Earle Warren was Count Basie's longtime lead altoist and occasional pop ballad singer. He played piano, banjo, and ukulele in a family band before taking up the saxophone, eventually settling on the alto. He led bands in the Midwest during part of the 1930s before joining Basie in 1937. Until the breakup of the band at the end of 1949, Warren was a strong presence in the saxophone section even though he rarely was given a full solo. In later years he worked as manager for a variety of RB acts, had opportunities to solo with Buck Clayton's groups, was featured in the '70s film #Born to Swing, and headed the Countsmen starting in 1973. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi