An Austrian group, Count Basic began its life late in 1991 as a project of guitarist Peter Legat, a gifted musician who has taught at the Vienna Jazz Conservatory.
Targeting the smooth jazz world, the band gained success almost from the start with the song ‘All Time High’, which appeared on 1010 City Beat Vol. 2, a compilation album. The song, which featured singer Lynne Kieran, became a radio hit. Soon thereafter, singer Kelli Sae became Legat’s regular musical partner. Although the group’s first album was a disappointment, the later release ‘M.L. In The Sunshine’ reached number 1 in the NAC/Smooth Jazz charts and the attendant Life Think It Over was also a success. Movin’ In The Right Direction lived up to its title and placed at number 3 in the Smooth Jazz/New Adult Contemporary charts. Over the years, other musicians have moved in and out of the group, among them Willi Langer (bass), Dieter Kolbeck (keyboards), Dirk Eichinger (drums), Laurinho Bandeira (percussion), Christian Radovan (trombone), Martin Fuss (tenor saxophone) and Karl Bumi Fian (trumpet). The group has toured internationally, appearing in various European countries.