A leading musician of the swing era and an outstanding representative of the big band style, Count Basie was an eminent bandleader and jazz pianist. He led one of the most enduring swing bands of all time; no other musician was ever more committed to stomping, shouting, swinging, jumping and dragging away the blues than Count Basie. In Swingin" the Blues, a distinguished group of Basie alumni including early band stars Harry "Sweets" Edison, Earle Warren and Claude Williams, and later stars like Illinois Jacquet, Buddy Tate and Joe Williams lend their insights. The film is generously supported by vintage performance footage beginning in the 1930s and master recordings of the greatest Basie sessions.