to bite with real guts. CATHERINE BASIE. William James "Count" Basie learned how to play the piano at an early age under his mothers instructions. The new band billed itself as Count Basie and his Cherry Blossom Orchestra, marking the first time that Count was officially added to his name. Basie, Count. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Their albums together included In Person and Strike Up the Band. His wife, Catherine, had died in [42] The band's first appearance at the Apollo Theater followed, with the vocalists Holiday and Jimmy Rushing getting the most attention. [14] Before he was 20 years old, he toured extensively on the Keith and TOBA vaudeville circuits as a solo pianist, accompanist, and music director for blues singers, dancers, and comedians. Basie's 14-man band began playing at the Famous Door, a mid-town nightspot with a CBS network feed and air conditioning, which Hammond was said to have bought the club in return for their booking Basie steadily throughout the summer of 1938. Mr. Basie was, along with Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, one of the pre-eminent bandleaders of the Big Band era in the 1930's and 40's. Despite the presence of Lester Young and Herschel Evans in the saxophone section, Buck Clayton in the trumpet section, Jo Jones on drums, with Jimmy Rushing and, briefly, Billie Holiday as vocalists, Catherine Basie, wife of Count Basie, the jazz musician and band leader, died of a heart attack yesterday at the couple's home in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, according to Mr. Basie's agent.She was 67 years old. [67] The Basie band made two tours in the British Isles and on the second, they put on a command performance for Queen Elizabeth II, along with Judy Garland, Vera Lynn, and Mario Lanza. 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These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. [26] A year later, Basie joined Bennie Moten's band, and played with them until Moten died in 1935 from a failed tonsillectomy. who was Duke Ellington's drummer from 1919 to 1951, discouraged young Basie and he switched to piano. William James " Count " Basie ( / besi /; August 21, 1904 - April 26, 1984) [1] was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Advertisement Further Reading on Count Basie By the mid-1950s, Basie's band had become one of the preeminent backing big bands for some of the most prominent jazz vocalists of the time. Basie appointed Aaron Woodward, a Long Island Baptist pastor and accountant, to be Dianes guardian. Benjamin Bennie Moten (November 13, 1894 April 2, 1935) was an American jazz pianist and band leader born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. Ellington was a composer who played piano, but he really used the band as his expressive instrument. [55] The war years caused a lot of members turn over, and the band worked many play dates with lower pay. [45] In early 1938, the Savoy was the meeting ground for a "battle of the bands" with Chick Webb's group. Basie decided to form a medium-sized "Lester Leaps In," were created as features for Who taught Count Basie how do you play the piano? "flagwavers," band's theme song, "One O'Clock Jump," Discouraged by the obvious talents of Sonny Greer, who also lived in Red Bank and became Duke Ellington's drummer in 1919, Basie switched to piano exclusively at age 15. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. 6 Who was Count Basies adopted son on Long Island? When Basie died of pancreatic cancer in 1984 at the age of 79, he left his $1.5 million fortune in a trust to provide for Diane. 50 feet long, which was having trouble doing business in the summer because it had no air-conditioning. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. "Of course, I wanted to play real jazz. A pianist, Count Basie played vaudeville before eventually forming his own big band and helping to define the era of swing with hits like One OClock Jump and Blue Skies. In 1958, Basie became the first African American male recipient of a Grammy Award. Through Mr. Waller, Mr. Basie got a job as an accompanist with a vaudeville act called Katie Crippen and Her Kids. One day he asked me whether I played the organ. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. On February 19, 1940, Count Basie and his Orchestra opened a four-week engagement at Southland in Boston, and they broadcast over the radio on February 20. He quickly made a name for himself playing the piano at local venues and parties around town until he moved to New York City in search of greater opportunities. It was a loose and swinging band, built around distinctively individualistic solos by Lester In 1937 Basie took his group, Count Basie and His Barons of Rhythm, to New York to record their first album with Decca Records under their new name, The Count Basie Orchestra. In 1949, the Basie family moved one of the premier neighborhoods open to African American families Addsleigh Park in St. Albans, Queens, New York. The band survived Basie's death, with ex-Basie-ite trumpeter Thad Jones directing until his death in 1986. Basie made a few more movie appearances, such as in the Jerry Lewis film Cinderfella (1960) and the Mel Brooks movie Blazing Saddles (1974), playing a revised arrangement of "April in Paris". The World of Count Basie. 2022-06-30; wreck on 1942 crosby, tx today Rutgers is an equal access/equal opportunity institution. The new band included: Paul Campbell, Tommy Turrentine, Johnny Letman, Idrees Sulieman, and Joe Newman (trumpet); Jimmy Wilkins, Benny Powell, Matthew Gee (trombone); Paul Quinichette and Floyd "Candy" Johnson (tenor sax); Marshal Royal and Ernie Wilkins (alto sax); and Charlie Fowlkes (baritone sax). Diane died peacefully on October 15 after suffering a heart attack a few days before. In the early 1970s, the Basies moved to the warmer climate of Freeport, Bahamas. "April in Paris" (arrangement by Wild Bill Davis) was a best-selling instrumental and the title song for the hit album. "Big Name Bands, Singers in 'Cavalcade of Music' Sept. 23", Basie, Jordan, Prado Top Jazz Cavalcade Article, "Sugar Chile" Robinson, Billie Holiday, Count Basie and His Sextet, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Count Basie Presents Eddie Davis Trio + Joe Newman, Count Basie Jam Session at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1975, Count Basie Meets Oscar Peterson The Timekeepers, The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert, Solo Flight: The Genius of Charlie Christian, Sugar Chile Robinson, Billie Holiday, Count Basie and His Sextet, "On This Day: Count Basie, 79, Band Leader And Master of Swing, Dead", "Jackie Wilson & Count Basie Manufacturers Of Soul at Discogs", "Manufacturers of Soul by Jackie Wilson: Reviews and Ratings", "Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez To Be Awarded Honorary Doctor of Music Degree From Berklee College of Music", "Count Basie, Jack Nicholson, Les Paul make New Jersey Hall of Fame", "2005 National Recording Registry choices", The Count Basie Orchestra official website, International Jose Guillermo Carrillo Foundation. Their neighbors included Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Jackie Robinson and Milt Hinton. However, throughout the 1940s, he maintained a big band that possessed an infectious rhythmic beat, an enthusiastic team spirit, and a long list of inspired and talented jazz soloists. His home for many years was in Freeport, the Bahamas; he died of cancer at Doctors' Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, on April 26, 1984. Well, the Roseland is still standing". You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Performers of bebop left the traditional musical melody and played a song freely, with the music and rhythm that was felt at the time. Basie changed the jazz landscape and shaped mid-20th century popular music, duly earning the title King of Swing because he made the world want to dance. Mr. Basie's band, more than any other, was the rehearsal and then written down later. Provide Feedback Form, Rutgers, The State University of Their only child, Diane, was born February 6, 1944. He was a fine pianist and leader of one of the greatest jazz bands in history. cushion. On May 23, 1985, William "Count" Basie was presented, posthumously, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan. What pianist and his orchestra were really popular in the big band era? After Vocalion became a subsidiary of Columbia Records in 1938, "Boogie Woogie" was released in 1941 as part of a four-record compilation album entitled Boogie Woogie (Columbia album C44). returned to his first lovethe big bandand it thrived. There were often no musical notations made. [4] Both of his parents had some type of musical background. He joined Walter Page's Blue Devils in 1928, and a year later, he started to play with Bennie Moten's band in Kansas City. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. band in 1950, juggling combinations of all-star musicians. He finished junior high school[7] but spent much of his time at the Palace Theater in Red Bank, where doing occasional chores gained him free admission to performances. The band broadcast from the Reno Club on an experimental radio station. African American bandleader and musician. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Count Basie and his Orchestra played at the tenth Cavalcade of Jazz concert also at Wrigley Field on June 20, 1954. In 1950, he headlined the Universal-International short film "Sugar Chile" Robinson, Billie Holiday, Count Basie and His Sextet. His piano style, which often seemed bare and simple, was an exquisitely realized condensation of the florid "stride" style of Fats Waller and James P. Johnson with whom Mr. Basie started. 132 West 138th Street. Count Basie, Jr. was a native of Kansas City, Missouri. silent movie theater, he joined Walter Page's Blue Devils in or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier or The couple had an only daughter, Diane Basie, whos now a 74-year-old disabled woman. with Rutgers web sites to [email protected] or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier or [8], Though a natural at the piano, Basie preferred drums. Hollywood, Florida He played piano with them, with one interruption, for the He got used to seeing me, as though I were part of the show. "heads"arrangements worked out without planning in Later that year, Basie appeared on a television special with Fred Astaire, featuring a dance solo to "Sweet Georgia Brown", followed in January 1961 by Basie performing at one of the five John F. Kennedy Inaugural Balls. