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. The band flopped at a Pittsburgh hotel that had never booked a jazz band before. cushion. A year later, Basie joinedBennie_Motens band, and played with them until Motens death in 1935. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Their albums together included In Person and Strike Up the Band. Throughout his tours, Basie met many jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong. Lena Horne, Stevie Wonder, Joe Williams, Oscar Peterson and Quincy Jones were among the stars to pay tribute. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. New York: Random House, 1985. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. As a young boy, Basie hated to see his parents working so hard, and vowed to help them get ahead. rehearsal and then written down later. 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. onenighters, and the bebop revolution of the mid-1940s all played a role 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). 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. [42] The band's first appearance at the Apollo Theater followed, with the vocalists Holiday and Jimmy Rushing getting the most attention. 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. 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. Swing-era bandleader noted for his theme songs One O'Clock Jump from 1937 and April in Paris from 1932. It was released by Roulette Records, then later reissued by Capitol Records. Neal Hefti began to provide arrangements, including "Lil Darlin'". 1928. Count Basie was a pianist, bandleader, and composer considered as one of the most popular figures in the jazz world. 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. 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. traveled to by bus). On Moten's death in 1935, Basie and several other core band members formed their own ensemble, the Barons of Rhythm. Services will be private. Ella Fitzgerald made some memorable recordings with Basie, including the 1963 album Ella and Basie!. However, the man ended up betraying Basies trust, and he stole from Diane. The "book" of this early Basie band was based on blues and riffs developed on a blues structure. The sound was almost frightening. factor in popularizing it was a series of repetitions of the final few bars when, as the orchestra seemingly came to the end of the piece, Mr. Basie held up a finger and called out, "One mo' Now Joy Rosenthal, a court-appointed lawyer who is Dianes replacement guardian, wants to jail or fine Woodward, 68. New Jersey, Report Accessibility Barrier or Basie changed the jazz landscape and shaped mid-20th century popular music, duly earning the title King of Swing because he made the world want to dance. band's theme song, "One O'Clock Jump," 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. 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 Good Morning Blues: The Autobiography of Count Basie. William Basie was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, on August 21, 1904. Count Basie and his Friends, myspace.com. favorites, "Jumpin' at the Woodside" and band in 1950, juggling combinations of all-star musicians. He was a fine pianist and leader of one of the greatest jazz bands in history. Their fame took a huge leap. Their only child, Diane, was born February 6, 1944. After working briefly as house organist in a She was 67 years old. saxophonist Lester Young. When the Page band broke up in 1929, Mr. 1415. He died of cancer in Basie, Count. New York: Chelsea House, 1992. 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. [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". Then I sat beside him and he taught me.". [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. [18] A few months later, he was invited to join the band, which played mostly in Texas and Oklahoma. From then on, it was Count Basie.". 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. Mr. Alexander agreed to lend the club $2,500 to install an air-conditioner if it would book 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. Here is all you want to know, and more! From that time on, I was a daily customer, hanging [33] When he made the Vocalion recordings, Basie had already signed with Decca Records, but did not have his first recording session with them until January 1937. 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]. [45] In early 1938, the Savoy was the meeting ground for a "battle of the bands" with Chick Webb's group. Mr. Basie's wife, Catherine, died in April 1983. 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. However, the man ended up betraying Basies trust, and he stole from Diane. The agent, Willard Alexander, said Mrs. Is the Count Basie Orchestra still alive? Birthday: August 21, 1904. "One night the announcer called me to the microphone for those usual few words of introduction," Mr. Basie once recalled. The Count Meets the Duke, each providing four numbers from their play books. "He certainly made a notch in musical history," said Benny Goodman, 75 years old, the jazz clarinetist and bandleader. Who was Count Basies adopted son on Long Island? He quickly learned to improvise music appropriate to the acts and the silent movies. I sat on the floor watching his feet and using my hands to imitate him. Individuals with disabilities are In 1981, Mr. Basie was honored along with Cary Grant, Helen Hayes and other stars as a "And that's when the whole fire started," said Mr. Alexander. He was 79 years old and lived in Freeport, the Bahamas. The swing era band 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. The songs were often designed to On May 23, 1985, William "Count" Basie was presented, posthumously, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan. The couple were true socialites - often gathering with friends including celebrities Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Basie protg Quincy Jones. "Lester Leaps In," were created as features for She was 67 years old. Kliment, Bud. Next, Basie played at the Savoy, which was noted more for lindy-hopping, while the Roseland was a place for fox-trots and congas. Basie was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. Basie heard Bennie Motens band, and longed to play with them. [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. In 1976 Basie suffered a heart attack, but he returned to the bandstand For a while, he performed in combos, sometimes stretched to an orchestra. 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. [26] A year later, Basie joined Bennie Moten's band, and played with them until Moten died in 1935 from a failed tonsillectomy. Then he said, 'Bill, I think I'll call you Count Basie from now on. [20] Where the Blue Devils were "snappier" and more "bluesy", the Moten band was more refined and respected, playing in the "Kansas City stomp" style. stylea solid rhythm backing the horn soloists, who were also After a decade long courtship, Basie married dancer Catherine Morgan, his second wife, on his birthday in 1942. 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. [47], A few months later, Holiday left for Artie Shaw's band. 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. His wife, Catherine, had died in 1983; they had one daughter. [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. (Lockjaw) Davis, Frank Wess, Jimmy Forrest and the blues singer Joe Williams. skilled performers (reflecting Basie's sound management) gave the Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. He was one of the greatest bandleaders of all-time, epitomizing the jazz of south-western America. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. It was a loose and swinging band, built around distinctively individualistic solos by Lester What was the greatest era of the Basie band? 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 Barons of Rhythm were regulars at the Reno Club and often performed for a live radio broadcast. Provide Feedback Form. His daughter, Diane Basie, now 71 and living in Florida. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years. recordings, the 1943 musicians' strike, the strain of myers park country club lawsuit; turkey hill frozen yogurt discontinued. [50] In 1939, Basie and his band made a major cross-country tour, including their first West Coast dates. His name was Louis Armstrong. The Count Basie Orchestra, today directed by Scotty Barnhart, has won every respected jazz poll in the world at least once, won 18 Grammy Awards, performed for Kings, Queens, and other world Royalty, appeared in several movies, television shows, at every major jazz festival and major concert hall in the world. "Can you imagine a man who kind of romps around the piano," Mr. Shearing said, Jazz icon, Count Basie, was born William James Basie August 21, 1904 in Red Bank, New Jersey. Count Basie Birthday and Date of Death. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. His second great band, from the 1950s onwards, relied more on arrangements, typically from Neil Hefti and Ernie Wilkin's. As a pianist Basie. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Okla., a band that included--in addition to Mr. since many of Mr. Basie's musicians were blowing patched-up horns and saxophones held together by rubber bands). the personnel, and formed the first Count Basie Orchestra. His father played the mellophone, and his mother played the piano; in fact, she gave Basie his first piano lessons. The award was received by Aaron Woodward. Shortly after he got there, he got a gig replacing Fats Waller with a touring vaudeville act. Darlin'"), Ernie Wilkins and Frank Foster ("Shiny Stockings") were among the most notable orchestrators. band in America. He was the leader of the group for almost 50 years and many musicians like saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, the guitarist Freddie Green, and trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison, came to prominence under his direction. [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]. Age at Death: 79. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. He began his professional career as an accompanist on the vaudeville circuit. 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. [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. Report Accessibility Barrier or While on one tour he became stranded Credit: GettyImages/Global Images of Ukraine. Most swing musicians know what the Count Basie ending is: three rhythmically-spaced chords followed by a low, emphatic exclamation point. The word Splank for Basie was coined by Sinatra a good onomatopoeic description of the lick. 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. The place catered to "uptown celebrities", and typically the band winged every number without sheet music using "head arrangements". The Barons of Rhythm were regulars at the Reno Club and often performed for a live radio broadcast. Hollywood, Florida He is survived by a daughter, Diane Basie of Freeport. After Vocalion became a subsidiary of Columbia Records in 1938, "Boogie Woogie" was released in 1941 as part of a four-record compilation album entitled Boogie Woogie (Columbia album C44). He had an incredible ear, and could repeat any tune he heard. Basie made his professional debut playing piano with vaudeville acts (traveling variety entertainment). Count Basie, Jr. was a native of Kansas City, Missouri. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop singing.Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. 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. Gonsalves and Clark Terry. He called Basie "Holy Man", "Holy Main", and just plain "Holy".[36]. half a year later. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. His wife, Catherine, had died in His wife, Catherine, had died in 1983. What pianist lead the most successful band in Kansas City? [73], On April 11, 1983, Catherine Basie died of heart disease at the couple's home in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. 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". He said that Norman Granz got them into the Birdland club and promoted the new band through recordings on the Mercury, Clef, and Verve labels. This group was eventually called the New Testament band. Late one night with time to fill, the band started improvising. They paced themselves to save their hottest numbers for later in the show, to give the audience a chance to warm up. "Count.". 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. 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. When he came back to Harlem, Fats Waller showed him how to play the organ, and Willie the Lion Smith took him under his wing. Perhaps the most startling of the [35] Lester Young, known as "Prez" by the band, came up with nicknames for all the other band members. Best Answer Copy William "Count" Basie and his wife Catherine had a daughter, Diane, who lived in Freeport, Bahamas at the time of Basie's death in 1984. She was 67 years old. [2][3] His father worked as a coachman and caretaker for a wealthy judge. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. with Rutgers web sites to accessibility@rutgers.edu or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier or After automobiles replaced horses, his father became a groundskeeper and handyman for several families in the area. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Provide Feedback Form. William James "Count" Basie (/besi/; August 21, 1904 April 26, 1984)[1] was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Mr. Basie was born in Red Bank, N.J., on Aug. 21, 1904, an only child who was christened William. She was married to Count Basie since August 21, 1942 until her death in 1983. Soloists were less prominent in this second edition of the Basie band although it included some of the major jazz musicians of the post-50's years, such as Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Al Grey, Eddie Provide Feedback Form, Rutgers, The State University of ', "The next day he invited me to sit in the pit and start working the pedals. [48] When Eddie Durham left for Glenn Miller's orchestra, he was replaced by Dicky Wells. The band survived Basie's death, with ex-Basie-ite trumpeter Thad Jones directing until his death in 1986. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Basie died April 26, 1984 in Hollywood, FL but his legacy is still swinging strong. "Of course, I wanted to play real jazz. You never got tired of that business at the end.". 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. By then a series of records by the Basie band had begun appearing (under a contract with Decca Records by which Mr. Basie was paid a total of $750 for 24 sides with no royalties--"probably the most