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WILLIAM "COUNT" BASIE
(1904-1984)
Basie was born in Red bank to Harvey Lee Basie and Lilian Ann Childs.
He had a brother, LeRoy Basie. (The Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank is named in
his honour).
His father worked as a coachman for a wealthy family. After automobiles replaced
horses,
his father became a groundskeeper and handyman for several families in the area.
His mother took in laundry, and was Basie's first piano teacher when he was a
child.
Basie toured the Theatre Owners Bookers Association vaudeville circuit
starting in 1924 as a
soloist and accompanist to blues singers.His touring took him to Kansas City
Missouri, where
he met many jazz musicians in the area.
In 1928 he joined Walter Page's Blue Devils and the following year became the
pianist with
the Benny Moten Band based in Kansas City.
He started his own band in 1934, but eventually returned to Moten's band in
1934.
After Moten died in 1935, the band unsuccessfully attempted to stay together.
Basie formed a new band which included many Moten alumini and started to refer
to himself
as "Count" Basie.
NEW YORK CITY, AND LATER YEARS.
At the end of 1936 he moved his band from Kansas City.
Firstly they honed their repertoire at a long engagement at a Chicago Club.
In that city in October 1936 members of the band participated in a recording
session which
producer John Hammond later described as "the only completely perfect recording
session I have
had anything to do with." At the end of 1936 they began playing in New
York City where the
Count Basie Orchestra remained until 1950.
Basie's music was characterised by his trade mark "Jumping" beat and the
contrapuntal accents
of his own piano. Basie also showcased some of the best blues singers of the
era: Billie Holliday,
Jimmie Rushing, Big Joe Turner, Helen Humes, and Joe Williams.
More importantly Count Basie was a highly successful band leader who was able to
hold onto
some of the greatest jazz musicians of the 1930's and early 1940's: Buck
Clayton, Herschel
Evans, Lester Young, and the band's brilliant rhythm, Walter Page, Freddie
Green, and Jo Jones.
He was also able to hire great arrangers that knew how to use the band's
abilities, like Eddie
Durham and Jimmie Mundy.
The big band era appeared to be at an end, but Basie reformed his as a
16-piece orchestra
in 1952 and led it until his death. Basie remained faithful to the Kansas City
jazz style and
helped keep jazz alive with his distinctive piano playing.
By the mid 1950's the Basie Band had become one of the pre-eminent backing
big bands for
the finest jazz vocalists of the time Joe Williams was spectacularly featured on
the 1957
album ONE o'CLOCK JUMP, and 1956's COUNT BASIE SWINGS, JOE WILLIAMS SINGS.
In 1942 Basie moved to Queens New York with Catherine Morgan after being married
for a
few years.
Ella Fitzgerald is sometimes referred to as the quintessential swing singer,
and her meetings with
the Count Basie Orchestra are highly regarded by critics. Fitzgerald's
1963 album ELLA AND
BASIE! is remembered as one of Fitzgerald's greatest recordings.
With the 'New Testament' Basie band in full swing and arrangements by a youthful
Quincy Jones,
this album proved a swinging respite from the 'Songbook' recordings and constant
touring that
Fitzgerald was engaged in during this period.
She toured with the Basie Orchestra in the mid-1970'sand Fitzgerald and a
much tamer Count
Basie band also met on the 1979 albums DIGITAL III AT MONTREAUX, A CLASSY PAIR
and A PERFECT MATCH.
Frank Sinatra had an equally fruitful relationship with Basie, 1963's
Sinatra-Basie and 1964's
IT MIGHT AS WELL BE SWING are two of the highest points at the peak of
Sinatra's artistry.
The young Quincy Jones provided the punchy arrangements for the Basie band on
Sinatra's
biggest selling album, the live SINATRA OF THE SANDS.
Count Basie died of pancreatic cancer in Hollywood, Florida on April 26th, 1984
at the age of 79.
For the music of Count Basie, go to our online store at:
http://klavarskribo.com/
Copyright © 1993-2008 Klavar Music School International Ltd
®
- All Rights Reserved.
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