Count Basie
From Harlem Renaissance
Contents |
Early Life
William Basie was born in Redbank, New Jersey on August 24, 1904. his parents were Harvey Lee Basie and Lillian Ann Childs. Growing up he didn't have any brothers or sisters. His father worked as a coach for a rich family, both of his parents were musicians and at the age of six his mother started to teach him the piano. He originally wanted to be a drummer but was discouraged by a better drummer in his town.
Bands and Music
New York
In his late teenage years he said goodbye to his hometown of Redbank, New Jersey and moved to Harlem, New York where he mat Fats waller and James P. Johnson. He then went to play as the organist at Harlem's Lincoln Theatre where he recieved tuition from Fats Waller. Many acts were in demand of pianists and Fats waller recommended Basie to be his succesor in the Katie Crippen And Her Kids act and played at black venues all over the country. Count Basie was stranded in Kansas after the Gonzel White tour had collapsed. Blue Devils
In the summer of July 1928 Count Basie joined Walter Page's Blue Devils after sitting down with them the night they met. The band continued on until they broke up but continued on into Bennie Morten's band. After Bennie Morten died in 1935 it was taken under new leadership by Bennie's brother Buster. Basie and other members of the band moved to a good gig at the Reno Club in Kansas City.
Count Basie Band
While one of their morning Broadcasts on a local radio station, they were heard by a producer named John Hammond. Hammond thought that they should go to New York and in 1936 they enlarged their size and went to New York. A year later, Hammond made Willard Alexander their manager and they made their first Decca label. They had become internationally famous by the following year all thanks to Count Basie's wonderful leadership and piano skills. Here are the musiciansin his band.The rhythm section of Freddie Greene guitar, Walter Page bass, and Jo Jones drums. The soloists of this band included Jimmy Rushing as vocalist, Lester Young and Herschel Evans tenor saxophones, Earl Warren on alto, Buck Clayton and Harry Edison on trumpets, and Benny Morton and Dickie Wells on trombones. Basie's big band maintained it's perfected sound and music through the 1940s. During the 1950s, Basie went on tour around the country to do live performances evrywhere. He made the first of many tours of Europe in 1954 and visited Japan in 1963.
Songs
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WpPehptG3yw-One O'clock Jump http://youtube.com/watch?v=M4-ZBQ_UYgM-Corner Pocket http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ct_tBKgQAxw-Booty's Blues http://youtube.com/watch?v=7IYTx60s07A-God Bless the Child, Now Baby
His Last Years
In 1971 Count Basie was diagnosed with cancer. In 1976 Count asie suffered a heart attack which kept him from standing up for the rest of his life. In the 1980s he would go to most of his performances in a wheel chair. He spent most of his last years writing an autobiography called Good Morning Blues. Two years after being diagnosed with cancer, William Basie died on April 26, 1984 in Los Angeles, California.
Quotes (All quoted by Count Basie)
"I decided that I would be one of the biggest new names; and I actually had some little fancy business cards printed up to announce it, "Count Basie. Beware, the Count is Here."
“I'm saying: to be continued, until we meet again. Meanwhile, keep on listening and tapping your feet.”
“If you play a tune and a person don't tap their feet, don't play the tune.”
“Of course, there are a lot of ways you can treat the blues, but it will still be the blues.”
“All I wanted was to be big, to be in show business and to travel ... and that’s what I’ve been doing all my life.”
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Basie http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_basie_count.htm http://www.swingmusic.net/Count_Basie.html http://galenet.galegroup.com.ezproxy.sfpl.org/servlet/KidsInfoBits?vrsn=127&locID=sfpl_main&failover=0&sgcmd=MAIN&srchtp=basic&seg=0&c=1&sub=%2522Basie%2C+Count%2522&ste=33&sitem=1&tbst=tbasic&tab=1&txb=Basie%2C+Count&citem=1_0&docNum=BX3201161374&bConts=1
