Charlie Parker forever changed the performance and writing of jazz music. [55] The war years caused a lot of members turn over, and the band worked many play dates with lower pay. century. Mr. Basie's band, more than any other, was the Early after his arrival, he bumped into Sonny Greer, who was by then the drummer for the Washingtonians, Duke Ellington's early band. At thirty-four, he was dead from years of drug and alcohol use. Copyright 2023, Rutgers, The State University of "When they let you in the door," Ralph Gleason, the jazz critic, reported, "it was like jumping into the center of a whirlwind. After a decade long courtship, Basie married dancer Catherine Morgan, his second wife, on his birthday in 1942. There were often no musical notations made. groups' recordings were of the highest quality, but in 1951 Basie myers park country club lawsuit; turkey hill frozen yogurt discontinued. The band survived Basie's death, with ex-Basie-ite trumpeter Thad Jones directing until his death in 1986. William James "Count" Basie learned how to play the piano at an early age under his mothers instructions. Your email address will not be published. He was a big force in music. Among his band's best-known numbers were "One O'Clock Jump," "Jumpin' at the Woodside," "Li'l Darlin'" and "April in Paris.". We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. On May 23, 1985, William "Count" Basie was presented, posthumously, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan. Performers of bebop left the traditional musical melody and played a song freely, with the music and rhythm that was felt at the time. Count Basie, byname of William Basie, (born August 21, 1904, Red Bank, New Jersey, U.S.died April 26, 1984, Hollywood, Florida), American jazz musician noted for his spare, economical piano style and for his leadership of influential and widely heralded big bands. Mr. Hammond spread the word about the Basie band, The pianist in the combo gave up his seat to Mr. Basie who sat down, tinkled a few 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. He called Basie "Holy Man", "Holy Main", and just plain "Holy".[36]. Age at Death: 79. on the stand. 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). Jazz Musician. 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. After Moten died in 1935, Basie took what was left of the band, expanded Discography of American Historical Recordings, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Count_Basie&oldid=1137147837, Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band, Best Jazz Performance by a Soloist (Instrumental), Best Performance by an Orchestra For Dancing. Their only child, Diane, was born February 6, 1944. ", The jazz pianist George Shearing said that Mr. Basie's greatest trademark was the three sweet, soft notes that ended many of his great swing-era compositions. [5][6], The best student in school, Basie dreamed of a traveling life, inspired by touring carnivals which came to town. One Great Band.Count Basie will always be remembered..Too bad he passed away.. While he was in his late teens, he gravitated to Harlem, where he encountered Fats Waller. 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. structure. His daughter, Diane Basie, now 71 and living in Florida with full-time caregivers, is severely retarded and only marginally communicative, according to court papers. She was 67 years old. His wife, Catherine, had died in with Rutgers web sites to accessibility@rutgers.edu or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier or As a young boy, Basie hated to see his parents working so hard, and vowed to help them get ahead. 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). "He commented that Bill Basie was a rather ordinary name and that [56], Count Basie was the featured artist at the first Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field on September 23, 1945, which was produced by Leon Hefflin Sr.[57] Al Jarvis was the Emcee and other artists to appear on stage were Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers, The Peters Sisters, Slim and Bam, Valaida Snow, and Big Joe Turner. William James "Count" Basie (/besi/; August 21, 1904 April 26, 1984)[1] was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Behind the occasional bebop solos, he always kept his strict rhythmic pulse, "so it doesn't matter what they do up front; the audience gets the beat". Fletcher Henderson's band was playing at the Grand Terrace just before the Basie band arrived there. 132 West 138th Street. The couple were true socialites - often gathering with friends including celebrities Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Basie protg Quincy Jones. [24] During a stay in Chicago, Basie recorded with the band. He and his band recorded with 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. Jazz at Santa . Biography - A Short Wiki. New York: Random House, 1985. [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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Count was 79 years old at the time of death. When his own band folded, he rejoined Moten with a newly re-organized band. Basie's band was sharing Birdland with such bebop musicians as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis. 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. Then he joined a touring show headed by one Gonzel White, playing piano in a four-piece band. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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. He occasionally played four-hand piano and dual pianos with Moten, who also conducted. 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. (Holiday did not record with Basie, as she had her own record contract and preferred working with small combos). 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 Bandleader, arranger and pianist Fletcher Henderson is one of the most influential and yet least-known jazz masters. vaudeville circuits; and as a soloist and accompanist to blues singer Gonzelle White as well as Crippen. The agent, Willard Alexander, said Mrs. Basie died while her husband was appearing at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. Basie now called Kansas City home. But I wanted that bite to be just as tasty and subtle as if it were the three brass I used to use. [45] In early 1938, the Savoy was the meeting ground for a "battle of the bands" with Chick Webb's group. This stemmed primarily from the presence in the rhythm section, from 1937 to the present, of both Mr. Basie on piano and Freddie Green on guitar. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Basie hitched his star to some of the most famous vocalists of the 1950s and 1960s, which helped keep the Big Band sound alive and added greatly to his recording catalog. 1928. [12][13] His touring took him to Kansas City, St. Louis, New Orleans, and Chicago. [2][3] His father worked as a coachman and caretaker for a wealthy judge. Count Basie, 79, Band Leader and Master of Swing, Dead African American bandleader and musician. Basie died April 26, 1984 in Hollywood, FL but his legacy is still swinging strong. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". From the Archives: Count Basie, 79, Master of Understated Swing, Dies He was the arbiter of the big-band swing sound and his unique style of fusing blues and jazz established swing as a predominant music style. A father of bebop, he influenced generations of musicians, and sparked the fire of one of the most important and successful American artistic movements. 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". Wayne Shorter obituary | Jazz | The Guardian In 1950, when big bands were falling apart, Mr. Basie cut down to an eight-piece group but by 1952 he was leading a big band once again. [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. 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. Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 - July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. ***** All concert dates after Count Basie's death are for The Count Basie Orchestra ***** Discography. Diane died peacefully on October 15 after suffering a heart attack a few days before. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. "Count.". To help it through the Grand Terrace engagement, Fletcher Henderson, who had provided Benny Goodman with In 1935, Bennie Moten died and it was left to Basie to take some of the musicians from that . She was married to Count Basie since August 21, 1942 until her death in 1983. Ellington's (18991974), the most famous African American [50] In 1939, Basie and his band made a major cross-country tour, including their first West Coast dates. [5] Greer and Basie played together in venues until Greer set out on his professional career. How Did Count Basie Die? - FAQS Clear Basie. "He was the only leader in the business who ever went out of his way to help me," Mr. Basie said later. [89] The board selects songs in an annual basis that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant. How did the bands of Count Basie and Duke Ellington differ? New York: Chelsea House, 1992. The Count Basie Orchestra recorded and played live with many iconic artists like Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tonny Benneth and Sarah Vaughan. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. For a while, he performed in combos, sometimes stretched to an orchestra. Teaches Jazz. By 1937 Basie's band was, with the possible exception of Duke