Clam Digging In Galveston Texas, Articles C

The Count Basie Theatre in Redbank, New Jersey. Recordings made during this and subsequent periods suggest Young was beginning to make much greater use of a plastic reed, which tended to give his playing a somewhat heavier, breathier tone (although still quite smooth compared to that of many other players). Please try again later. [11] " Police deemed it suicide, Kuehl having supposedly jumped from her hotel room, although there was no proof of this", [3] and her family believes she may have been murdered. (Sorry I could . He was sometimes known as Papa Jo Jones to distinguish him from younger . After moving to New York, he was further influenced by James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, with Waller teaching Basie organ-playing techniques. This effort eventually resulted in the release of 63 albums by Time Life. Count Basie Birth Name: William James Basie Occupation: Pianist Place Of Birth: Red Bank Date Of Birth: August21, 1904 Date Of Death: April 26, 1984 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: Black Nationality: American Count Basie was born on the 21st of August, 1904. [14] Based in Ft. McClellan, Alabama, Young was found with marijuana and alcohol among his possessions. His alma mater later awarded him with an honorary Doctor of Music degree and the Distinguished Alumni award. [1] He participated in the Jazz at the Philharmonic concert series.[1]. He was one of the first drummers to promote the use of brushes on drums, and shifting the role of timekeeping from the bass drum to the hi-hat cymbal. He would ask, "How does the bread smell?" Unostentatious as Mr. Basie appeared, his presence was a vital factor in directing his band or any group of musicians with whom he might be playing. 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 fame. Jazz Musician. The band flopped at a Pittsburgh hotel that had never booked a jazz band before. But it sure sounds good.. His father was a teacher and band leader. The greatest overall compatibility with Leo is Aquarius, Gemini. (Fans distinguish the two major eras in Basie bands as the Old Testament and New Testament.) The Basie orchestra of the 1950s was a slick, professional unit that was expert at sight reading and demanding arrangements. He sold newspapers and shined shoes. One night, while the band was broadcasting on a shortwave radio station in Kansas City, he was dubbed Count Basie by a radio announcer who wanted to indicate his standing in a class with aristocrats of jazz such as Duke Ellington. Basie began his career as a stride pianist, reflecting the influence of Johnson and Waller, but the style most associated with him was characterized by spareness and precision. Lester married three times. Ruling Planet: Count Basie had a ruling planet of Sun and has a ruling planet of Sun and by astrological associations Saturday is ruled by Sun. Mr. Basie and his orchestra were scheduled to appear at the Kool Jazz Festival on June 30 in a program that would reunite them with many of the jazz stars who have passed through the Basie band. Try again. [4] to Lizetta Young (ne Johnson), and Willis Handy Young, originally from Louisiana. 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. For many of the other participants, the photo shoot was the last time they saw him alive; he was the first musician in the famous photo to pass away. Young is a major character in English writer Geoff Dyer's 1991 fictional book about jazz, But Beautiful. He is rumored to have refused to play with the band on Friday, December 13 of that year for superstitious reasons, spurring his dismissal[11] although Young and drummer Jo Jones would later state that his departure had been in the works for months. Arrangers Neal Hefti, Buster Harding, and Ernie Wilkins defined the new bands sound on recordings such as Lil Darlin, The Kid from Red Bank, Cute, and April in Paris and on celebrated albums such as The Atomic Mr. Basie (1957). They had two children: Lester W. Young Jr. (born 1947) and Yvette Young (born 1957). Your Scrapbook is currently empty. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. 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. Unlike many white musicians, who were placed in band outfits such as the ones led by Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw, Young was assigned to the regular army where he was not allowed to play his saxophone. In contrast to many of his hard-driving peers, Young played with a relaxed, cool tone and used sophisticated . From that time on, I was a daily customer, hanging onto every note, sitting behind him all the time. ). He was a fine pianist and leader of one of the greatest jazz bands in history. Lester Young also had a direct influence on the young Charlie Parker, and thus the entire be-bop movement. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Holiday toured with the Count Basie Orchestra in 1937. The Black Music Association honored Mr. Basie in 1982 with a gala at Radio City Music Hall. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. In January 1956, he recorded two Granz-produced sessions including a reunion with pianist Teddy Wilson, trumpet player Roy Eldridge, trombonist Vic Dickenson, bassist Gene Ramey, and drummer Jo Jones which were issued as The Jazz Giants '56 and Pres and Teddy albums. They hate hypocrisy and gossip and can sometimes be a bit arrogant and impatient. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [4][7], Beginning in 1982, Nestico began releasing solo albums, with Dark Orchid" as his debut album. Don Byron recorded the album Ivey-Divey in gratitude for what he learned from studying Lester Young's work, modeled after a 1946 trio date with Buddy Rich and Nat King Cole. 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. ''He commented that Bill Basie was a rather ordinary name and that there were a couple of well-known bandleaders named Earl Hines and Duke Ellington. On a flight to New York City, he suffered from internal bleeding due to the effects of alcoholism and died in the early morning hours of March 15, 1959, only hours after arriving back in New York, at the age of 49.[26]. Then, as far as this guy Ellington is concerned, you can never tell what he's going to do. Suffering from diabetes and chronic arthritis during his later years, Basie continued to front his big band until a month before his death in 1984. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Weve updated the security on the site. Straub was inspired by Young's appearance on the 1957 CBS-TV show The Sound of Jazz, which he watched repeatedly, wondering how such a genius could have ended up "this present shambles, this human wreckage, hardly able to play at all". She gave Lester the nickname "Prez" after President Franklin Roosevelt, the "greatest man around" in Billie's mind. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. He thought he could never outmatch Greers talent, so he took up piano at 15. When we played pop tunesand, naturally, we had toI wanted those pops to kick! COUNT BASIE, 79, BAND LEADER AND MASTER OF SWING, DEAD, https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/27/arts/count-basie-79-band-leader-and-master-of-swing-dead.html. He was sometimes known as Papa Jo Jones to distinguish him from younger drummer Philly Joe Jones. It was on one of these broadcasts that Bill Basie became Count Basie. 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 O'Clock Jump" and "Blue Skies." In 1937 Basie took his group, Count Basie and His Barons of Rhythm, to New York to record their first album with Decca Records under their new name, The Count Basie Orchestra. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? 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. Basie was born William James Basie (with some sources listing his middle name as "Allen") on August 21, 1904, in Red Bank, New Jersey. Cholera deaths in Great Britain over the long-term. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 1950s, the band survived long past the Big Band era itself and the death of Basie in 1984. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Ronald McFadden, consummate entertainer, tap dancer and musician, died unexpectedly this week, shortly after a performance in downtown Kansas City. The initials "G.I." Jazz Stars in the Band. The top global causes of death, in order of total number of lives lost, are associated with three broad topics: cardiovascular (ischaemic heart disease, stroke), respiratory (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lower respiratory infections) and neonatal conditions - which include birth asphyxia and birth trauma, neonatal sepsis and infections, and preterm birth complications. He was one of the greatest bandleaders of all-time, epitomizing the jazz of south-western America. Many of Basies albums of the 70s were Grammy Award winners or nominees. He left the world an almost unparalleled legacy of musical greatness, having recorded or been affiliated with dozens upon dozens of albums during his lifetime. [21], This list is incomplete. He is survived by a daughter, Diane Basie of Freeport. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Directing With a Glance Mr. Basie, a short, stocky, taciturn but witty man who liked to wear a yachting cap offstage, presided over the band at the piano with apparent utmost casualness. Learn more about merges. In his hometown of Red Bank, there is now a Count Basie Theatre and a Count Basie Field. Some of their notable songs included "One O'Clock Jump"the orchestra's signature tune which Basie composed himself and "Jumpin' at the Woodside.". Jazz critic and record producer John Hammond heard the broadcasts and promptly launched the band on its career. One famous instance of his irritable temper was in the spring of 1936, during a jam session at the Reno Club in Kansas City. He made many studio recordings under Granz's supervision as well, including more trio recordings with Nat King Cole. [23] On January 31, 2008, Sady Sullivan conducted an oral history interview with Dr. Lester W. Young Jr.[24] At approximately 1:10:00 he speaks about his father, listening to jazz, learning to play, and how having a famous father did not convey any favours. . They were considered a model for ensemble rhythmic conception and tonal balancethis despite the fact that most of Basies sidemen in the 1930s were poor sight readers; mostly, the band relied on head arrangements (so called because the band had collectively composed and memorized them, rather than using sheet music). Young played clarinet as well as tenor in these sessions. While with Basie, Young made small-group recordings for Milt Gabler's Commodore Records, The Kansas City Sessions. Jazz Musician. Who are the richest people in the world? This browser does not support getting your location. The Basie orchestra had several hit recordings during the late 1930s and early 40s, among them Jumpin at the Woodside, Every Tub, Lester Leaps In, Super Chief, Taxi War Dance, Miss Thing, Shorty George, and One OClock Jump, the bands biggest hit and theme song. Page, a bassist, Jimmy Rushing, the blues singer, both of whom would be key members of Mr. Basie's band. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? 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. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. [4] Lester had two siblings a brother, Leonidas Raymond, known as Lee Young, who became a drummer, and a sister, Irma Cornelia. Mr. Basie was born in Red Bank, N.J., on Aug. 21, 1904, an only child who was christened William. Even in Harlem, it puzzled the aware audiences at the Savoy Ballroom. Basie decided to form a medium-sized band in 1950, juggling combinations of all-star . Best Known For: One of jazz music's all-time greats, bandleader-pianist Count Basie was a primary shaper of the big-band sound that characterized mid-20th century popular music. [3], Lester Young was born in Woodville, Mississippi, on August 27, 1909. Holiday always insisted their relationship was strictly platonic. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. His second great band, from the 1950s onwards, relied more on arrangements, typically from Neil Hefti and Ernie Wilkin's. The band will continue under the guidance of Aaron Woodward, an adopted son of Mr. Basie who has worked closely with the orchestra leader during the last year. 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. And it was a seven-day week. Oops, something didn't work. His father was a railroad worker. To help it through the Grand Terrace engagement, Fletcher Henderson, who had provided Benny Goodman with the arrangements that enabled his band to break through a year earlier, lent Mr. Basie some of his arrangements. Birthday: August 21, 1904 Date of Death: April 26, 1984 Age at Death: 79 Live Live Death Statistics Worldwide and The United States Count Basie - Biography Though rooted in the riff style of the 1930s swing-era big bands, the Basie orchestra played with the forceful drive and carefree swing of a small combo. Recorded on a home recorder. The Gonzel White show was stranded in Kansas City, Mo., a fateful location for Mr. Basie. A group that included some Basie sidemen was on stage, playing in a ragged, desultory fashion, when Mr. Basie arrived. [6] His family moved to Minneapolis in 1919 and Young stayed there for much of the 1920s, first picking up the tenor saxophone while living there. In contrast to many of his hard-driving peers, Young played with a relaxed, cool tone and used sophisticated harmonies, using what one critic called "a free-floating style, wheeling and diving like a gull, banking with low, funky riffs that pleased dancers and listeners alike". Stranded in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1927, Basie remained there and eventually (in 1935) assumed the leadership of a nine-piece band composed of former members of the Walter Page and Bennie Moten orchestras. Count Basie was born in Red Bank. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Biography - A Short Wiki Swing-era bandleader noted for his theme songs One O'Clock Jump from 1937 and April in Paris from 1932. This page is updated often with latest details about Count Basie. In 1950, when big bands were falling apart, Mr. Basie cut down to an eight-piece group but by 1952 he was leading a big band once again. In 1952 increased demand for personal appearances allowed Basie to form a new orchestra that in many ways was as highly praised as his bands of the 1930s and 40s. Performance & security by Cloudflare. 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, the Basie band struggled for a year after it left Kansas City. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Other than in the last two visualizations, this piece uses a measure called the age-adjusted death rate. He was 79 years old and lived in Freeport, the Bahamas. Discography. William Basie was born at 229 Mechanic Street on August 21, 1904. I thought he was kidding, shrugged my shoulders and repled, 'O.K.' To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Drummer of the Count Basie Orchestra Passed Away, Obituary - YouTube 0:00 / 0:36 Butch Miles Cause of Death? This account has been disabled. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. After some challenges, the Count Basie Orchestra had a slew of hits that helped to define the big-band sound of the 1930s and '40s. [8] He became a member of the Bostonians, led by Art Bronson, and chose tenor saxophone over alto as his primary instrument. It was a reunion with Holiday, with whom he had lost contact over the years. Astrological Sign: Leo. In 1935, Basie formed his own jazz orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. When is Count Basies birthday? Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. [4] In 1939, he wrote his first arrangement. After Young's clarinet was stolen in 1939, he abandoned the instrument until about 1957. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. [4][9][10][11][12], Nestico had a long career in the film and television industry. Paul Quinichette modeled his style so closely on Young's that he was sometimes referred to as the "Vice Prez" (sic). Throughout the 1960s, Basies recordings were often uninspired and marred by poor choice of material, but he remained an exceptional concert performer and made fine records with singers Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Frank Sinatra. He recorded with trumpeter Lloyd Hunter's Serenaders in 1931, and later joined pianist Count Basie's band in 1934. [1] Jones had a major influence on later drummers such as Buddy Rich, Kenny Clarke, Roy Haynes, Max Roach, and Louie Bellson. Throughout the 1940s and 50s, Young occasionally played as a featured guest with the Count Basie Orchestra. Singer Joe Williams, whose authoritative, blues-influenced vocals can be heard on hit recordings such as Every Day I Have the Blues and Alright, Okay, You Win, was also a major component in the bands success. Zodiac Sign: Count Basie was a Leo. Death rate by cause. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. The strengths of this sign are being creative, passionate, generous, warm-hearted, cheerful, humorous, while weaknesses can be arrogant, stubborn, self-centered, lazy and inflexible. During the 1960s and '70s, Basie recorded with luminaries like Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson. At a White House reception, President Reagan said that Mr. Basie was ''among the handful of musicians that helped change the path of American music in the 30's and the 40's'' and that he had ''revolutionized jazz.''. Swing-era bandleader noted for his theme songs One OClock Jump from 1937 and April in Paris from 1932. He was famous for being a Pianist. Young's playing style influenced many other tenor saxophonists, including Stan Getz, as well as Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Warne Marsh, as well as baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and alto saxophonists Lee Konitz, and Paul Desmond. Although they were recorded in New York (in 1938, with a reunion in 1944), they are named after the group, the Kansas City Seven, and comprised Buck Clayton, Dicky Wells, Basie, Young, Freddie Green, Rodney Richardson, and Jo Jones. Corrections? Known as Papa Jo Jones in his later years, he is sometimes confused with another influential jazz drummer, Philly Joe Jones. Finally, Willard Alexander, a booking agent, in an effort to get the band on 52d Street, then the jazz center of New York, made a deal with the Famous Door, a shoebox of a room, 25 feet wide and about 50 feet long, which was having trouble doing business in the summer because it had no air-conditioning. William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 - April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. His playing showed reliance on a small number of clichd phrases and reduced creativity and originality, despite his claims that he did not want to be a "repeater pencil" (Young coined this phrase to describe the act of repeating one's own past ideas). Jones's style influenced the modern jazz drummer's tendency to play timekeeping rhythms on a cymbal, that is now known as the ride cymbal. "[25], Young made his final studio recordings and live performances in Paris in March 1959 with drummer Kenny Clarke at the tail end of an abbreviated European tour during which he ate next to nothing and drank heavily. "[4][9], After leaving the military, Nestico became a freelance arranger. [12], Nestico married his second wife, Shirley, in 1995, and was married to her until his death. He began his professional career as an accompanist on the vaudeville circuit. Allmusic's Scott Yanow, reviewing one of the albums, Pres and Teddy, commented: Although it has been written much too often that Lester Young declined rapidly from the mid-'40s on, the truth is that when he was healthy, Young played at his very best during the '50s, adding an emotional intensity to his sound that had not been present during the more carefree days of the '30s. Young is described as playing the clarinet in a "liquid, nervous style. [1] The two died only a few days apart. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Discover what happened on this day. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. [4][17], Nestico also had a career in music education, teaching at the University of Georgia from 1998 to 1999, where he taught orchestration and conducted the studio orchestra; after which he retired to Carlsbad, California, near San Diego. Failed to report flower. Year should not be greater than current year. Count Basies mothers name is unknown at this time and his fathers name is under review. From around 1951, Young's level of playing declined more precipitously as his drinking increased. He had three sons with his first wife. Count Basie, byname of William Basie, (born August 21, 1904, Red Bank, New Jersey, U.S.died April 26, 1984, Hollywood, Florida), American jazz musician noted for his spare, economical piano style and for his leadership of influential and widely heralded big bands. [15] He also worked as an arranger for the 81st Academy Awards, as well as some Grammy Awards. You can't have a Count Basie collection without going back to the beginning. [32] At Minguss request, Joni Mitchell wrote lyrics to Goodbye Pork Pie Hat which incorporated stories Mingus told Mitchell about Young; the song was featured on Mitchells 1979 album release, Mingus, a collaboration instigated by Mingus during the last year of his life as he struggled with the ALS that would kill him.