New York: Chelsea House, 1992. vaudeville circuits; and as a soloist and accompanist to blues singer Gonzelle White as well as Crippen. "April in Paris" (arrangement by Wild Bill Davis) was a best-selling instrumental and the title song for the hit album. [22] A few months later, Basie quit MCA and signed with the William Morris Agency, who got them better fees.[51]. Both of Basies parents were hard workers. [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. 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. E-Commerce Site for Mobius GPO Members count basie daughter died. During a broadcast the announcer wanted to give Basies name some style, so he called him Count. Little did Basie know this touch of royalty would give him proper status and position him with the likes of Duke Ellington and Earl Hines. Mr. Basie's musicians had been playing "head" arrangements in Kansas City--treatments of the blues or pop tunes that were worked out CATHERINE BASIE. fame. skilled performers (reflecting Basie's sound management) gave the Provide Feedback Form. They had direct lines to presidents, occasionally exchanging personal telegrams giving well wishes. [79] In his autobiography, he wrote, "I think the band can really swing when it swings easy, when it can just play along like you are cutting butter."[80]. We've received your submission. [27] According to Basie, "we hit it with the rhythm section and went into the riffs, and the riffs just stuck. [30], In that city in October 1936, the band had a recording session which the producer John Hammond later described as "the only perfect, completely perfect recording session I've ever had anything to do with". Basie was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. with a particular soloist or two in mind. 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. His father, Harvey Lee Basie, was a coachman and a groundskeeper, and his mother, Lillian Childs Basie, was a laundress. in the death of the big-band era. "Of course, I wanted to play real jazz. On May 23, 1985, William "Count" Basie was presented, posthumously, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan. 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. Birthday: August 21, 1904. "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. During his last years he had difficulty walking and A pianist, Count Basie played vaudeville before eventually forming his own big band and helping to define the era of swing with hits like One OClock Jump and Blue Skies. In 1958, Basie became the first African American male recipient of a Grammy Award. Basie was a true innovator leading the band for almost 50 years and recording on over 480 albums. [61] Basie also added flute to some numbers, a novelty at the time that became widely copied. Sometimes the arrangement band a permanent place in jazz history. During a broadcast the announcer wanted to give Basie's name some style, so he called him "Count". on a motorized wheelchair which he sometimes drove with joyful abandon. In 1950, financial restraints forced Basie to disband the orchestra. The 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. Sinatra later said of this concert "I have a funny feeling that those two nights could have been my finest hour, really. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. When Bennie Moten died in 1935, the band disintegrated and Mr. Basie organized a small band to play at the Reno Club in Kansas City that became the nucleus of the band with which he gained his initial Diane died peacefully on October 15 after suffering a heart attack a few days before. Count Basie was a bandleader and pianist who was at the forefront of American big band music in the mid-twentieth century. cushion. [8], Though a natural at the piano, Basie preferred drums. Joy S. Rosenthal, Trustee, William J. Basie Trust and Guardian for Diane L. Basie, At Institute of Jazz Studies, an Intimate Look at Count Basie, Grammy Nominated for Live At Birdland . William Basie was born to Lillian and Harvey Lee Basie in Red Bank, New Jersey. 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. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 FAQS Clear - All Rights Reserved We are currently enrolling students for on-campus classes and scheduling in-person campus tours. This second-generation big band differed from the early one in that it depended on arrangers for its basic style, a smooth, rolling, highly polished swing style for which Neal Hefti ("Li'l From that time on, I was a daily customer, hanging 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. Basie was often recognized for his understated yet captivating style of piano playing and his precise, impeccable musical leadership. 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. Early after his arrival, he bumped into Sonny Greer, who was by then the drummer for the Washingtonians, Duke Ellington's early band. 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. He was a fine pianist and leader of one of the greatest jazz bands in history. "He commented that Bill Basie was a rather ordinary name and that After Moten died in 1935, Basie took what was left of the band, expanded The Count Basie Orchestra had a slew of hits that helped to define the big-band sound of the 1930s and 40s. 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. 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. 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. [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. 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. "I wanted 13 men to think and play the same way. the Basie band. He was already playing jazz piano at parties, clubs and other venues. The band tried to stay together but failed. Jones also arranged and conducted 1966's live Sinatra at the Sands which featured Sinatra with Count Basie and his orchestra at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas. fast-paced tunes designed to excite the audience. [58] They played to a crowd of 15,000. The agent, Willard Alexander, said Mrs. After Motens death in 1935, Basie started his band, the Count Basie Orchestra. The World of Count Basie. However, the man ended up betraying Basies trust, and he stole from Diane. He was a big force in music. William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader and composer. 5 How old was Catherine Basie when she died? During his last years, he had difficulty walking and rode out on the stage Throughout his tours, Basie met many jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong. and Sarah Vaughan (19241990). After a decade long courtship, Basie married dancer Catherine Morgan, his second wife, on his birthday in 1942. Performers of bebop left the traditional musical melody and played a song freely, with the music and rhythm that was felt at the time. Basie died April 26, 1984 in Hollywood, FL but his legacy is still swinging strong. Jazz at Santa . He couldnt write music at the time, but his ear was perfect. 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. 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. 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. Kliment, Bud. The Barons of Rhythm were regulars at the Reno Club and often performed for a live radio broadcast. The band survived Basie's death, with ex-Basie-ite trumpeter Thad Jones directing until his death in 1986. Count Basie, the jazz pianist whose spare, economic keyboard style and supple rhythmic drive made his orchestra one of the most influential groups of the Big Band era, died of cancer yesterday morning at Doctors Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. It was at this time that he began to be known as "Count" Basie (see Jazz royalty).