony Award® winners Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara for a concert on Sunday evening, August 23.

Tickets for the August 22 and 23 concerts go on sale 10am this Friday, May 22 at theBASIE.org, the Basie Center box office and Ticketmaster.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 21
On Friday, August 21 – the 122^nd anniversary of Basie’s birthday – the Basie Center will hold a free, outdoor “Block Party,” including the free Count Basie Orchestra performance, food trucks, street performers and more. The event will also feature the unveiling of a marker designating the Count Basie Center for the Arts as an official stop on New Jersey’s Black Heritage Trail, a statewide initiative established in 2022 by the New Jersey Historical Commission to promote awareness and appreciation of Black history, heritage, and culture.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22
The world-renowned Count Basie Orchestra will perform at the Basie Center’s Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre, marking the band’s first Basie Center performance in more than a decade. All tickets will be priced at $19.26 – the year our historic theater at 99 Monmouth Street first opened its doors.

 

 

 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 23
Tony Award® winners Sutton Foster (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Anything Goes) and Kelli O’Hara (The King and I, The Bridges of Madison County) take the Basie Center stage on Sunday, August 23, accompanied by the Count Basie Orchestra.

 

The Basie Center’s William “Count” Basie Birthday Weekend has become an annual event to celebrate the Red Bank native, one of the biggest icons of jazz and American popular culture. It’s the second time the organization has honored Basie during its Centennial Celebration; last September, Basie became the first star enshrined onto the venue’s Walk Of Fame.

The Count Basie Center thanks Senator Vin Gopal, Assemblywoman Luanne Peterpaul and Assemblywoman Margie Donlan M.D. for their support of the Count Basie Center, its Centennial Celebration and the William “Count” Basie Birthday Weekend.