Wayne Shorter, then of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, composed a tribute, called "Lester Left Town". Holiday toured with the Count Basie Orchestra in 1937. With the group becoming highly distinguished for its soloists, rhythm section and style of swing, Basie himself was noted for his understated yet captivating style of piano playing and precise, impeccable musical leadership. Here is all you want to know, and more! His daughter, Diane Basie, now 71 and living in Florida. [1] The two died only a few days apart. ''Can you imagine a man who kind of romps around the piano,'' Mr. Shearing said, ''and those tiny tinkling things. He was also honored by ASMAC and the Big Band Academy of America. [3], For the fictional television character, see, Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 08:43, The Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Pete Brown, Jo Jones All Stars at Newport, Mae Barnes, Jo Jones, Buck Clayton, Ray Bryant, The Oscar Peterson Trio with Sonny Stitt, Roy Eldridge and Jo Jones at Newport, Sonny Stitt Plays Arrangements from the Pen of Quincy Jones, Jazz Icons: Coleman Hawkins-Live in 62 & 64, "Book Review: The Life and Opinions of Papa Jo Jones", "Jo Jones, 73, A Jazz Drummer Influential in Swing Era, Dies", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jo_Jones&oldid=1141690806, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 08:43. Count Basie was born in the Year of the Dragon. He began working as an arranger for Count Basie in 1967, and wrote and arranged all the music for Basie's 1968 LP Basie Straight Ahead. In 1958, Count Basie became the first African-American male recipient of a Grammy Award. I had never heard the blues played like that. Jazz Stars in the Band. 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. . At the time of his death, a feature-length documentary film titled Shadow Man: The Sammy Nestico Story was in production. 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). Death rate by cause. The pianist Count Basie died at the age of 79. Young is a major character in English writer Geoff Dyer's 1991 fictional book about jazz, But Beautiful. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. During the 1940's, many of the great jazz musicians of the decade passed through the band, among them Illinois Jacquet, Don Byas, Wardell Gray, Paul Quinichette, Lucky Thompson, J. J. Johnson, Paul Gonsalves and Clark Terry. It was on one of these broadcasts that Bill Basie became Count Basie. 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. In 1979, Jones was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame for his contribution to the Birmingham, Alabama musical heritage. He served one traumatic year in a detention barracks[15] and was dishonorably discharged in late 1945. He recorded less often with his big band during this era (although when he did, the results were outstanding), concentrating instead on small-group and piano-duet recordings. Basie is a member of the New Jersey Hall of Fame as well as the Blues Hall of Fame. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Mr. Basie was, along with Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, one of the pre-eminent bandleaders of the Big Band era in the 1930's and 40's. Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. He rose to fame after taking over Bennie Moten's band in 1935. The pianist Count Basie died at the age of 79. "Ivey-Divey" was one of Lester Young's common eccentric phrases. Many of the members, like Lester "Prez" Young, drifted into Basie's orbit around the time of Moten's death in 1935. Your IP: It was a loose and swinging band, built around distinctively individualistic solos by Lester Young, Herschel Evans, Buddy Tate, Buck Clayton, Harry Edison, Dickie Wells, Vic Dickenson and, primarily, Mr. Basie himself. When we played pop tunes - and, naturally, we had to - I wanted those pops to kick! In 1958, Basie became the first African American male recipient of a Grammy Award. GREAT NEWS! To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. He later worked for a few years with a band led by Bennie Moten, who died in 1935. Name: Count Basie Birth Year: 1904 Birth date: August 21, 1904 Birth State: New Jersey Birth City: Red Bank Birth Country: United States Gender: Male Best Known For: One of jazz music's all-time. 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. The Gonzel White show was stranded in Kansas City, Mo., a fateful location for Mr. Basie. 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. Holiday broke new ground with Shaw, becoming one of the first female . [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. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. is military terminology referring to "Government Issue" or "General Issue". Causes of deaths for children between 5 and 14. This account has been disabled. During his career, Nestico composed, arranged, or conducted albums for musicians and singers including Quincy Jones, Phil Collins, Barbra Streisand, Michael Buble, Natalie Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Toni Tennille, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby. Mausoleum, South Forsythia Court, Row 57, Tier D, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1664/count-basie. Swing-era bandleader noted for his theme songs One OClock Jump from 1937 and April in Paris from 1932. 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. Not loud and fast, understand, but smoothly and with a definite punch.''. His autobiography, The Gift of Music, was published in 2009. In December 1943, Young returned to the Basie fold for a 10-month stint, cut short by his being drafted into the army during World War II. [21], This list is incomplete. This browser does not support getting your location. They hate hypocrisy and gossip and can sometimes be a bit arrogant and impatient. 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. Count Basie, the jazz pianist whose spare, economic keyboard style and supple rhythmic drive made his orchestra one of the most influential groups of the Big Band era, died of cancer yesterday. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. [12], Nestico wrote hundreds of arrangements for school band and jazz band programs. Failed to remove flower. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. [35], On 17 March 2003, Young was added to the ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame, along with Sidney Bechet, Al Cohn, Nat "King" Cole, Peggy Lee and Teddy Wilson. The band flopped at a Pittsburgh hotel that had never booked a jazz band before. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The Basie band kept working into the 1970s, with the Count in his yachting cap that he had adopted in the 1960s, but his age and changing fashion eventually caught up with him. [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. Then, as far as this guy Ellington is concerned, you can never tell what he's going to do. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. By then a series of records by the Basie band had begun appearing (under a contract with Decca Records by which Mr. Basie was paid a total of $750 for 24 sides with no royalties - ''probably the most expensive blunder in Basie's history,'' said Mr. Hammond) that included hit after hit - ''Swingin' the Blues,'' ''Jumpin' at the Woodside,'' ''One O'Clock Jump'' (his theme) and many others now considered jazz classics. See the article in its original context from. Count Basie, the jazz pianist whose spare, economic keyboard style and supple rhythmic drive made his orchestra one of the most influential groups of the Big Band era, died of cancer yesterday morning at Doctors' Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. William James Basie is part of G.I. Another milestone came with the 1956 album April in Paris, whose title track contained psyche-you-out endings that became a new band signature. There was a memorable concert at Town Hall several years ago when a number of musicians, including Mr. Basie, were scheduled to perform in a variety of combinations. I sat on the floor watching his feet and using my hands to imitate him. They had two children: Lester W. Young Jr. (born 1947) and Yvette Young (born 1957). But the obvious talents of another young Red Bank drummer, Sonny Greer, who was Duke Ellington's drummer from 1919 to 1951, discouraged young Basie and he switched to piano. I said the minute the brass got out of hand and blared and screeched instead of making every note mean something, there'd be some changes made. In 1981 OyamO (Charles F. Gordon) published the book The Resurrection of Lady Lester, subtitled "A Poetic Mood Song Based on the Legend of Lester Young", depicting Young's life. [4][12], Nestico published nearly 600 numbers for school groups and many for professional big bands. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. His father was a student of the mellophone, and his mother was a pianist. 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. 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. Basie ultimately earned nine Grammy Awards over the course of his career, but he made history when he won his first, in 1958, as the first African American man to receive a Grammy. Count Basie was born in Red Bank. Death Year: 1984, Death date: April 26, 1984, Death State: Florida, Death City: Hollywood, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Count Basie Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/count-basie, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: April 14, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. 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. 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. In 2021, approximately 3,458,697 deaths occurred in the United States. He wrote many books, including The Complete Arranger, which was first published in 1993 and has since been revised and published in at least four languages. 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. He flicked out tightly economical, single-finger passages, directing his musicians with a glance, a lift of an eyebrow or a note hit gently but positively in passing. Basie played the vaudevillian circuit for a time until he got stuck in Kansas City, Missouri in the mid-1920s after his performance group disbanded. 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. 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. With Mr. Basie's 13 men in full cry at one end of this elongated closet, the sound ricocheting off the walls and rocketing down from the low ceiling, no listener could escape the exhilarating power of the band. [1], Known for his hip, introverted style,[2] he invented or popularized much of the hipster jargon which came to be associated with the music. Courtesy of the artist. Count Basie was born on the 21st of August, 1904. Mr. Basie's musicians had been playing ''head'' arrangements in Kansas City - treatments of the blues or pop tunes that were worked out on the stand. He subsequently led a number of small groups that often included his brother, drummer Lee Young, for the next couple of years; live and broadcast recordings from this period exist. In addition, he played trombone, in the big bands of Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Gene Krupa, and Charlie Barnet. It continues . 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. In August 1944, Young appeared alongside drummer Jo Jones, trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison, and fellow tenor saxophonist Illinois Jacquet in Gjon Mili's short film Jammin' the Blues. But it sure sounds good.. Lena Horne, Stevie Wonder, Joe Williams, Oscar Peterson and Quincy Jones were among the stars to pay tribute. His group, Count Basie and his Cherry Blossoms, was an outgrowth of Bennie Motens band in Kansas City. He went on to join Walter Page's Blue Devils in 1928, which he would see as a pivotal moment in his career, being introduced to the big-band sound for the first time. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Death rate from cardiovascular disease. His third wife was Mary Berkeley. While he never abandoned the cane reed, he used the plastic reed a significant share of the time from 1943 until the end of his life. There was an error deleting this problem. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. The resulting song then became both an elegy to Young, and, implicitly, Mingus as well. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. ''One night the announcer called me to the microphone for those usual few words of introduction,'' Mr. Basie once recalled. [17] Young's playing and health went into a crisis, culminating in a November 1955 hospital admission following a nervous breakdown. Jonathan David Samuel Jones (October 7, 1911 - September 3, 1985) [1] was an American jazz drummer. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Count Basie I found on Findagrave.com. (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. Mr. Basie was born in Red Bank, N.J., on Aug. 21, 1904, an only child who was christened William. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? His studio recordings are relatively sparse during the 1942 to 1943 period, largely due to the recording ban by the American Federation of Musicians. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Mr. Alexander agreed to lend the club $2,500 to install an air-conditioner if it would book the Basie band. Try again later. His father was a student of the mellophone, and his mother was a pianist. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. This page is updated often with latest details about Count Basie. Try again later. 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. Producer John Hammond heard the band's sound and helped secure further bookings. Ronald McFadden, consummate entertainer, tap dancer and musician, died unexpectedly this week, shortly after a performance in downtown Kansas City. William James " Count " Basie ( / besi /; August 21, 1904 - April 26, 1984) [1] was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. One day he asked me whether I played the organ. Mr. Basie's band, more than any other, was the epitome of swing, of jazz that moved with a built-in flowing intensity. This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 19:11. [16] Nestico composed commercial jingles for Anheuser-Busch, Zenith, Ford Motor Company, Mattel Toys, Pittsburgh Paint, the National Guard, Dodge, Remington Bank, and Americard. Count Basies birth sign is Leo and he had a ruling planet of Sun. He was known for being a Pianist. 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. Homage to Lester Young (1993), a book of poetry by Vancouver writer Jamie Reid. His experience inspired his composition "D.B. As a result, the band got a date at the Grand Terrace in Chicago. A young Charlie Parker was attempting to play an improvised solo, but lost track of the chord changes; as a sign of contempt, Jones threw a cymbal from his drum kit onto the floor near Parker's feet to get him to leave the stage. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. He also received a distinguished alumni award from Duquesne, and in 1994 was inducted into Duquesne's "Century Club". [8] He became a member of the Bostonians, led by Art Bronson, and chose tenor saxophone over alto as his primary instrument. By the time he was ten, he had learned the basics of the trumpet, violin, and drums, and joined the Young Family Band touring with carnivals and playing in regional cities in the Southwest[6][2], In his teens he and his father clashed, and he often left home for long periods. His father, Harvey Lee Basie, was a coachman and caretaker; his mother, Lillian Childs Basie, was a laundress, taking in washing and ironing. Rock Icon KISS Is Saying Goodbye (For Real), Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Count Basie, Birth Year: 1904, Birth date: August 21, 1904, Birth State: New Jersey, Birth City: Red Bank, Birth Country: United States. 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. He was a big force in music.''. [4] to Lizetta Young (ne Johnson), and Willis Handy Young, originally from Louisiana. The Count Basie Orchestra had a slew of hits that helped to define the big-band sound of the 1930s and '40s. Young's solo was brilliant, acclaimed by some observers as an unparalleled marvel of economy, phrasing and extraordinarily moving emotion; Nat Hentoff, one of the show's producers, later commented, "Lester got up, and he played the purest blues I have ever heard in the control room we were all crying. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Jazz Musician. As one Basie band member put it, Count dont do nothin. JUMP TO: Count Basies biography, facts, family, personal life, zodiac, videos and related celebs. With vocals by Jimmy Rushing, the band set up shop to perform at Kansas City's Reno Club. Pop Tunes With a Kick, ''Of course, I wanted to play real jazz. This three-CD compilation celebrates the band's legendary Decca studio recordings made in New York when it was a hard-driving swing outfit on its way to becoming an American institution. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Page, a bassist, Jimmy Rushing, the blues singer, both of whom would be key members of Mr. Basie's band. While he recuperated his band continued to fulfill engagements, frequently with Nat Pierce taking Mr. Basie's place at the piano and sometimes with guest conductors such as the trumpeter Clark Terry, who was a member of the Basie band in the 1940's. [4] Lester had two siblings a brother, Leonidas Raymond, known as Lee Young, who became a drummer, and a sister, Irma Cornelia. Holiday always insisted their relationship was strictly platonic. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. He was one of the greatest bandleaders of all-time, epitomizing the jazz of south-western America. Basie benefited greatly from his association with Granz and made several recordings during the 70s that rank among his best work. In 1976, Mr. Basie suffered a heart attack. He was 67. He was 79 years old and lived in Freeport, the Bahamas. Basie decided to form a medium-sized band in 1950, juggling combinations of all-star . Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Small record labels not bound by union contracts continued to record, and Young recorded some sessions for Harry Lim's Keynote label in 1943. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Rock Icon KISS Is Saying Goodbye (For Real), Rihanna and 10 Other Great Pregnant Performances, Burt Bacharachs Legacy: 5 Notable Collaborations, 2023 Grammy Awards: Six Winners Who Made History. ''He was a wonderful man. The ''book'' of this early Basie band was based on blues and riffs developed on a blues structure. Count Basie was a Leo and was born in the G.I. [13] Playing on her name, he would call her "Lady Day." Death rate from Alzheimer's. Death rate from cancer. Along with Duke Ellington, Count Basie is regarded as one of the two most important and influential bandleaders in the history of jazz. Drag images here or select from your computer for Count Basie memorial. 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. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. As a pianist Basie was equally great and was intensely rhythmic, using as few notes as possible. Try again later. Death rate from chronic respiratory diseases. He recorded with trumpeter Lloyd Hunter's Serenaders in 1931, and later joined pianist Count Basie's band in 1934. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. During his tenure, a composition by Nestico led President Johnson to remark "You call this music?" He's not limited to anything. He directed music programs at Los Angeles Pierce College, Woodland Hills, California, Westinghouse Memorial High School, and Wilmerding, Pennsylvania. Whos the richest Pianist in the world? She gave Lester the nickname "Prez" after President Franklin Roosevelt, the "greatest man around" in Billie's mind. Throughout the 1940s and 50s, Young occasionally played as a featured guest with the Count Basie Orchestra. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Of course, I wanted to play real jazz. Fresh out of Kansas City, the Basie band took Manhattan by storm in 1937. 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 solo albums eventually earned him four Grammy Award nominations, besides the awards he earned with Count Basie: in 2002 for his album This Is The Moment and for the arrangement "Kiji Takes A Ride"; in 2009 for his album Fun Time; and in 2016 for his arrangement "Good 'Swing' Wenceslas". While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [1] He worked as a drummer and tap-dancer at carnival shows until joining Walter Page's band, the Blue Devils in Oklahoma City in the late 1920s. During childhood, Sammy Americanized his name to Samuel Louis Nestico. Weve updated the security on the site. Count Basie. One of the band's most popular arrangements, ''April in Paris,'' was written in 1955 by Wild Bill Davis, a jazz organist who had originally developed it for his own small group. He was soon court-martialed. [28] Sonny Stitt began to incorporate elements from Lester Young's approach when he made the transition to tenor saxophone.
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