Fletcher Henderson's band was playing at the Grand Terrace just before the Basie band arrived there. William James "Count" Basie learned how to play the piano at an early age under his mothers instructions. 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. on a motorized wheelchair which he sometimes drove with joyful abandon. The funeral service will be at noon on Monday at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, band's achievements was its fifty-year survival in a culture that Their "Moten Swing", which Basie claimed credit for,[23] was an invaluable contribution to the development of swing music, and at one performance at the Pearl Theatre in Philadelphia in December 1932, the theatre opened its door to allow anybody in who wanted to hear the band perform. They had one daughter, Diane, in 1944. Basie was often recognized for his understated yet captivating style of piano playing and his precise, impeccable musical leadership. bands in history. Advertisement 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. desktop goose android. Remember Count Basie? After he died, his friend apparently - AmoMama Count Basie was a pianist, bandleader, and composer considered as one of the most popular figures in the jazz world. Unostentatious as Mr. Basie appeared, his presence was a vital factor in directing his band or any group of musicians with whom he might be playing. 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. What pianist and his orchestra were really popular in the big band era? Some time in or before 1935, the now single Basie returned to New York City, renting a house at 111 West 138th Street, Manhattan, as evidenced by the 1940 census. Basie then formed his own nine-piece band, Barons of Rhythm, with many former Moten members including Walter Page (bass), Freddie Green (guitar), Jo Jones (drums),Lester Young (tenor saxophone) and Jimmy Rushing(vocals). time!". Who was Count Basies adopted son on Long Island? We've received your submission. Basie reorganized the Orchestra in 1952 and this new band was in high demand and toured extensively around the world. Mr. Basie's musicians had been playing "head" arrangements in Kansas City--treatments of the blues or pop tunes that were worked out Well, that was the last time I was ever introduced as Bill Basie. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Their neighbors included Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Jackie Robinson and Milt Hinton. He had an incredible ear, and could repeat any tune he heard. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Undismayed by Chick's forceful drum beating, which sent the audience into shouts of encouragement and appreciation and casual beads of perspiration to drop from Chick's brow onto the brass cymbals, the Count maintained an attitude of poise and self-assurance. showcase the band's brilliant soloists. Biography - Count Basie - Rutgers University 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. [63] DownBeat magazine reported: "(Basie) has managed to assemble an ensemble that can thrill both the listener who remembers 1938 and the youngster who has never before heard a big band like this. band a permanent place in jazz history. (Basie later played organ at the Eblon Theater in Kansas City). AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. The World of Count Basie. Date of Death: April 26, 1984. Among his band's best-known numbers were "One O'Clock Jump," "Jumpin' at the Woodside," "Li'l Darlin'" and "April in Paris.". He played along with The Flairs, Christine Kittrell, Lamp Lighters, Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five, Ruth Brown, and Perez Prado and his Orchestra.[59]. Eventually, Moten generously let Basie sit in on piano. Is the Count Basie Orchestra still alive? Joe Williams toured with the band and was featured on the 1957 album One O'Clock Jump, and 1956's Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings, with "Every Day (I Have the Blues)" becoming a huge hit. He occasionally played four-hand piano and dual pianos with Moten, who also conducted. the band developed its own variation of the Kansas City swing [5][6], The best student in school, Basie dreamed of a traveling life, inspired by touring carnivals which came to town. Darlin'"), Ernie Wilkins and Frank Foster ("Shiny Stockings") were among the most notable orchestrators. The agent, Willard Alexander, said Mrs. Basie died while her husband was appearing at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. When Bennie Moten died in 1935, the band disintegrated and Mr. Basie organized a small band to play at the Reno Club in Kansas City that became the nucleus of the band with which he gained his initial written by Basie himself in 1937. Early after his arrival, he bumped into Sonny Greer, who was by then the drummer for the Washingtonians, Duke Ellington's early band. During a broadcast the announcer wanted to give Basies name some style, so he called him Count. Little did Basie know this touch of royalty would give him proper status and position him with the likes of Duke Ellington and Earl Hines. Soon after, Benny Goodman recorded their signature "One O'Clock Jump" with his band. When Basie took his orchestra to New York in 1937, they made the Woodside Hotel in Harlem their base (they often rehearsed in its basement). His touring took him to Kansas City, St. Louis, New Orleans, and Chicago. A few months later, Basie quit MCA and signed with the William Morris Agency, who got them better fees.[51]. The band tried to stay together but failed. 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. Count Basie Death Fact Check, Birthday & Date of Death By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. New York: Chelsea House, 1992. Count Basie | YourDictionary These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. He went out on tour with on the vaudeville and TOBA circuits again until his performance group disbanded in the mid-1920s, leaving him stuck in Kansas City. Count Basie, the jazz pianist whose spare, economic keyboard style and supple rhythmic drive made his orchestra one of the most influential groups of the Big Band era, died of cancer yesterday. Many of the band's arrangements were (Holiday did not record with Basie, as she had her own record contract and preferred working with small combos). 