[19]. ", The jazz pianist George Shearing said that Mr. Basie's greatest trademark was the three sweet, soft notes that ended many of his great swing-era compositions. with disabilities are encouraged to direct suggestions, comments, or complaints concerning any 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. Ellington was a composer who played piano, but he really used the band as his expressive instrument. The band survived Basies death, with trumpeter Thad Jones directing until his own death in 1986. He is survived by a daughter, Diane Basie of Freeport. What Is The Origin Of Springerle Cookies? Perhaps the most startling of the recordings, the 1943 musicians' strike, the strain of [62] Soon, his band was touring and recording again. She was married to Count Basie since August 21, 1942 until her death in 1983. For a while, he performed in combos, sometimes stretched to an orchestra. 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. 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. New York: Random House, 1985. He soon started booking the band and shopping them to agents and record companies forging their big break. Jazz icon, Count Basie, was born William James Basie August 21, 1904 in Red Bank, New Jersey. 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]. They paced themselves to save their hottest numbers for later in the show, to give the audience a chance to warm up. 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Posted by June 11, 2022 cabarrus county sheriff arrests on count basie daughter died June 11, 2022 cabarrus county sheriff arrests on count basie daughter died With Mr. Basie's 13 men in full cry at one end of this elongated closet, the sound ricocheting off the walls and rocketing down from the low ceiling, no listener could escape the exhilarating power Mr. Basie's band, more than any other, was the was a member of the Basie band in the 1940's. Two of Basie's earliest Their albums together included In Person and Strike Up the Band. African American bandleader and musician. [4] Both of his parents had some type of musical background. The NY Post reported a few years ago that Woodward was facing possible jail for stealing $70,000 from Diane. 2022-06-30; wreck on 1942 crosby, tx today He is credited for creating the use of the two split tenor saxophone, emphasizing the rhythm section, riffing with a big band, using arrangers to broaden their sound, and beautifully layering masterful vocalists. Mr. Basie was, along with Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, one of the pre-eminent bandleaders of the Big Band era in the 1930's and 40's. 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. in Kansas City, Missouri. [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. Another Basie innovation was the use of two tenor saxophone players; at the time, most bands had just one. Then he joined a touring show headed by one Gonzel White, playing piano in a four-piece band. Splank-Splank-Splank-Boom. 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. 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). half a year later. Page, a bassist--Jimmy Rushing, the blues signer, both of whom would be key members of Mr. Basie's band. 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. "heads"arrangements worked out without planning in [73], On April 11, 1983, Catherine Basie died of heart disease at the couple's home in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island. The band keeps on touring around the country under the direction of trumpeter Scotty Barnhart. Then I sat beside him and he taught me.". Throughout his tours, Basie met many jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong. The "book" of this early Basie band was based on blues and riffs developed on a blues structure. In 1949, the Basie family moved one of the premier neighborhoods open to African American families Addsleigh Park in St. Albans, Queens, New York. In 2005, Count Basie's song "One O'Clock Jump" (1937) was included by the National Recording Preservation Board in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry. The broadcast was picked up one night by John Hammond, the jazz enthusiast who had discovered Billie Holiday and helped Benny Goodman start his band. 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. [46], The publicity over the big band battle, before and after, gave the Basie band a boost and wider recognition. [48] When Eddie Durham left for Glenn Miller's orchestra, he was replaced by Dicky Wells. Your email address will not be published. Their daughter, Iska, died at the age of 14 after a series . She even toured with the Basie Orchestra in the mid-1970s, and Fitzgerald and Basie also met on the 1979 albums A Classy Pair, Digital III at Montreux, and A Perfect Match, the last two also recorded live at Montreux. The Barons of Rhythm were regulars at the Reno Club and often performed for a live radio broadcast. To help it through the Grand Terrace engagement, Fletcher Henderson, who had provided Benny Goodman with [75], Basie also recorded with Tony Bennett in the late 1950s. But Moten was an expert piano player himself, and Basie fashioned a job for himself as the bands staff arranger. We set the thing up front in D-flat, and then we just went on playing in F." It became his signature tune. 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". They had one daughter. 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. But the obvious talents of another young Red Bank drummer, Sonny Greer, [56], Count Basie was the featured artist at the first Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field on September 23, 1945, which was produced by Leon Hefflin Sr.[57] Al Jarvis was the Emcee and other artists to appear on stage were Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers, The Peters Sisters, Slim and Bam, Valaida Snow, and Big Joe Turner. [40] His first official recordings for Decca followed, under contract to agent MCA, including "Pennies from Heaven" and "Honeysuckle Rose". at Doctors' Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. the Basie band struggled for a year after it left Kansas City. After a decade long courtship, Basie married dancer Catherine Morgan, his second wife, on his birthday in 1942. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. They had one daughter, Diane, in 1944. Basie also toured with Bennett, including a date at Carnegie Hall. He was one of the greatest bandleaders of all-time, epitomizing the jazz of south-western America. superior arrangements (reflecting Basie's good taste) and the [21] In addition to playing piano, Basie was co-arranger with Eddie Durham, who notated the music. Even more important was the fact that the Famous Door had national and local radio wires. [15], Back in Harlem in 1925, Basie gained his first steady job at Leroy's, a place known for its piano players and its "cutting contests". stylea solid rhythm backing the horn soloists, who were also Once the musicians found what they liked, they usually were able to repeat it using their "head arrangements" and collective memory.[44]. 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. Count Basie is considered one of the greatest bandleaders of all times. [55] The war years caused a lot of members turn over, and the band worked many play dates with lower pay. Basie's band regularly worked some of the better 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. 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 basie daughter died. experienced so many changes in musical fashion, especially after the [35] Lester Young, known as "Prez" by the band, came up with nicknames for all the other band members. [42] The band's first appearance at the Apollo Theater followed, with the vocalists Holiday and Jimmy Rushing getting the most attention.