William “Count” Basie
Who would you say is the best multi-talented person in the Jazz world? Count Basie! His time era was swing and big bands. While he was on the piano “counting” the keys he also was leading the band from the side. He was born into a house of music. His father, Harvie was a mellophone player and his mother, Lillian, was a piano player. Growing up in a house of music only inspired Count to experiment with sound and play the piano like his mother. Early in his career he worked with Walter Page’s Blue Devil and Bennie Moten. Count went solo after the death of the bandleader, Monten. After a while he was joined by a couple of the members from the Monten’s band. Count had set up a nine-piece band, with the vocal from Jimmy Rushing. Over time broadcasters was playing along with beat of Baron of Rhythm (Count band). They started to refer to him as Count, for his talent on the piano. The mid-thirties is when the band would get their long due break. They were signed and started to tour in the fall of 1936. It was touring throughout New York is when the Hot Hit that warms our feet and tickles our hands was made, One O’clock Jump. That is the very tune that was induced into Grammy Hall of Fame. In the Nineteen-forties, he and his band were in movies. In the Sixties, Count got with a lot of vocal singer to demonstrate his music. He used vocalist Sammy Davis Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, and Jackie Wilson. He also performed at festivals and was nominated for several Grammy in which he won nine in his lifetime. In the early Seventies he signed with Pablo Records in which he was there until he passed away. In ’76 he was he had a heart attack and he was out of the music world for a while. He was so dedicated to his job some say that he would drive on stage with a wheelchair. April 26, 1984 (Florida), William “Count” Basie passed away.
Amy Alexander
Bio written by: Alleycat |
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