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Rhythm," "Dinah," or "Lady, Be Good." During this period he also recorded with music greats, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson. In 1959, Basie's band recorded a "greatest hits" double album The Count Basie Story (Frank Foster, arranger), and Basie/Eckstine Incorporated, an album featuring Billy Eckstine, Quincy Jones (as arranger) and the Count Basie Orchestra. Died: April 26, 1984 Hollywood, Florida African American bandleader and musician Count Basie was an extremely popular figure in the jazz world for half a century. Even more important was the fact that the Famous Door had national and local radio wires. Your email address will not be published. When William James "Count" Basie died of cancer in 1984, he left his $1.5 million fortune in a trust to provide for his only child. He said that Norman Granz got them into the Birdland club and promoted the new band through recordings on the Mercury, Clef, and Verve labels. For a year he played piano accompaniment to silent moves and then joined Walter Page's Blue Devils in Tulsa, His mother paid 25 cents per piano lesson for him . Many musicians came to prominence under his direction, including the tenor saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, the guitarist Freddie Green, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison, plunger trombonist Al Grey, and singers Jimmy Rushing, Helen Humes, Thelma Carpenter, and Joe Williams. Their daughter, Iska, died at the age of 14 after a series . One of the band's most popular arrangements, "April in Paris," was written in 1955 by Wild Bill Davis, a jazz organist who had originally developed it for his own small group. Basie's band was sharing Birdland with such bebop musicians as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis. Basie liked the results and named the piece "One O'Clock Jump". With the New Testament Basie band in full swing, and arrangements written by a youthful Quincy Jones, this album proved a swinging respite from her Songbook recordings and constant touring she did during this period. He quickly made a name for himself playing the piano at local venues and parties around town until he moved to New York City in search of greater opportunities. [20] Where the Blue Devils were "snappier" and more "bluesy", the Moten band was more refined and respected, playing in the "Kansas City stomp" style. Most swing musicians know what the Count Basie ending is: three rhythmically-spaced chords followed by a low, emphatic exclamation point. The word Splank for Basie was coined by Sinatra a good onomatopoeic description of the lick. Basie's new band played at the Reno Club and sometimes were broadcast on local radio. Count Basie and his Friends, myspace.com. went to Kansas City to hear it and support it and brought it to the attention of booking agents. He soon started booking the band and shopping them to agents and record companies forging their big break. Everything We Know about the Music Legends Love Life, Rich Man Leaves Older Son $2.8 Million, Younger Son Gets Only $1 Story of the Day, Hank Williams Jr Lost 'Drop-Dead Gorgeous' Wife of 31 Years in March Inside Their Marriage, Loretta Lynn Fought for Her Beloved Husband Though He Called Other Women into Their Bed. Mechanic Street, where he grew up with his family, has the honorary title of Count Basie Way. Mr. Basie's wife, Catherine, died in April 1983. How did the bands of Count Basie and Duke Ellington differ? [34], By then, Basie's sound was characterized by a "jumping" beat and the contrapuntal accents of his own piano. [70], During the balance of the 1960s, the band kept active with tours, recordings, television appearances, festivals, Las Vegas shows, and travel abroad, including cruises. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. To go on the road, Mr. Basie expanded his nine-piece band to 13 pieces. [11] Soon, Basie met many of the Harlem musicians who were "making the scene," including Willie "the Lion" Smith and James P. Johnson. In May 2019, Basie was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Memphis, TN, presented by The Blues Foundation. parents, Harvey and Lillian (Childs) Basie, were both musicians. Famed record producer and journalist, John Hammond, heard the bands broadcast and began writing about the Orchestra to gain their attention. Mr. Basie was born in Red Bank, N.J., on Aug. 21, 1904, an only child who was christened William. Encyclopedia of Jazz. He is credited for creating the use of the two split tenor saxophone, emphasizing the rhythm section, riffing with a big band, using arrangers to broaden their sound, and beautifully layering masterful vocalists. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Perhaps the most startling of the William (Count) Basie, who produced more music with two fingers than most pianists get out of 10, died Thursday in a hospital in Hollywood, Fla., where he had been admitted . During the 1940's, many of the great jazz musicians of the decade passed through the band, among them Illinois Jacquet, Don Byas, Wardell Gray, Paul Quinichette, Lucky Thompson, J. J. Johnson, Paul [58] They played to a crowd of 15,000. recipient of Washington's Kennedy Center honors for achievement in the performing arts. Many of the band's arrangements were passages, directing his musicians with a glance, a lift of an eyebrow or a note hit gently but positively in passing. The 1983. In May 1970, Sinatra performed in London's Royal Festival Hall with the Basie orchestra, in a charity benefit for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. there were a couple of well-known bandleaders named Earl Hines and Duke Ellington. [48] When Eddie Durham left for Glenn Miller's orchestra, he was replaced by Dicky Wells. expensive blunder in Basie's history," said Mr. Hammond) that included hit after hit--"Swingin' the Blues," "Jumpin' at the Woodside," "One O'Clock Count and Mrs. Basie were true socialites often gathering with friends including celebrities Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Basie protg Quincy Jones.
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