After a decade-long courtship, Basie married dancer Catherine Morgan, his second wife, on his birthday in 1942. Mr. Hammond spread the word about the Basie band, His personnel around 1937 included: Lester Young and Herschel Evans (tenor sax), Freddie Green (guitar), Jo Jones (drums), Walter Page (bass), Earle Warren (alto sax), Buck Clayton and Harry Edison (trumpet), Benny Morton and Dickie Wells (trombone). Count Basie Birthday and Date of Death. band in America. How did the bands of Count Basie and Duke Ellington differ? vaudeville circuits; and as a soloist and accompanist to blues singer Gonzelle White as well as Crippen. By then a series of records by the Basie band had begun appearing (under a contract with Decca Records by which Mr. Basie was paid a total of $750 for 24 sides with no royalties--"probably the most The sound was almost frightening. New York: Chelsea House, 1992. with disabilities are encouraged to direct suggestions, comments, or complaints concerning any [27] According to Basie, "we hit it with the rhythm section and went into the riffs, and the riffs just stuck. Many other bands later adapted the split tenor arrangement. [79] In his autobiography, he wrote, "I think the band can really swing when it swings easy, when it can just play along like you are cutting butter."[80]. Services will be private. Rhythm," "Dinah," or "Lady, Be Good." The band will continue under the guidance of Aaron Woodward, an adopted son of Mr. Basie who has worked closely with the orchestra leader during the last year. accessibility issues with Rutgers web sites to accessibility@rutgers.edu Dance, Stanley. half a year later. Count Basie made most of his albums with his big band. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. April 27, 1984 7 AM PT. Early years William Basie was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, on August 21, 1904. Page, Mr. Basie and Mr. Rushing all joined Bennie Moten's orchestra, the leading big band in the Southwest, which became even stronger with their presence. During a broadcast the announcer wanted to give Basie's name some style, so he called him "Count". [28], At the end of 1936, Basie and his band, now billed as Count Basie and His Barons of Rhythm, moved from Kansas City to Chicago, where they honed their repertoire at a long engagement at the Grand Terrace Ballroom. Died: April 26, 1984 Hollywood, Florida, on April 26, 1984. What is the formula for calculating solute potential? Jazz icon, Count Basie, was born William JamesBasie August 21, 1904in Red Bank, New Jersey. From then on, it was Count Basie.". the personnel, and formed the first Count Basie Orchestra. He occasionally played four-hand piano and dual pianos with Moten, who also conducted. [89] The board selects songs in an annual basis that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. Despite being born with cerebral palsy, Diane surpassed expectations due to the excellent love and support she received from her parents, family, friends, and caretakers and her indomitable spirit. While he recuperated his band continued to fulfill engagements, frequently with Nat Pierce taking Mr. Basie's place at the piano and sometimes with guest conductors such as the trumpeter Clark Terry, who [50] In 1939, Basie and his band made a major cross-country tour, including their first West Coast dates. The Count Meets the Duke, each providing four numbers from their play books. give my right arm to learn. While on one tour he became stranded in Kansas City, Missouri. of the band. Count Basie is considered one of the greatest bandleaders of all times. This familiar pattern was evident in the While on one tour he became stranded To help it through the Grand Terrace engagement, Fletcher Henderson, who had provided Benny Goodman with Catherine Basie, wife of Count Basie, the jazz musician and band leader, died of a heart attack yesterday at the couples home in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, according to Mr. Basies agent. His mother, a piano player who gave Basie his first piano lessons, took in laundry and baked cakes for sale and paid 25 cents a lesson for piano instruction for him. He married Catherine Morgan on July 13, 1940, in the King County courthouse in Seattle, Washington. Teaches Jazz. Rutgers is an equal access/equal opportunity institution. Who was Count Basies adopted son on Long Island? 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. In 2009, Edgecombe Avenue and 160th Street in, "Blues in Hoss' Flat," composed by Basie band member, Since 1963 "The Kid From Red Bank" has been the theme and. supported by sectional riffing (the repeating of a musical figure by the This second-generation big band differed from the early one in that it depended on arrangers for its basic style, a smooth, rolling, highly polished swing style for which Neal Hefti ("Li'l Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. However, the man ended up betraying Basies trust, and he stole from Diane. Then when he develops his big band, he reunites with Eddie Durham. One of them, Aaron Woodward, a Long Island Baptist pastor and accountant, was considered an informally adopted son by Basie, according to a report by Jet magazine. In 1935, Bennie Moten died and it was left to Basie to take some of the musicians from that . 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. William Basie was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, on August 21, 1904. 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. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years. He got some jobs in Asbury Park at the Jersey Shore, and played at the Hong Kong Inn until a better player took his place.[10]. superior arrangements (reflecting Basie's good taste) and the [45] In early 1938, the Savoy was the meeting ground for a "battle of the bands" with Chick Webb's group. In 1942, they moved to Queens. 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. But the obvious talents of another young Red Bank drummer, Sonny Greer, the band developed its own variation of the Kansas City swing Basie was a true innovator leading the band for almost 50 years and recording on over 480 albums. But it was in Harlem, New York City, that he learned the basics of piano, mainly from his sometime organ teacher, the great Fats Waller (19041943). Basie was often recognized for his understated yet captivating style of piano playing and his precise, impeccable musical leadership. "He commented that Bill Basie was a rather ordinary name and that years ago when a number of musicians, including Mr. Basie, were scheduled to perform in a variety of combinations. He was a fine pianist and leader of one of the greatest jazz bands in history. Who Can Benefit From Diaphragmatic Breathing? In 1949, the Basie family moved one of the premier neighborhoods open to African American families Addsleigh Park in St. Albans, Queens, New York. Encyclopedia of Jazz. Report Accessibility Barrier or By then, Basie was playing with pick-up groups for dances, resorts, and amateur shows, including Harry Richardson's "Kings of Syncopation". We set the thing up front in D-flat, and then we just went on playing in F." It became his signature tune. Basie also toured with Bennett, including a date at Carnegie Hall. He was a fine pianist and leader of one of the greatest jazz [75], Basie also recorded with Tony Bennett in the late 1950s. 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. The band broadcast from the Reno Club on an experimental radio station. She was 67 years old. It was here that he was introduced to the big-band sound when he joined Walter Pages Blue Devils in 1928. [43] Durham returned to help with arranging and composing, but for the most part, the orchestra worked out its numbers in rehearsal, with Basie guiding the proceedings. Basie died April 26, 1984 in Hollywood, FL but his legacy is still swinging strong. Many of the band's arrangements were Basie's band was sharing Birdland with such bebop musicians as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis. The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. "When they let you in the door," Ralph Gleason, the jazz critic, reported, "it was like jumping into the center of a whirlwind. The couple had an only daughter, Diane Basie, whos now a 74-year-old disabled woman. Basie liked the results and named the piece "One O'Clock Jump". who was Duke Ellington's drummer from 1919 to 1951, discouraged young Basie and he switched to piano. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 6 Who was Count Basies adopted son on Long Island? The During this period, Basie married dancer Catherine Morgan, with whom he would have a daughter. I wanted those three trumpets and two trombones with trumpeter Thad Jones directing until his own death in 1986. 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. When You Breathe In Your Diaphragm Does What. He got used to seeing me, as though I were part of the show. Hes survived by his disabled daughter, Diane, who was allegedly the victim of a robbery at the hands of her late father's friend. Basie now called Kansas City home. Basie toured in several acts between 1925 and 1927, including Katie Krippen and Her Kiddies (featuring singer Katie Crippen) as part of the Hippity Hop show; on the Keith, the Columbia Burlesque, and the Theater Owners Bookers Association (T.O.B.A.) With many of the other big bands of the swing 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. 'No,' I said, 'but I'd (Lockjaw) Davis, Frank Wess, Jimmy Forrest and the blues singer Joe Williams. During his last years, he had difficulty walking and rode out on the stage His daughter, Diane Basie, now 71 and living in Florida. Basie earned nine Grammy Awardsand made history in 1958 by becoming the first African-American to receive the award. In addition to Quincy Jones, Basie was using arrangers such as Benny Carter (Kansas City Suite), Neal Hefti (The Atomic Mr Basie), and Sammy Nestico (Basie-Straight Ahead). There will be a viewing at Benta's Funeral Home, 630 St. Nicholas Avenue at 141st Street, on Sunday from 1 to 7 P.M. However, the man ended up betraying Basies trust, and he stole from Diane. The award was received by Aaron Woodward. Required fields are marked *. Not loud and fast, understand, but smoothly and with a definite punch.". In 2012, Manhattan Surrogates Court Justice Kristin Booth Glen removed Woodward from his position as Diane guardian after he failed to explain the missing money from Dianes account. went to Kansas City to hear it and support it and brought it to the attention of booking agents. Well, that was the last time I was ever introduced as Bill Basie. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. [25] The band improved with several personnel changes, including the addition of tenor saxophonist Ben Webster. "He was the only leader in the business who ever went out of his way to help me," Mr. Basie said later. 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. fame. 132 West 138th Street. 1981 interview cited in "The Lester Young Story" (Properbox 16), pp. [74], Count Basie died of pancreatic cancer in Hollywood, Florida, on April 26, 1984, at the age of 79.[1]. 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. Mr. Alexander agreed to lend the club $2,500 to install an air-conditioner if it would book New Jersey. Finally, Willard Alexander, a booking agent, in an effort to get the band on 52d Street, then the jazz center of New York, made a deal with the Famous Door, a shoebox of a room, 25 feet wide and about In 1976 Basie suffered a heart attack, but he returned to the bandstand He quickly learned to improvise music appropriate to the acts and the silent movies. "I had dropped into the old Lincoln Theater in Harlem," Mr. Basie once recalled, "and I heard a young fellow beating it out on an organ. Their neighbors included Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Jackie Robinson and Milt Hinton. "Of course, I wanted to play real jazz. ABC World News Tonight feature on death of Count Basie on April 26, 1984 3,211 views Aug 26, 2016 26 Dislike Share Save pianopappy 7.27K subscribers Peter Jennings (who was a jazz an). Basie studied music with his mother and was later influenced by the Harlem pianists James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, receiving informal tutelage on the organ from the latter. He then traveled from New York to Kansas City just to hear the band and to meet Count Basie. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. They had one daughter, Diane, in 1944. The big band era appeared to have ended after the war, and Basie disbanded the group.
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