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. 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). The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. [35] Lester Young, known as "Prez" by the band, came up with nicknames for all the other band members. The couple had an only daughter, Diane Basie, who's now a 74-year-old disabled woman. He quickly learned to improvise music appropriate to the acts and the silent movies. with disabilities are encouraged to direct suggestions, comments, or complaints concerning any "I wanted 13 men to think and play the same way. (traveling variety entertainment). 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). 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. the personnel, and formed the first Count Basie Orchestra. recordings, the 1943 musicians' strike, the strain of was a member of the Basie band in the 1940's. with a particular soloist or two in mind. He played along with The Flairs, Christine Kittrell, Lamp Lighters, Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five, Ruth Brown, and Perez Prado and his Orchestra.[59]. 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. Their neighbors included Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Jackie Robinson and Milt Hinton. Perhaps the most startling of the bands in history. Despite being born with cerebral palsy, Diane surpassed expectations due to the excellent love and support she received from her parents, family, friends, and caretakers and her indomitable spirit. 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. When did Count Basie start playing the piano? A longtime friend of jazz legend Count Basie is facing possible jail time for allegedly stealing $70,000 from the late bandleaders disabled daughter. Then I sat beside him and he taught me.". He occasionally played four-hand piano and dual pianos with Moten, who also conducted. "April in Paris" (arrangement by Wild Bill Davis) was a best-selling instrumental and the title song for the hit album. (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. There will be a viewing at Benta's Funeral Home, 630 St. Nicholas Avenue at 141st Street, on Sunday from 1 to 7 P.M. 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. This page was last edited on 3 February 2023, at 01:33. 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. ', "The next day he invited me to sit in the pit and start working the pedals. a few moments before. era he also shared the less appealing one-nighters (a series of single [54] They also continued to record for OKeh Records and Columbia Records. She paid 25 cents a lesson for Count Basie's piano instruction. "Lester Leaps In," were created as features for From then on, it was Count Basie.". Credit: GettyImages/Global Images of Ukraine. They were divorced sometime before 1935. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Both of Basies parents were hard workers. During his last years he had difficulty walking and See, Basie couldnt read music, so it was Eddie Durham who orchestrated his ideas for the Moten band and then later for the Basie band in New York for those Decca recordings. The Basie band played at President John F. Kennedy's inaugural ball, and in 1965 toured with Frank Sinatra. in the death of the big-band era. And it was a seven-day week. Basie appointed Aaron Woodward, a Long Island Baptist pastor and accountant, to be Dianes guardian. Age at Death: 79. 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 I sat on the floor watching his feet and using my hands to imitate him. Two of Basie's earliest Diane died peacefully on October 15 after suffering a heart attack a few days before. [25] The band improved with several personnel changes, including the addition of tenor saxophonist Ben Webster. At 16. His daughter, Diane Basie, now 71 and living in Florida. He was 79 years old and lived in Freeport, the Bahamas. 1983. 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? He then traveled from New York to Kansas City just to hear the band and to meet Count Basie. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". To help it through the Grand Terrace engagement, Fletcher Henderson, who had provided Benny Goodman with One of Basie's biggest regrets was never recording with Louis Armstrong, though they shared the same bill several times. 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. Two years later, they were the most famous African American band in the country. "heads"arrangements worked out without planning in The following year, in 1929, Basie became the pianist with the Bennie Moten band based in Kansas City, inspired by Moten's ambition to raise his band to match the level of those led by Duke Ellington or Fletcher Henderson. 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). When Young complained of Herschel Evans' vibrato, Basie placed them on either side of the alto players, and soon had the tenor players engaged in "duels". Good Morning Blues: The Autobiography of Count Basie. (Basie later played organ at the Eblon Theater in Kansas City). Required fields are marked *. On September 11, 1996, the U.S. Post Office issued a Count Basie 32 cents postage stamp. The band survived Basies death, with trumpeter Thad Jones directing until his own death in 1986. The couple were true socialites - often gathering with friends including celebrities Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Basie protg Quincy Jones. She died in 1983. expensive blunder in Basie's history," said Mr. Hammond) that included hit after hit--"Swingin' the Blues," "Jumpin' at the Woodside," "One O'Clock Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. While Count Basie worked over 300 nights a year, Mrs. Basie was very active in charitable and civil rights organizations, and was recognized for her work by the major leaders of the day. half a year later. We've received your submission. He was a big force in music. [18] A few months later, he was invited to join the band, which played mostly in Texas and Oklahoma. Mr. Hammond spread the word about the Basie band, 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. Today, Charlie Yardbird Parker is considered one of the great musical innovators of the 20th century. William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader and composer. After a decade long courtship, Basie married dancer Catherine Morgan, his second wife, on his birthday in 1942. "He certainly made a notch in musical history," said Benny Goodman, 75 years old, the jazz clarinetist and bandleader. Red Bank, New Jersey Count Basie (1904-1984) The title of one of his bands most famous tunes The Kid from Red Bank is an obvious tip-off, but many jazz historians assume that William J. When the Page band broke up in 1929, Mr. 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". 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. 1981 interview cited in "The Lester Young Story" (Properbox 16), pp. Page, Mr. Basie and Mr. Rushing all joined Bennie Moten's orchestra, the leading big band in the Southwest, which became even stronger with their presence. He was already playing jazz piano at parties, clubs and other venues. When William James "Count" Basie died of cancer in 1984, he left his $1.5 million fortune in a trust to provide for his only child. Jump" (his theme) and many others now considered jazz classics. Kliment, Bud. He had an incredible ear, and could repeat any tune he heard. Frank Sinatra (19151998), Ella Fitzgerald (19171996), 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. As one critic put it, they "put wheels on all four bars of the beat," creating a smooth rhythmic flow over which Mr. Basie's other instrumentalists rode as though they were on a streamlined [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. He finished junior high school[7] but spent much of his time at the Palace Theater in Red Bank, where doing occasional chores gained him free admission to performances. Basie was married in two occasions, first to Vivian Lee Winn from 1930 to 1935, and later to Catherine Morgan, from 1940 until her death in 1983. The agent, Willard Alexander, said Mrs. Basie died while her husband was appearing at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. went to Kansas City to hear it and support it and brought it to the attention of booking agents. In 1935, Bennie Moten died and it was left to Basie to take some of the musicians from that . 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. At a White House reception, President Reagan said that Mr. Basie was "among the handful of musicians that helped change the path of American music in the 30's and the 40's" and that he had "revolutionized jazz.". Count Basie is considered one of the greatest bandleaders of all times. 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. Shortly after he got there, he got a gig replacing Fats Waller with a touring vaudeville act. Basie, Count. Well, the Roseland is still standing". 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. Among his band's best-known numbers were "One O'Clock Jump," "Jumpin' at the Woodside," "Li'l Darlin'" and "April in Paris.". With Billy Eckstine on the album Basie/Eckstine Incorporated, in 1959. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. For a while, he performed in combos, sometimes stretched to an orchestra. 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.

African American Female Doctors In Richmond, Va, Articles C