onto every note, sitting behind him all the time. During this period he also recorded with music greats, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson. His second great band, from the 1950s onwards, relied more on arrangements, typically from Neil Hefti and Ernie Wilkin's. As a pianist Basie. [35] Lester Young, known as "Prez" by the band, came up with nicknames for all the other band members. 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. New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1980. Who was Count Basies adopted son on Long Island? [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. [25] The band improved with several personnel changes, including the addition of tenor saxophonist Ben Webster. His daughter, Diane Basie, now 71 and living in Florida. She was 67 years old. [61] Basie also added flute to some numbers, a novelty at the time that became widely copied. 'No,' I said, 'but I'd Their "Moten Swing", which Basie claimed credit for,[23] was an invaluable contribution to the development of swing music, and at one performance at the Pearl Theatre in Philadelphia in December 1932, the theatre opened its door to allow anybody in who wanted to hear the band perform. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. [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. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. His mother, a piano player who gave Basie his first piano lessons, took in laundry and baked cakes for sale and paid 25 cents a lesson for piano instruction for him. The NY Post reported a few years ago that Woodward was facing possible jail for stealing $70,000 from Diane. Count Basie was a bandleader and pianist who was at the forefront of American big band music in the mid-twentieth century. [4] Both of his parents had some type of musical background. 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. 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. 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. [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. His Basie's band was sharing Birdland with such bebop musicians as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis. Count Basie was a pianist, bandleader, and composer considered as one of the most popular figures in the jazz world. One of Basie's biggest regrets was never recording with Louis Armstrong, though they shared the same bill several times. Mr. Alexander agreed to lend the club $2,500 to install an air-conditioner if it would book They were divorced sometime before 1935. [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. [5] Greer and Basie played together in venues until Greer set out on his professional career. 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. Basie added touches of bebop "so long as it made sense", and he required that "it all had to have feeling". [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.". A stocky, handsome man with heavy-lidded eyes and a sly smile, Basie was Provide Feedback Form. played drums in his school band and took some piano lessons from his, Basie made his professional debut playing piano with vaudeville acts 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". It was during this time that he was given the nickname See the Count Basie Orchestra Discography. He got some jobs in Asbury Park at the Jersey Shore, and played at the Hong Kong Inn until a better player took his place.[10]. Ellington's (18991974), the most famous African American He married Catherine Morgan on July 13, 1940, in the King County courthouse in Seattle, Washington. (traveling variety entertainment). They had direct lines to presidents, occasionally exchanging personal telegrams giving well wishes. band a permanent place in jazz history. Around 1924 Basie moved toHarlem, a hotbed for jazz, where his career started to quickly take off. Provide Feedback Form. During a broadcast the announcer wanted to give Basie's name some style, so he called him "Count". 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. the Basie band. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. He was 79 years old and lived in Freeport, the Bahamas. 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. Red Bank, New Jersey Basie liked the results and named the piece "One O'Clock Jump". The Gonzel White show was stranded in Kansas City, Mo., a fateful location for Mr. Basie. After automobiles replaced horses, his father became a groundskeeper and handyman for several families in the area. What is the formula for calculating solute potential? We've received your submission. They had one daughter, Diane, in 1944. For a while, he performed in combos, sometimes stretched to an orchestra. [74], Count Basie died of pancreatic cancer in Hollywood, Florida, on April 26, 1984, at the age of 79.[1]. He called Basie "Holy Man", "Holy Main", and just plain "Holy".[36]. Jazz at Santa . However, the man ended up betraying Basies trust, and he stole from Diane. Provide Feedback Form. They had one daughter. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. African American bandleader and musician. 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. After a decade long courtship, Basie married dancer Catherine Morgan, his second wife, on his birthday in 1942. He was one of the greatest bandleaders of all-time, epitomizing the jazz of south-western America. ABC World News Tonight feature on death of Count Basie on April 26, 1984 3,211 views Aug 26, 2016 26 Dislike Share Save pianopappy 7.27K subscribers Peter Jennings (who was a jazz an). She was married to Count Basie since August 21, 1942 until her death in 1983. The Basie band was looser and had a more relaxed swing feeling. There was a memorable concert at Town Hall several "Count.". William (Count) Basie, who produced more music with two fingers than most pianists get out of 10, died Thursday in a hospital in Hollywood, Fla., where he had been admitted . Throughout his tours, Basie met many jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong. Which is correct poinsettia or poinsettia? "Of course, I wanted to play real jazz. onenighters, and the bebop revolution of the mid-1940s all played a role 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. 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. Finally, Willard Alexander, a booking agent, in an effort to get the band on 52d Street, then the jazz center of New York, made a deal with the Famous Door, a shoebox of a room, 25 feet wide and about From that time on, I was a daily customer, hanging He occasionally played four-hand piano and dual pianos with Moten, who also conducted. "He was the only leader in the business who ever went out of his way to help me," Mr. Basie said later. In 1935, Bennie Moten died and it was left to Basie to take some of the musicians from that . Basie was often recognized for his understated yet captivating style of piano playing and his precise, impeccable musical leadership. Sometimes a member of the band would come up with an original, written But by 1952 he reorganized the band, and the second Count Basie Orchestra was considered as exciting, vibrant and even more important than the first. "He commented that Bill Basie was a rather ordinary name and that Through steady changes in personnel, Basie led the band into the 1980s. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. structure. 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). (193545) was unquestionably Basie's greatest. E-Commerce Site for Mobius GPO Members count basie daughter died. He developed a new style of jazz called bebop. era he also shared the less appealing one-nighters (a series of single When the band voted Moten out, Basie took over for several months, calling the group Count Basie and his Cherry Blossoms. Basie decided to form a medium-sized During his last years he had difficulty walking and Released: 1967 . After a decade-long courtship, Basie married dancer Catherine Morgan, his second wife, on his birthday in 1942. Died: April 26, 1984 Performers of bebop left the traditional musical melody and played a song freely, with the music and rhythm that was felt at the time. 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. 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. The agent, Willard Alexander, said Mrs. Is the Count Basie Orchestra still alive? In May 1970, Sinatra performed in London's Royal Festival Hall with the Basie orchestra, in a charity benefit for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier or The swing era band 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. 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. They have one child. Two of Basie's earliest Count Basie is considered one of the greatest bandleaders of all times. Page, a bassist--Jimmy Rushing, the blues signer, both of whom would be key members of Mr. Basie's band. The Barons of Rhythm were regulars at the Reno Club and often performed for a live radio broadcast. 5 How old was Catherine Basie when she died? 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. Released: 1955 . Press ESC to cancel. Basie is remembered by many who worked for him as being considerate of musicians and their opinions, modest, relaxed, fun-loving, dryly witty, and always enthusiastic about his music. 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. The family had a piano, and Basies mother paid 25 a lesson for his piano lessons at an early age. We are currently enrolling students for on-campus classes and scheduling in-person campus tours. Fletcher Henderson's band was playing at the Grand Terrace just before the Basie band arrived there. Count Basie is considered one of the greatest bandleaders of all times. [8], Though a natural at the piano, Basie preferred drums. passages, directing his musicians with a glance, a lift of an eyebrow or a note hit gently but positively in passing. Today, Charlie Yardbird Parker is considered one of the great musical innovators of the 20th century. [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". 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. skilled performers (reflecting Basie's sound management) gave the What pianist and his orchestra were really popular in the big band era? supported by sectional riffing (the repeating of a musical figure by the William James " Count " Basie ( / besi /; August 21, 1904 - April 26, 1984) [1] was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer.