Count basie family
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Count Basie
American jazz musician and composer (1904–1984)
Musical artist
William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984)[1] was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. He led the group for almost 50 years, creating innovations like the use of two "split" tenor saxophones, emphasizing the rhythm section, riffing with a big band, using arrangers to broaden their sound, his minimalist piano style, and others.
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, Dennis Rowland, Thelma Carpenter, and Joe Williams.
As a composer, Basie is known for writing such jazz standards as "Blue and Sentimental", "Jumpin' at the Woodside" and "One O'Clock Jump".
Biography
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William “Count” Basie
1904 – 1984
The musician most closely associated with Kansas City jazz, pianist and bandleader William Basie was born in New Jersey and came to Kansas City in the late 1920s. He joined Walter Page’s Blue Devils in 1928 and a year later was lured away to the Bennie Moten Orchestra.
As part of that band’s rhythm section, Basie was instrumental in the development of the swinging Kansas City style. After Moten’s death in 1935, Basie took over the group (now called the Barons of Rhythm), playing in local clubs and on area radio stations, and winning a recording contract with Decca Records.
Renamed the Count Basie Orchestra, the 13-piece ensemble became an international hit with records like “One O’Clock Jump,” “Jumpin’ at the Woodside,” “April in Paris,” and “Taxi War Dance.” Among the players who came through his band were saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, guitarist Freddie Green, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry “Sweets” Edison, and singers Jimmy Rushing and Joe Williams.
Big bands fell out of fashion after
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Bio
Though a pianist and occasional organist, William "Count" Basie's fame stems mainly from his history as one of the great bandleaders. Basie's arrangements made good use of soloists, allowing musicians such as Lester Young, Buck Clayton, Sweets Edison, and Frank Foster to create some of their best work. Although his strength was as a bandleader, Basie's sparse piano style often delighted audiences with its swinging simplicity.
Basie's first teacher was his mother, who taught him piano. Later, the informal organ lessons from his mentor Fats Waller helped him find work in a theater accompanying silent films. In 1927, Basie found himself in Kansas City, playing with two of the most famous bands in the city: Walter Page's Blue Devils and the Bennie Moten band. In 1935, Basie started his own Kansas City band, engaging the core of the Moten band. They performed nightly radio broadcasts, which caught the attention of music producer John Hammond. In 1936, Hammond brought the Basie band to New York, where it opened at the Roseland Ballroom. By the next year, the band was a fixtu
William “Count” Basie
1904 – 1984
The musician most closely associated with Kansas City jazz, pianist and bandleader William Basie was born in New Jersey and came to Kansas City in the late 1920s. He joined Walter Page’s Blue Devils in 1928 and a year later was lured away to the Bennie Moten Orchestra.
As part of that band’s rhythm section, Basie was instrumental in the development of the swinging Kansas City style. After Moten’s death in 1935, Basie took over the group (now called the Barons of Rhythm), playing in local clubs and on area radio stations, and winning a recording contract with Decca Records.
Renamed the Count Basie Orchestra, the 13-piece ensemble became an international hit with records like “One O’Clock Jump,” “Jumpin’ at the Woodside,” “April in Paris,” and “Taxi War Dance.” Among the players who came through his band were saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, guitarist Freddie Green, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry “Sweets” Edison, and singers Jimmy Rushing and Joe Williams.
Big bands fell out of fashion after
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Bio
Though a pianist and occasional organist, William "Count" Basie's fame stems mainly from his history as one of the great bandleaders. Basie's arrangements made good use of soloists, allowing musicians such as Lester Young, Buck Clayton, Sweets Edison, and Frank Foster to create some of their best work. Although his strength was as a bandleader, Basie's sparse piano style often delighted audiences with its swinging simplicity.
Basie's first teacher was his mother, who taught him piano. Later, the informal organ lessons from his mentor Fats Waller helped him find work in a theater accompanying silent films. In 1927, Basie found himself in Kansas City, playing with two of the most famous bands in the city: Walter Page's Blue Devils and the Bennie Moten band. In 1935, Basie started his own Kansas City band, engaging the core of the Moten band. They performed nightly radio broadcasts, which caught the attention of music producer John Hammond. In 1936, Hammond brought the Basie band to New York, where it opened at the Roseland Ballroom. By the next year, the band was a fixtu
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