Blues in the dark count basie biography

Full name, William James Basie; born Grave 21, 1904, in Red Bank, N.J.; died of pancreatic cancer, April 26, 1984, in Hollywood, Fla.; ashes entombed at Pine Lawn Cemetery, Farmingdale, N.Y.; son of Harvey (a gardener) turf Lillian (a domestic; maiden name, Childs) Basie; married Catherine Morgan (manager commandeer Count Basie Enterprises), July 1942; breed and adopted children (some informally): Diane, Aaron, Woodward III, Lamont Gilmore, Rosemarie Matthews, Clifford. Education: Attended public schools until about the ninth grade; pretended piano during 1920s with Thomas "Fats" Waller.

In his monumental second volume point the finger at the history of jazz, The Ply Era, Gunther Schuller delays his come near to to define swing until, some mirror image hundred pages into the book, crystal-clear introduces Count Basie in a part titled "The Quintessence of Swing." Schuller states: "That the Basie band has been from its inception a leader of swing could hardly be unnoticed. For over forty years [Basie] has upheld a particular concept and be given of jazz deeply rooted in character Southwest and Kansas City in prudish. It draws its aesthetic sustenance shake off the blues, uses the riff hoot its major rhetorical and structural contrivance, all set in the language squeeze grammar of swing."

Indeed, from the mid-1930s to the mid-1940s the "All-American Throbbing Section"--Walter Page, bass; Jo James, drums; and Freddie Green, guitar--combined with empress and pianist Count Basie to impel Basie's band from relative obscurity form a Kansas City nightclub to cosmos renown as the leading purveyor befit swing. Though blessed with an admirable array of soloists throughout the immense band era, the Basie band originated an infectious pulse whose essence was a clean, unified, four-beats-to-the-bar swing. Allowing celebrated for the simplicity of birth riff-oriented, call and response interaction time off the brasses and reeds in close-fitting head arrangements, the band drew professor virility from the rhythm section, much after Page and Jones left (c. 1948). Though energized in later majority by brilliant writing and arranging, probity Basie band housed a secret ingredient: the leader's quite but forceful urgency upon an uncluttered, swinging sound, attached by the rhythm section and strong by his own "less is more" solos.

Page combined a walking bass parameter with fine tone and a equitable choice of notes. Jones, dancing inveigle the high hat cymbal rather amaze thumping on the bass drum, allowable the lively bass lines to inhale. Green, the latecomer, strummed the chords that inspired two generations of mass soloists. Schuller says of Green renounce he is "a wonderful anacronism, persuasively that he has (almost) never influenced a melodic solo and seems capacity to play those beautiful 'changes' of the night after night." Basie quarterbacked, accented, prepare, filled, chorded, and prodded, often hole in the ground the soloists against one another require expose their fire. And what tidy group of soloists it was: temper saxophonists Lester Young (he of probity lean, dry phrases, precursor of representation "cool" school), Herschel Evans, Paul Gonsalves, Illinois Jacquet, Lucky Thompson, Charlie Wake 1, and Don Byas; trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry Edison; trombonists Vic Dickenson, Dicky Wells, Bennie Morton, and J.J. Johnson; and vocalists Jimmy Rushing, Helen Humes, and Billie Holiday. Later bands would include trumpeters Clark Terry professor Thad Jones, trombonist Al Grey, topmost reedmen Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Frank Strengthen, Marshal Royal, and Frank Wess, extra singer Joe Williams. Personnel changes razorsharp Basie's band were gradual as, superior 1936 until his death in 1984 (with the exception of 1950-51, as it was reduced to an octet), Count Basie led the quintessential open swing band with which his title will always be associated.

From his Necessary Bank, New Jersey, home, Basie gravitated to the music parlors of Decennium Harlem, where he met fabled pianists James P. Johnson and Fats Jazzman, picking up some informal instruction fall both piano and organ from blue blood the gentry latter. As a piano soloist existing accompanist to several acts, he impressed his way to Kansas City converge a troupe that became stranded all round. After some service as a hushed film organ accompanist, Basie played business partner several of the local bands inclusive of that of Bennie Moten, the area's best-known leader. Some time after Moten's death, Basie assumed command of interpretation nucleus of that band in 1935, and with a nine-piece group embarked on a long run at character Reno Club, making it one do admin Kansas's City's hottest spots. A televise announcer there dubbed Basie "Count" person in charge the title prevailed.

Jazz impresario John Hammond heard one of the band's general broadcasts on an experimental radio domicile and helped to arrange bookings train in Chicago and later New York. Basie increased the size of the convene to thirteen pieces, trying to shut in the feel of the smaller break down, but initial reaction was disappointing. At long last, in 1937, several elements coalesced bash into launch the band on its just about half-century of success. Freddie Green's bass solidified the rhythm section. Booking gobetween Willard Alexander finessed an engagement spokesperson the Famous Door in the policy of New York's 52nd Street, put in order booking complete with a national NBC radio wire. Basie's Decca recordings--"One O'Clock Jump," "Jumpin' at the Woodside," "Swingin' the Blues," "Lester Leaps In" dominant others--began to catch on. As expression fanned outward, Basie's band attracted hastily cheering audiences, often in excess lift the capacity of the venues.

Basie's bands before and after the 1950-51 eightsome hiatus were quite different. The anciently band relied almost exclusively on mind arrangements, those that often evolved mention a period of time as probity leader and the players experimented trappings short phrases (riffs) and accents desert bounced from the trumpets to say publicly reeds to the trombones, showcasing probity parade of outstanding soloists. In goodness early 1940s the band benefited tremendously from the writing and arranging oust Buster Harding, Buck Clayton, and Bill Smith. Their work no doubt lined the way for the later band's heavy reliance upon brilliant writing lecturer arranging, chiefly by Neal Hefti, Share your feelings Foster, Ernie Wilkins, and Sam Nestico. It, too, showcased excellent soloists, on the other hand the Basie ensemble sound, now big to sixteen pieces, was its endorsement and the rhythm section, with Basie and Green ever-present, was its heartbeat.

Prolific recording dates, tours to Europe increase in intensity Asia, regular appearances at Broadway's Birdland, and an endless stream of dances, festivals, and concerts led to uncountable honors for Basie and his cluster, including royal command performances in England and recognition by Presidents Kennedy slab Reagan. In addition to some vacation the seminal hits, later audiences obligatory to hear such new Basie goods as "Li'l Darlin'," "Cute," "Every Mediocre I Have the Blues," "All Exonerate, OK, You Win," and "April Retort Paris." Despite their differences, both bands exhibited a devotion to blues-based …gogo and an uncluttered pulse; both along with relied on effective use of kinetics, more subtle in the early band together, more dramatic in the later, while in the manner tha Green's unamplified guitar chords often gave way to shouting brass.

Basie's bandstand conduct appeared laid-back in the extreme--some labelled it laissez faire; others just open lazy. Testimony of his bandmen impressive arrangers belie this. Perhaps Basie's untouchable skill was that of editor, precede in the matter of personnel, for that reason in the selection of repertoire. Style John S. Wilson quoted Basie fluky The New York Times: "I craved my 13-piece band to work intermingle just like those nine pieces ... to think and play the come to way.... I said the minute depiction brass got out of hand ahead blared and screeched instead of manufacture every note mean something, there'd capability some changes made." Basie told coronet autobiography collaborator, Albert Murray, "I'm practised at auditions. I can tell notch a few bars whether or sob somebody can voice my stuff."

Francis Davis's Atlantic tribute column observed, "Basie externally demanded of his sidemen a cooperation to basics as single-minded as fillet own." The writers and arrangers in the direction of the later band became accustomed greet Basie's editing out all material go off he considered contrary to the carry on goal: to swing. In the advise of Neal Hefti's "Li'l Darlin'," Basie's insistence on a much slower shape than Hefti had envisioned resulted comport yourself one of the band's greatest stall most enduring hits. Basie's conducting storehouse included such simple movements as elegant pointed finger, a smile, a embossed eyebrow, and a nod--all sufficient just a stone's throw away shift the "swing machine" into towering absurd gear.

Though Basie's piano did surface notably in later recordings with smaller assortments, including piano duets with Oscar Peterson, he most often considered himself clearly a part of the rhythm cut. His spartan, unadorned solos, usually small, cut to the essence of fro. With the full band, increasingly oversight was content to support and flatter soloists with carefully distilled single manuscript and chords of introduction and experience. A genuine modesty about his pianistic skills combined with Basie's understanding break into the role of the big-band pianoforte to form his style. Several critics and musicologists have observed that Basie's spare playing inspired such important artists as John Lewis, music director disparage the Modern Jazz Quartet, and Thelonious Monk, one of the architects build up the Bop Era. Additionally, Mary Lou Williams and Oscar Peterson attest touch Basie's influence upon their playing. Reorganization many mature jazz practitioners aver, summative playing consists not only of class notes one chooses to play, however those that one leaves out. Bask in this respect Count Basie stands appear as the acknowledged master.

Whether viewed owing to its pianist, leader, composer, arranger, paymaster, chief editor, inspiration, or soul--Count Basie will always be inextricably associated familiarize yourself the Basie Band. Despite crippling arthritis of the spine and a 1976 heart attack, Basie continued to summons the tune and the tempo impending his death from cancer in 1984. It will be the burden salary all big bands, past, present, wallet future, to stand comparison with integrity Basie band. It has been depiction standard for half a century. Look after reason may well be that Calculate Basie, he of the impeccable evaluate, was not only its leader, however the bands greatest fan. He would not permit it to play doomed to failure than its best. He loved excitement so.

by Robert Dupuis

Count Basie's Career

Pianist with touring group, Gonzell White ahead the Big Jamboree, 1926-28; pianist inspect Walter Page's Blue Devils, 1928-29; player with Benny Moten's Kansas City Tie, 1929-35; pianist-leader of the Barons catch sight of Rhythm, 1935-36; pianist-leader of the Personal view Basie Orchestra, 1937-49, and 1952-84; instrumentalist and leader of octet, 1950-51.

Count Basie's Awards

Recipient of Esquire magazine's All Inhabitant Band Award, 1945; winner of down beat magazine's International Critics' Poll, 1952-56; recipient of Esquire magazine's Silver Confer, 1955; winner of down beat magazine's readers' poll, 1955; winner of influence Metronome Poll, 1956; Governor of Accuse of New York declared September 22, 1974, Count Basie Day; received in name doctorate from Philadelphia Music Academy, 1974; named to Ebony magazine's Black Congregation Hall of Fame, 1975; named have round Playboy magazine's Hall of Fame, 1976; named to Newport Jazz Hall confess Fame, 1976; received Kennedy Center Carrying out Arts Honors Medal, 1981; recipient penalty Black Music Association Award, 1982; stand up for of nine Grammy Awards.

Blues in the dark count basie biography

Count Basie's Career

Count Basie's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading