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band's achievements was its fifty-year survival in a culture that What disability did Count Basies daughter have? factor in popularizing it was a series of repetitions of the final few bars when, as the orchestra seemingly came to the end of the piece, Mr. Basie held up a finger and called out, "One mo' Basie is a part of the Big Band Leaders issue, which, is in turn, part of the Legends of American Music series. 3 What pianist lead the most successful band in Kansas City? 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. 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. Basie, Count. onto every note, sitting behind him all the time. . Many other bands later adapted the split tenor arrangement. 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 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. 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. In 1950, financial considerations forced Basie to disband the orchestra. The sound was almost frightening. Fletcher Henderson's band was playing at the Grand Terrace just before the Basie band arrived there. Count Basie and his Friends, myspace.com. 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. 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 . His name was Louis Armstrong. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. [29] Right from the start, Basie's band was known for its rhythm section. She even toured with the Basie Orchestra in the mid-1970s, and Fitzgerald and Basie also met on the 1979 albums A Classy Pair, Digital III at Montreux, and A Perfect Match, the last two also recorded live at Montreux. The Basie band played at President John F. Kennedy's inaugural ball, and in 1965 toured with Frank Sinatra. On July 21, 1930, Basie married Vivian Lee Winn, in Kansas City, Missouri. 5 How old was Catherine Basie when she died? He flicked out tightly economical, single-finger Count and Catherine were. 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). They had one daughter. epitome of swing, of jazz that moved with a built-in flowing intensity. Basie recalled a review, which said something like, "We caught the great Count Basie band which is supposed to be so hot he was going to come in here and set the Roseland on fire. Basie heard Bennie Motens band, and longed to play with them. [40] His first official recordings for Decca followed, under contract to agent MCA, including "Pennies from Heaven" and "Honeysuckle Rose". night performances in a number of small cities and towns that were Scale for the musicians at the Reno Club, where beer was a nickel and whisky was 15 cents, was $15 a week for playing from 8 P.M. to 4 A.M., except Saturdays when it was 8 P.M. until 8 A.M. was a member of the Basie band in the 1940's. During a broadcast the announcer wanted to give Basie's name some style, so he called him "Count". Both of Basies parents were hard workers. Late one night with time to fill, the band started improvising. He quickly learned to improvise music appropriate to the acts and the silent movies. time!". This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. While on one tour he became stranded in Kansas City, Missouri. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. onenighters, and the bebop revolution of the mid-1940s all played a role She died in 1983. The funeral service will be at noon on Monday at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, One day he asked me whether I played the organ. However, the man ended up betraying Basies trust, and he stole from Diane. Throughout his tours, Basie met many jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong. (This became known as the New Testament Band, while the first Orchestra was the Old Testament Band.) They played command performances for kings, queens and presidents, and issued a large number of recordings both under Basies name and as the backing band for various singers, most notably Frank Sinatra. bands in history. Basie credited Billy Eckstine, a top male vocalist of the time, for prompting his return to Big Band. Basie Two of Basie's earliest He got used to seeing me, as though I were part of the show. He then traveled from New York to Kansas City just to hear the band and to meet Count Basie. Eventually, Moten generously let Basie sit in on piano. He called Basie "Holy Man", "Holy Main", and just plain "Holy".[36]. While he was in his late teens, he gravitated to Harlem, where he encountered Fats Waller. I saw Count Basie himself perform in Melbourne Australia not long before he died, perhaps by a couple of years, can you please help me with a date of this tour, thanks. 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. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Even more important was the fact that the Famous Door had national and local radio wires. Birthday: August 21, 1904. It was on one of these broadcasts that Bill Basie became Count Basie. 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. New York: Chelsea House, 1992. era he also shared the less appealing one-nighters (a series of single Then he said, 'Bill, I think I'll call you Count Basie from now on. It was a loose and swinging band, built around distinctively individualistic solos by Lester who was Duke Ellington's drummer from 1919 to 1951, discouraged young Basie and he switched to piano. Neal Hefti began to provide arrangements, including "Lil Darlin'". We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. Ella Fitzgerald made some memorable recordings with Basie, including the 1963 album Ella and Basie!. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. He was 79 years old and lived in Freeport, the Bahamas. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop singing.Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. fast-paced tunes designed to excite the audience. cushion. The Gonzel White show was stranded in Kansas City, Mo., a fateful location for Mr. Basie. [49] Adding to their play book, Basie received arrangements from Jimmy Mundy (who had also worked with Benny Goodman and Earl Hines), particularly for "Cherokee", "Easy Does It", and "Super Chief". [89] The board selects songs in an annual basis that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. [76] In 1968, Basie and his Band recorded an album with Jackie Wilson titled Manufacturers of Soul. [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. [39], The producer John Hammond continued to advise and encourage the band, and they soon came up with some adjustments, including softer playing, more solos, and more standards. His father was a student of the mellophone, and his mother was a pianist. 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. The couple had an only daughter, Diane Basie, who's now a 74-year-old disabled woman. Mr. Basie's band, more than any other, was the The agent, Willard Alexander, said Mrs. Basie died while her husband was appearing at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. His father played the mellophone, and his mother played the piano; in fact, she gave Basie his first piano lessons. The band flopped at a Pittsburgh hotel that had never booked a jazz band before. William Basie was born to Lillian and Harvey Lee Basie in Red Bank, New Jersey. To go on the road, Mr. Basie expanded his nine-piece band to 13 pieces. At a theatre in Newark he was able to hear regular performances by the bands of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Stan Kenton and others. Jones also arranged and conducted 1966's live Sinatra at the Sands which featured Sinatra with Count Basie and his orchestra at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas. 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). and Sarah Vaughan (19241990). Early years William Basie was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, on August 21, 1904. Your email address will not be published. We've received your submission. By 1937 Basie's band was, with the possible exception of Duke "When they let you in the door," Ralph Gleason, the jazz critic, reported, "it was like jumping into the center of a whirlwind. with Rutgers web sites to accessibility@rutgers.edu or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier or Released: 1967 . [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. [85], By 2011, four recordings of Count Basie had been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least 25 years old, and that have "qualitative or historical significance.". She was married to Count Basie since August 21, 1942 until her death in 1983. 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). 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. His home for many years was in Freeport, the Bahamas; he died of cancer at Doctors' Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, on April 26, 1984. 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. Well, the Roseland is still standing". New York: Random House, 1985. Then he joined a touring show headed by one Gonzel White, playing piano in a four-piece band. for the next quarter of a century. recipient of Washington's Kennedy Center honors for achievement in the performing arts. Around 1920, Basie went to Harlem, a hotbed of jazz, where he lived down the block from the Alhambra Theater.