When that band broke up in 1929, he Bennie Moten's band Where did Count Basie do most of his touring? A few months later, Basie quit MCA and signed with the William Morris Agency, who got them better fees.[51]. there were a couple of well-known bandleaders named Earl Hines and Duke Ellington. Basie reorganized the Orchestra in 1952 and this new band was in high demand and toured extensively around the world. A year later, Basie joinedBennie_Motens band, and played with them until Motens death in 1935. The agent, Willard Alexander, said Mrs. Basie died while her husband was appearing at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. rehearsal and then written down later. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. 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. 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. Bandleader, arranger and pianist Fletcher Henderson is one of the most influential and yet least-known jazz masters. Copyright 2023, Rutgers, The State University of Throughout his tours, Basie met many jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong. During his orchestras peak years in the 1920s and 30s, he helped define the sound of big-band jazz, pioneering musical ideas which today are taken for granted. From then on, it was Count Basie.". Two years later, they were the most famous African American band in the country. The family had a piano, and Basies mother paid 25 a lesson for his piano lessons at an early age. The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. 1983. The loss of key personnel (some to military service), the wartime ban on Basie Basie also toured with Bennett, including a date at Carnegie Hall. [28], At the end of 1936, Basie and his band, now billed as Count Basie and His Barons of Rhythm, moved from Kansas City to Chicago, where they honed their repertoire at a long engagement at the Grand Terrace Ballroom. Basie died April 26, 1984 in Hollywood, FL but his legacy is still swinging strong. [24] During a stay in Chicago, Basie recorded with the band. [69] That summer, Basie and Duke Ellington combined forces for the recording First Time! [67] The Basie band made two tours in the British Isles and on the second, they put on a command performance for Queen Elizabeth II, along with Judy Garland, Vera Lynn, and Mario Lanza. [40] His first official recordings for Decca followed, under contract to agent MCA, including "Pennies from Heaven" and "Honeysuckle Rose". This group was eventually called the New Testament band. We set the thing up front in D-flat, and then we just went on playing in F." It became his signature tune. "Of course, I wanted to play real jazz. Then he joined a touring show headed by one Gonzel White, playing piano in a four-piece band. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Count Basie was an extremely popular figure in the jazz world for half a You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Now Joy Rosenthal, a court-appointed lawyer who is Dianes replacement guardian, wants to jail or fine Woodward, 68. Dance hall bookings were down sharply as swing began to fade, the effects of the musicians' strikes of 194244 and 1948 began to be felt, and the public's taste grew for singers. Dropping out of junior high school, Basie learned to operate lights for vaudeville and to improvise piano accompaniment for silent films at the local movie theater in his hometown that would eventually become the Count Basie Theatre. 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. He married Catherine Morgan on July 13, 1940, in the King County courthouse in Seattle, Washington. Within less than six months, however, Mr. Basie was back at the keyboard. Hollywood, Florida, on April 26, 1984. "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. Count Basie and his Friends, myspace.com. What pianist lead the most successful band in Kansas City? We've received your submission. In 1981, Mr. Basie was honored along with Cary Grant, Helen Hayes and other stars as a Basie was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. The couple were true socialites - often gathering with friends including celebrities Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Basie protg Quincy Jones. Young, Hershel Evans, Buddy Tate, Buck Clayton, Harry Edison, Dickie Wells, Vic Dickenson and, primarily, Mr. Basie himself. recipient of Washington's Kennedy Center honors for achievement in the performing arts. Sinatra later said of this concert "I have a funny feeling that those two nights could have been my finest hour, really. to bite with real guts. . He was a fine pianist and leader of one of the greatest jazz bands in history. He got used to seeing me, as though I were part of the show. with a particular soloist or two in mind. [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. 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 By then, Basie was playing with pick-up groups for dances, resorts, and amateur shows, including Harry Richardson's "Kings of Syncopation". 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. April 27, 1984 7 AM PT. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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They had direct lines to presidents, occasionally exchanging personal telegrams giving well wishes. since many of Mr. Basie's musicians were blowing patched-up horns and saxophones held together by rubber bands). The band survived Basie's death, [53] Other minor movie spots followed, including Choo Choo Swing, Crazy House, Top Man, Stage Door Canteen, and Hit Parade of 1943. He was 79 years old and lived in Freeport, the Bahamas. Jazz was especially appreciated in France, The Netherlands, and Germany in the 1950s; these countries were the stomping grounds for many expatriate American jazz stars who were either resurrecting their careers or sitting out the years of racial divide in the United States. His home for many years was in Freeport, the Bahamas; he died of cancer at Doctors' Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, on April 26, 1984. Count Basie made most of his albums with his big band. Date of Death: April 26, 1984. Two of Basie's earliest [47], A few months later, Holiday left for Artie Shaw's band. 1928. Basie's 14-man band began playing at the Famous Door, a mid-town nightspot with a CBS network feed and air conditioning, which Hammond was said to have bought the club in return for their booking Basie steadily throughout the summer of 1938. He died of cancer in 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. One day he asked me whether I played the organ. Kliment, Bud. Basie. fast-paced tunes designed to excite the audience. 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. What pianist and his orchestra were really popular in the big band era? He is survived by a daughter, Diane Basie of Freeport. The Count Basie Orchestra recorded and played live with many iconic artists like Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tonny Benneth and Sarah Vaughan. Another boost was provided in the late 1950s by the recording of We proudly celebrate Red Bank New Jersey's most famous musical son during . Splank-Splank-Splank-Boom. Basie earned nine Grammy Awardsand made history in 1958 by becoming the first African-American to receive the award. Frank Sinatra recorded for the first time with Basie on 1962's Sinatra-Basie and for a second studio album on 1964's It Might as Well Be Swing, which was arranged by Quincy Jones. showcase the band's brilliant soloists. "Lester Leaps In," were created as features for During his last years he had difficulty walking and "I wanted 13 men to think and play the same way. skilled performers (reflecting Basie's sound management) gave the It was here that he was introduced to the big-band sound when he joined Walter Pages Blue Devils in 1928. 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. Credit: GettyImages/Global Images of Ukraine. I said the minute the brass got out of hand and blared and screeched instead of making every note mean something, there'd be some changes made. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. "I wanted my 13-piece band to work together just like those nine pieces," he explained. [29] Right from the start, Basie's band was known for its rhythm section. CATHERINE BASIE. Provide Feedback Form. 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.She was 67 years old. He was already playing jazz piano at parties, clubs and other venues. [58] They played to a crowd of 15,000. Jimmy Rushing sang with Basie in the late 1930s. Many musicians came to prominence under his direction, including the tenor saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, the guitarist Freddie Green, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison, plunger trombonist Al Grey, and singers Jimmy Rushing, Helen Humes, Thelma Carpenter, and Joe Williams. Despite the presence of Lester Young and Herschel Evans in the saxophone section, Buck Clayton in the trumpet section, Jo Jones on drums, with Jimmy Rushing and, briefly, Billie Holiday as vocalists, was the reworking of a standard tune"I Got He also scored a series of Top Ten hits on the pop and R&B charts, includingI Didnt Know About You,Red Bank Blues,Rusty Dusty Blues, Jimmys Blues,andBlue Skies. The band keeps on touring around the country under the direction of trumpeter Scotty Barnhart. 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.