Count Basie

Happy Birthday, William "Count" Basie...August 21, 1904-April 26, 1984...Basie was one of the most important bandleaders of swing. He didn't compose like Ellington or lead as a soloist like Benny Goodman, his instrument was his tight, swinging band which had a profound effect on swing and jazz in general. Born in Red Bank, N.J., the young Basie soon surpassed what his piano playing mother could teach him. He had a knack for playing by ear all of the tunes he would hear at the local theater but his first love was the drums. When he realized his fellow Red Bank native, Sonny Greer, could best him on the drum set, Basie renewed his interest in the piano.

At age 16 he began playing at local parties and venues, moving on to Harlem in 1924 where he studied stride piano with some of the Harlem greats and organ with Fats Waller. Basie began his dream of a traveling life by joining the T.O.B.P. vaudeville circuit and later the Gonzelle White vaudeville show which eventually left him stranded in Kansas City, Missouri in 1927. After a brief stint playing piano in silent movie houses, Basie joined Walter Page's Blue Devils in 1928 where he met the blues shouter Jimmy Rushing, who would later play a big role in the early Basie orchestra. The Blue Devils were a snappy, bluesy band that mainly covered the Texas and Oklahoma territories. Basie stayed with the band until 1929 then join Benny Moten's band.

Moten's band played in the "Kansas City Stomp" style which had a preference for a 4/4 beat over the usual 2/4 beat of the time, resulting in a smoother sound, and played from head-memory rather than sight reading which also contributed to more improvisation. Basie stayed with the band until Moten's untimely death in 1935. Basie then formed his own band with many of the Moten players with the addition of Lester Young, playing in local Kansas City clubs and on the radio. In the fall of 1936 "Count Basie and His Barons of Rhythm" moved to Chicago and took up residence at the Grand Terrace Room. John Hammond heard the group over the radio and hired them to make recordings of four sides which included "Shoe Shine Boy", "Evening", "Boogie Woogie" and "Oh, Lady Be Good". Hammond called the session, "the only perfect, completely perfect recording session I've ever had anything to do with."

New York was the next stop for the group in 1937 where they appeared at the Roseland Ballroom, the Apollo and the Savoy where they famously battled Chick Webb's band. Basie had Billie Holiday as his vocalist, Webb had Ella Fitzgerald and Metronome magazine described the outcome this way, "Basie's Brilliant Band Conquers Chick's". The band gained fan momentum and moved into a spot at The Famous Door, a mid-town club with a CBS radio feed. In 1939 they made a cross-country tour which included their first West Coast appearances. The movies came next.

From 1942-1943 Basie and the band made guest appearances in several films and shorts. They also began recording with RCA but the musician strike of 1942-44 and the constant over-turn of musicians because of the war took it's toll. The band was as swinging as ever but musical tastes were changing, the big band sound was no longer in vogue and crooners were taking over the popular music scene. Basie broke up the group in 1950, continuing to perform in smaller group settings.

Prompted by singer Billy Eckstine, Basie reformed a 16 piece band in 1952 and with the help of Norman Ganz, got bookings at Birdland and recorded on several record labels. Although he added some bebop to his arrangements he insisted that it "all had to have feeling". The band kept it's strong rhythmic pulse and Basie noted that, "...it doesn't matter what they do up front; the audience gets the beat." The band soon began touring again and made it's first trip to Europe in 1958. European cities were hungry for the sound of American jazz and many African American musicians and singers were happy to be away from the racial segregation they suffered at home. Europe became a viable alternative for many outstanding American jazz stars. The band also released several hit recordings during this time.

In the 60's Basie and band members were featured on numerous television shows and continued to tour and record. Las Vegas shows were especially popular and the band began playing on cruises. It was during that time that Basie adopted his trademark yachting cap. He made a few more movie appearances in the 70's, most notably in "Blazing Saddles" and continued the band up until the early 80's. He died at the age of 79 from pancreatic cancer.

During his tenure as a band leader, Basie nurtured the talent of of legends of young musicians and singers. As a musician, his heart was always with the blues but he was also fond of a smooth driving rhythm, "If you play a tune and the person don't tap their feet, don't play the tune." For nearly fifty years he remained consistent in his vision creating one of the unique and iconic voices of jazz.