Keeping the Beat: What Count Basie Taught Me About Music, Mentorship, and Leadership is a jazz memoir with a deeper pulse. It is a story about learning how to lead without overpowering, how to mentor without ego, and how to create space for others to shine.

Told in the first person by legendary jazz vocalist Dennis Rowland, with writer and historian Marla Sheiner, the book traces Rowland’s journey from Detroit’s music-rich neighborhoods to the world stage as a featured singer with the Count Basie Orchestra—and into a lifetime of teaching, performing, and mentoring.

At the center of the narrative is Count Basie, whose leadership philosophy was as spare and effective as his piano style. Basie didn’t over-direct. He listened. He trusted his musicians. He led by example—calling the tune, keeping the tempo steady, and knowing exactly when to step back.

Through vivid stories of touring, recovery, teaching, and community, Keeping the Beatreveals how Basie’s lessons extended far beyond the bandstand. Rowland reflects on discipline and joy, resilience and humor, and the responsibility of passing knowledge forward—lessons that resonate with musicians, educators, and leaders of every stripe.

Set against the backdrop of Detroit’s musical legacy, the rigor of classical vocal training, and the camaraderie of big-band life, this memoir is both a personal history and a leadership field guide disguised as a jazz story.

Warm, candid, and grounded in lived experience, Keeping the Beat reminds us that the most effective leaders don’t rush the music—they listen, trust the rhythm, and keep the beat steady for everyone else.