Here is all you want to know, and more! Throughout his tours, Basie met many jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The NY Post reported a few years ago that Woodward was facing possible jail for stealing $70,000 from Diane. Basie earned nine Grammy Awardsand made history in 1958 by becoming the first African-American to receive the award. The Count Meets the Duke, each providing four numbers from their play books. [37] Soon, they were booked at the Roseland Ballroom for the Christmas show. 1928. The band tried to stay together but failed. With Mr. Basie's 13 men in full cry at one end of this elongated closet, the sound ricocheting off the walls and rocketing down from the low ceiling, no listener could escape the exhilarating power 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. 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. On May 23, 1985, William "Count" Basie was presented, posthumously, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan. They also toured with the "Birdland Stars of 1955", whose lineup included Sarah Vaughan, Erroll Garner, Lester Young, George Shearing, and Stan Getz.[66]. 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. Famed record producer and journalist, John Hammond, heard the bands broadcast and began writing about the Orchestra to gain their attention. 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). Biography - A Short Wiki. He was 79 years old and lived in Freeport, the Bahamas. Basie credited Billy Eckstine, a top male vocalist of the time, for prompting his return to Big Band. Basie reorganized the Orchestra in 1952 and this new band was in high demand and toured extensively around the world. William James "Count" Basie learned how to play the piano at an early age under his mothers instructions. 2022-06-30; wreck on 1942 crosby, tx today . [5][6], The best student in school, Basie dreamed of a traveling life, inspired by touring carnivals which came to town. on the stand. His second great band, from the 1950s onwards, relied more on arrangements, typically from Neil Hefti and Ernie Wilkin's. As a pianist Basie. 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". After a decade long courtship, Basie married dancer Catherine Morgan, his second wife, on his birthday in 1942. who was Duke Ellington's drummer from 1919 to 1951, discouraged young Basie and he switched to piano. Basie died April 26, 1984 in Hollywood, FL but his legacy is still swinging strong. Joy S. Rosenthal, Trustee, William J. Basie Trust and Guardian for Diane L. Basie, At Institute of Jazz Studies, an Intimate Look at Count Basie, Grammy Nominated for Live At Birdland . She was 67 years old. CATHERINE BASIE. This page was last edited on 3 February 2023, at 01:33. She was 67 years old. 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). His wife, Catherine, had died in He got used to seeing me, as though I were part of the show. She was 67 years old. Basie's band regularly worked some of the better [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. passages, directing his musicians with a glance, a lift of an eyebrow or a note hit gently but positively in passing. It does not store any personal data. Early after his arrival, he bumped into Sonny Greer, who was by then the drummer for the Washingtonians, Duke Ellington's early band. The couple had an only daughter, Diane Basie, whos now a 74-year-old disabled woman. Late one night with time to fill, the band started improvising. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories. He and his band recorded with [68] He was a guest on ABC's The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, a venue also opened to several other black entertainers. This provided an early training that was to prove significant in his later career. Not loud and fast, understand, but smoothly and with a definite punch.". in a 14th Street dance hall. In 1950, he headlined the Universal-International short film "Sugar Chile" Robinson, Billie Holiday, Count Basie and His Sextet. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. [12][13] His touring took him to Kansas City, St. Louis, New Orleans, and Chicago. Many of the band's arrangements were accessibility issues with Rutgers web sites to accessibility@rutgers.edu 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. William Basie was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, on August 21, 1904. 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. Basie. in Kansas City, Missouri. She was born with cerebral palsy and the doctors claimed she would never walk. [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. cushion. He couldnt write music at the time, but his ear was perfect. Their daughter, Iska, died at the age of 14 after a series . These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. In 2009, Basie was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.[88]. superior arrangements (reflecting Basie's good taste) and the We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. During his last years, he had difficulty walking and rode out on the stage Encyclopedia of Jazz. The band survived Basie's death, with ex-Basie-ite trumpeter Thad Jones directing until his death in 1986. He was the leader of the group for almost 50 years and many musicians like saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, the guitarist Freddie Green, and trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison, came to prominence under his direction. New York: Chelsea House, 1992. He called Basie "Holy Man", "Holy Main", and just plain "Holy".[36]. night performances in a number of small cities and towns that were He began his professional career as an accompanist on the vaudeville circuit. structure. A father of bebop, he influenced generations of musicians, and sparked the fire of one of the most important and successful American artistic movements. Diane died peacefully on October 15 after suffering a heart attack a few days before. 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. 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. On September 11, 1996, the U.S. Post Office issued a Count Basie 32 cents postage stamp. African American bandleader and musician. From the Grand Terrace, it moved on to New York and Roseland Ballroom (playing opposite Woody Herman's new, young band) where listeners complained that it was out of tune (not a surprising reaction "And that's when the whole fire started," said Mr. Alexander. Basie's new band was more of an ensemble group, with fewer solo turns, and relying less on "head" and more on written arrangements. Died: April 26, 1984 Individuals with disabilities are Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. [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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Basie's band was sharing Birdland with such bebop musicians as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis. For the next two years he led small bands between six and nine pieces. Diane died peacefully on October 15 after suffering a heart attack a few days before. 