132 West 138th Street. a shrewd judge of talent and character, and he was extremely patient in Both of Basies parents were hard workers. Page, a bassist--Jimmy Rushing, the blues signer, both of whom would be key members of Mr. Basie's band. [24] During a stay in Chicago, Basie recorded with the band. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Basie favored blues, and he would showcase some of the most notable blues singers of the era after he went to New York: Billie Holiday, Jimmy Rushing, Big Joe Turner, Helen Humes, and Joe Williams. Who taught Count Basie how do you play the piano? [60] The jukebox era had begun, and Basie shared the exposure along with early rock'n'roll and rhythm and blues artists. Is that all right with you?' In 1976 Basie suffered a heart attack, but he returned to the bandstand Mr. Alexander agreed to lend the club $2,500 to install an air-conditioner if it would book The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". ***** All concert dates after Count Basie's death are for The Count Basie Orchestra ***** Discography. The key 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. Advertisement Further Reading on Count Basie What was the greatest era of the Basie band? [17], In 1928, Basie was in Tulsa and heard Walter Page and his Famous Blue Devils, one of the first big bands, which featured Jimmy Rushing on vocals. A father of bebop, he influenced generations of musicians, and sparked the fire of one of the most important and successful American artistic movements. Wayne Shorter obituary | Jazz | The Guardian Another Basie innovation was the use of two tenor saxophone players; at the time, most bands had just one. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. onenighters, and the bebop revolution of the mid-1940s all played a role Services will be private. many other famous artists, including Duke Ellington (18991974), "I wanted 13 men to think and play the same way. It was on one of these broadcasts that Bill Basie became Count Basie. "When they let you in the door," Ralph Gleason, the jazz critic, reported, "it was like jumping into the center of a whirlwind. Count Basie (1904-1984) The title of one of his bands most famous tunes The Kid from Red Bank is an obvious tip-off, but many jazz historians assume that William J. Jimmy Rushing sang with Basie in the late 1930s. Basie, Count. A year later, Basie joinedBennie_Motens band, and played with them until Motens death in 1935. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. His daughter, Diane Basie, now 71 and living in Florida. American Ballet Theatre - Count Basie Mechanic Street, where he grew up with his family, has the honorary title of Count Basie Way. Released: 1955 . 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. [69] That summer, Basie and Duke Ellington combined forces for the recording First Time! While he was in his late teens, he gravitated to Harlem, where he encountered Fats Waller. In 2005, Count Basie's song "One O'Clock Jump" (1937) was included by the National Recording Preservation Board in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry. When the Page band broke up in 1929, Mr. It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of Diane Lillian Basie (1944-2022), the beloved only child of the legendary jazz musician, William James "Count" Basie and his wife, Catherine Morgan Basie. In 1935, Bennie Moten died and it was left to Basie to take some of the musicians from that orchestra and form his own, The Count Basie Orchestra, which is still alive and well today some 78 years later. 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). Mr. Basie's band, more than any other, was the Basie was married in two occasions, first to Vivian Lee Winn from 1930 to 1935, and later to Catherine Morgan, from 1940 until her death in 1983. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Basie added touches of bebop "so long as it made sense", and he required that "it all had to have feeling". went to Kansas City to hear it and support it and brought it to the attention of booking agents. Basie appointed Aaron Woodward, a Long Island Baptist pastor and accountant, to be Dianes guardian. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. [9] When not playing a gig, he hung out at the local pool hall with other musicians, where he picked up on upcoming play dates and gossip. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories. [11] Soon, Basie met many of the Harlem musicians who were "making the scene," including Willie "the Lion" Smith and James P. Johnson. African American bandleader and musician. However, the man ended up betraying Basies trust, and he stole from Diane. One Great Band.Count Basie will always be remembered..Too bad he passed away.. Count Basie, the jazz pianist whose spare, economic keyboard style and supple rhythmic drive made his orchestra one of the most influential groups of the Big Band era, died of cancer yesterday morning at Doctors Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. He also recorded with Sammy Davis Jr., Bing Crosby, and Sarah Vaughan. skilled performers (reflecting Basie's sound management) gave the Famed record producer and journalist, John Hammond, heard the bands broadcast and began writing about the Orchestra to gain their attention. Ellington was a composer who played piano, but he really used the band as his expressive instrument. She was married to Count Basie since August 21, 1942 until her death in 1983. They had one daughter, Diane, in 1944. Around 1924 Basie moved toHarlem, a hotbed for jazz, where his career started to quickly take off.
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