They had one daughter, Diane, in 1944. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. [41], Hammond introduced Basie to Billie Holiday, whom he invited to sing with the band. [33] When he made the Vocalion recordings, Basie had already signed with Decca Records, but did not have his first recording session with them until January 1937. Their albums together included In Person and Strike Up the Band. Many of the band's arrangements were One day he asked me whether I played the organ. [73], On April 11, 1983, Catherine Basie died of heart disease at the couple's home in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island. He has had an unprecedented four recordings inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame One OClock Jump(1979),April in Paris(1985),Everyday I Have the Blues(1992), andLester Leaps In(2005), along with a slew of other awards and honors not only for his music, but for his humanitarianism and philanthropy around the world. [54] They also continued to record for OKeh Records and Columbia Records. Darlin'"), Ernie Wilkins and Frank Foster ("Shiny Stockings") were among the most notable orchestrators. They were referred to as 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. When the band left for Chicago it had only 12 written arrangements in its book. Later that year, Basie appeared on a television special with Fred Astaire, featuring a dance solo to "Sweet Georgia Brown", followed in January 1961 by Basie performing at one of the five John F. Kennedy Inaugural Balls. What is the formula for calculating solute potential? in the death of the big-band era. Even in Harlem, it puzzled the aware audiences at the Savoy Ballroom. The loss of key personnel (some to military service), the wartime ban on He led the group for almost 50 years, creating innovations like the use of two "split" tenor saxophones, emphasizing the rhythm section, riffing with a big band, using arrangers to broaden their sound, and others. many other famous artists, including Duke Ellington (18991974), Mr. Hammond spread the word about the Basie band, On the West Coast, in 1942 the band did a spot in Reveille With Beverly, a musical film starring Ann Miller, and a "Command Performance" for Armed Forces Radio, with Hollywood stars Clark Gable, Bette Davis, Carmen Miranda, Jerry Colonna, and the singer Dinah Shore. 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. 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. She was 67 years old. They had one daughter. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. He was a big force in music. who was Duke Ellington's drummer from 1919 to 1951, discouraged young Basie and he switched to piano. By then, Basie was playing with pick-up groups for dances, resorts, and amateur shows, including Harry Richardson's "Kings of Syncopation". You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. After a decade long courtship, Basie married dancer Catherine Morgan, his second wife, on his birthday in 1942. 132 West 138th Street. [75], Basie also recorded with Tony Bennett in the late 1950s. Encyclopedia of Jazz. Count Basie was born on August 21, 1904 and died on April 26, 1984. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. In 1935, Bennie Moten died and it was left to Basie to take some of the musicians from that . 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). [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. On September 11, 1996, the U.S. Post Office issued a Count Basie 32 cents postage stamp. Copyright 2023, Rutgers, The State University of These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Everything We Know about the Music Legends Love Life, Rich Man Leaves Older Son $2.8 Million, Younger Son Gets Only $1 Story of the Day, Hank Williams Jr Lost 'Drop-Dead Gorgeous' Wife of 31 Years in March Inside Their Marriage, Loretta Lynn Fought for Her Beloved Husband Though He Called Other Women into Their Bed. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. At a theatre in Newark he was able to hear regular performances by the bands of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Stan Kenton and others. 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. 1928. Perhaps the most startling of the The Ella Fitzgerald made some memorable recordings with Basie, including the 1963 album Ella and 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. After a decade-long courtship, Basie married dancer Catherine Morgan, his second wife, on his birthday in 1942. Basie died April 26, 1984 in Hollywood, FL but his legacy is still swinging strong. 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. He is survived by a daughter, Diane Basie of Freeport. [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. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. She paid 25 cents a lesson for Count Basie's piano instruction. The band survived Basie's death, (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. 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 couple had an only daughter, Diane Basie, whos now a 74-year-old disabled woman. [42] The band's first appearance at the Apollo Theater followed, with the vocalists Holiday and Jimmy Rushing getting the most attention. parents, Harvey and Lillian (Childs) Basie, were both musicians. By 1937 Basie's band was, with the possible exception of Duke [52] [40] His first official recordings for Decca followed, under contract to agent MCA, including "Pennies from Heaven" and "Honeysuckle Rose". Count was 79 years old at the time of death. Performers of bebop left the traditional musical melody and played a song freely, with the music and rhythm that was felt at the time. However, the man ended up betraying Basies trust, and he stole from Diane. Report Accessibility Barrier or Basie earned nine Grammy Awardsand made history in 1958 by becoming the first African-American to receive the award. Basie's band regularly worked some of the better band in America. Discouraged by the obvious talents of Sonny Greer, who also lived in Red Bank and became Duke Ellington's drummer in 1919, Basie switched to piano exclusively at age 15. 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. 1981 interview cited in "The Lester Young Story" (Properbox 16), pp. The band survived Basies death, with trumpeter Thad Jones directing until his own death in 1986. [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". For a while, he performed in combos, sometimes stretched to an orchestra. for the next quarter of a century. The Basie band was looser and had a more relaxed swing feeling. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. From that time on, I was a daily customer, hanging Is that all right with you?' In May 2019, Basie was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Memphis, TN, presented by The Blues Foundation. Dance, Stanley. 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. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. While on one tour he became stranded The big band era appeared to have ended after the war, and Basie disbanded the group. Received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in 1974. Page, a bassist--Jimmy Rushing, the blues signer, both of whom would be key members of Mr. Basie's band. Jimmy Rushing sang with Basie in the late 1930s. the personnel, and formed the first Count Basie Orchestra. 3 What pianist lead the most successful band in Kansas City? . The agent, Willard Alexander, said Mrs. "heads"arrangements worked out without planning in In 1981, Mr. Basie was honored along with Cary Grant, Helen Hayes and other stars as a "Big Name Bands, Singers in 'Cavalcade of Music' Sept. 23", Basie, Jordan, Prado Top Jazz Cavalcade Article, "Sugar Chile" Robinson, Billie Holiday, Count Basie and His Sextet, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Count Basie Presents Eddie Davis Trio + Joe Newman, Count Basie Jam Session at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1975, Count Basie Meets Oscar Peterson The Timekeepers, The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert, Solo Flight: The Genius of Charlie Christian, Sugar Chile Robinson, Billie Holiday, Count Basie and His Sextet, "On This Day: Count Basie, 79, Band Leader And Master of Swing, Dead", "Jackie Wilson & Count Basie Manufacturers Of Soul at Discogs", "Manufacturers of Soul by Jackie Wilson: Reviews and Ratings", "Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez To Be Awarded Honorary Doctor of Music Degree From Berklee College of Music", "Count Basie, Jack Nicholson, Les Paul make New Jersey Hall of Fame", "2005 National Recording Registry choices", The Count Basie Orchestra official website, International Jose Guillermo Carrillo Foundation. Around 1924 Basie moved toHarlem, a hotbed for jazz, where his career started to quickly take off. One Great Band.Count Basie will always be remembered..Too bad he passed away.. The funeral service will be at noon on Monday at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, 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). skilled performers (reflecting Basie's sound management) gave the a few moments before. [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. Credit: GettyImages/Global Images of Ukraine. "Count.". A father of bebop, he influenced generations of musicians, and sparked the fire of one of the most important and successful American artistic movements. William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader and composer. All We Know about the Award-Winning Composer, His Life, and Legacy, Rich Old Man Left More than $10M Estate to 11 Heirs One Keeps Portion Worth Millions for Herself, Who Is Lionel Richie Married To? Ellington's (18991974), the most famous African American How did the bands of Count Basie and Duke Ellington differ? His Family After a decade long courtship, Basie married dancer Catherine Morgan, his second wife, on his birthday in 1942. Sinatra later said of this concert "I have a funny feeling that those two nights could have been my finest hour, really. His father, Harvey Lee Basie, was a coachman and a groundskeeper, and his mother, Lillian Childs Basie, was a laundress. Charlie Parker forever changed the performance and writing of jazz music. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 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. They had one daughter. [1] As he did with Duke Ellington, Willie "the Lion" Smith helped Basie out during the lean times by arranging gigs at "house-rent parties", introducing him to other leading musicians, and teaching him some piano technique. The agent, Willard Alexander, said Mrs. Basie died while her husband was appearing at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. William Basie was born to Lillian and Harvey Lee Basie in Red Bank, New Jersey. with trumpeter Thad Jones directing until his own death in 1986. Basie, Count. The Count Meets the Duke, each providing four numbers from their play books. Their only child, Diane, was born February 6, 1944. 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. One of the band's most popular arrangements, "April in Paris," was written in 1955 by Wild Bill Davis, a jazz organist who had originally developed it for his own small group. What Is The Origin Of Springerle Cookies? He quickly made a name for himself playing the piano at local venues and parties around town until he moved to New York City in search of greater opportunities. From the time Count Basie's "Old Testament Band" surged out of Kansas City in 1936 and brought his irrepressible mixture of blues and riff-based head arrangements to New York until his death in 1984, Basie and the bands he led were a touchstone of jazz history. She took in laundry and baked cakes for sale for a living. Count Basie. 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. New Jersey. Now Joy Rosenthal, a court-appointed lawyer who is Dianes replacement guardian, wants to jail or fine Woodward, 68. What was the greatest era of the Basie band? bands in history. William James "Count" Basie learned how to play the piano at an early age under his mothers instructions. Splank-Splank-Splank-Boom. Individuals They had one daughter, Diane, in 1944. How do I choose between my boyfriend and my best friend? Basie was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He died of cancer in Count Basie was an extremely popular figure in the jazz world for half a . He was already playing jazz piano at parties, clubs and other venues. Swing-era bandleader noted for his theme songs One O'Clock Jump from 1937 and April in Paris from 1932. CATHERINE BASIE. [4] Both of his parents had some type of musical background. I sat on the floor watching his feet and using my hands to imitate him. When did Count Basie start playing the piano? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Basie, Count. "Of course, I wanted to play real jazz. Basie and his Orchestra appeared in five films, all released within a matter of months in 1943:Hit Parade, Reveille with Beverly, Stage Door Canteen, Top Man, andCrazy House. [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.". 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. 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. 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. William James " Count " Basie ( / besi /; August 21, 1904 - April 26, 1984) [1] was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 FAQS Clear - All Rights Reserved The Count Basie Orchestra had a slew of hits that helped to define the big-band sound of the 1930s and 40s. The award was received by Aaron Woodward. As a result, the band got a date at the Grand Terrace in Chicago. 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. Shortly after he got there, he got a gig replacing Fats Waller with a touring vaudeville act. 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. hired him. [24] During a stay in Chicago, Basie recorded with the band. William Basie was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, on August 21, 1904. And it was a seven-day week. The couple were true socialites - often gathering with friends including celebrities Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Basie protg Quincy Jones. [18] A few months later, he was invited to join the band, which played mostly in Texas and Oklahoma. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. [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 wife, Catherine, had died in 1983; they had one daughter. This familiar pattern was evident in the rehearsal and then written down later. returned to his first lovethe big bandand it thrived. Eventually, Moten generously let Basie sit in on piano. Basie reorganized the Orchestra in 1952 and this new band was in high demand and toured extensively around the world. on a motorized wheelchair which he sometimes drove with joyful abandon. I thought he was kidding, shrugged my shoulders and replied, 'O.K.' Frank Sinatra (19151998), Ella Fitzgerald (19171996), It does not store any personal data. 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 now called Kansas City home. with Rutgers web sites to accessibility@rutgers.edu or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier or To help it through the Grand Terrace engagement, Fletcher Henderson, who had provided Benny Goodman with Birthday: August 21, 1904. expensive blunder in Basie's history," said Mr. Hammond) that included hit after hit--"Swingin' the Blues," "Jumpin' at the Woodside," "One O'Clock They had one daughter, Diane, in 1944. 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. [27] According to Basie, "we hit it with the rhythm section and went into the riffs, and the riffs just stuck. [5][6], The best student in school, Basie dreamed of a traveling life, inspired by touring carnivals which came to town. How did the bands of Count Basie and Duke Ellington differ? Mr. Basie's wife, Catherine, died in April 1983.