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. [75], Basie also recorded with Tony Bennett in the late 1950s. [21] In addition to playing piano, Basie was co-arranger with Eddie Durham, who notated the music. Count Basie is considered one of the greatest bandleaders of all times. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. Hollywood, Florida (Holiday did not record with Basie, as she had her own record contract and preferred working with small combos). Within less than six months, however, Mr. Basie was back at the keyboard. 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). 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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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. In 1957, Basie the live album Count Basie at Newport. years ago when a number of musicians, including Mr. Basie, were scheduled to perform in a variety of combinations. was a member of the Basie band in the 1940's. 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. century. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 FAQS Clear - All Rights Reserved ", 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. In 1942, they moved to Queens. [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. When his own band folded, he rejoined Moten with a newly re-organized band. His father played the mellophone, and his mother played the piano; in fact, she gave Basie his first piano lessons. 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. 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. He was one of the greatest bandleaders of all-time, epitomizing the jazz of south-western America. 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. The band survived Basies death, with trumpeter Thad Jones directing until his own death in 1986. 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. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. But in 2012, Manhattan Surrogates Court Justice Kristin Booth Glen removed Woodward from his guardian role after he failed to account for money that belonged to Diane. Diane died peacefully on October 15 after suffering a heart attack a few days before. the band developed its own variation of the Kansas City swing His home for many years was in Freeport, the Bahamas; he died of cancer at Doctors' Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, on April 26, 1984. Mechanic Street, where he grew up with his family, has the honorary title of Count Basie Way. 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. After Moten died in 1935, Basie took what was left of the band, expanded with disabilities are encouraged to direct suggestions, comments, or complaints concerning any saxophonist Lester Young. It was during this time that he was given the nickname After a decade long courtship, Basie married dancer Catherine Morgan, his second wife, on his birthday in 1942. Two of Basie's earliest [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. Provide Feedback Form. We are currently enrolling students for on-campus classes and scheduling in-person campus tours. [54] They also continued to record for OKeh Records and Columbia Records. He married Catherine Morgan on July 13, 1940, in the King County courthouse in Seattle, Washington. While he was in his late teens, he gravitated to Harlem, where he encountered Fats Waller. Count Basie, Jr. was a native of Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. Basie's wife, Catherine, died in April 1983. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. She died in 1983. "I wanted 13 men to think and play the same way. He had an incredible ear, and could repeat any tune he heard. The Black Music Association honored Mr. Basie in 1982 with a gala at Radio City Music Hall. Even more important was the fact that the Famous Door had national and local radio wires. Another boost was provided in the late 1950s by the recording of 1415. [42] The band's first appearance at the Apollo Theater followed, with the vocalists Holiday and Jimmy Rushing getting the most attention. After working briefly as house organist in a [45] In early 1938, the Savoy was the meeting ground for a "battle of the bands" with Chick Webb's group. Another Basie innovation was the use of two tenor saxophone players; at the time, most bands had just one. The agent, Willard Alexander, said Mrs. Eventually, Moten generously let Basie sit in on piano. With Billy Eckstine on the album Basie/Eckstine Incorporated, in 1959. Neal Hefti began to provide arrangements, including "Lil Darlin'". (traveling variety entertainment). rehearsal and then written down later. [62] Soon, his band was touring and recording again. for the next quarter of a century. 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Shortly after he got there, he got a gig replacing Fats Waller with a touring vaudeville act. or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier or myers park country club lawsuit; turkey hill frozen yogurt discontinued. Basie's new band played at the Reno Club and sometimes were broadcast on local radio. . 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.) In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. "I wanted my 13-piece band to work together just like those nine pieces," he explained. William Basie was born to Lillian and Harvey Lee Basie in Red Bank, New Jersey. I thought he was kidding, shrugged my shoulders and replied, 'O.K.' [34], By then, Basie's sound was characterized by a "jumping" beat and the contrapuntal accents of his own piano. [72] The Basies bought a home in the new whites-only neighborhood of Addisleigh Park in 1946 on Adelaide Road and 175th Street, St. Albans, Queens. At a theatre in Newark he was able to hear regular performances by the bands of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Stan Kenton and others. Hammond introduced Helen Humes, whom Basie hired; she stayed with Basie for four years. Once the musicians found what they liked, they usually were able to repeat it using their "head arrangements" and collective memory.[44]. 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