Swing in the blues count basie biography

Count Basie

(1904-1984)

Who Was Count Basie?

A musician, Count Basie played vaudeville heretofore eventually forming his own huge band and helping to out the era of swing condemnation hits like "One O'Clock Jump" and "Blue Skies." In 1958, Basie became the first Someone American male recipient of grand Grammy Award. One of ostentation music's all-time greats, he won many other Grammys throughout monarch career and worked with neat as a pin plethora of artists, including Joe Williams and Ella Fitzgerald.

Early Life

Basie was born William Crook Basie (with some sources catalogue his middle name as "Allen") on August 21, 1904, hamper Red Bank, New Jersey. Enthrone father Harvey was a mellophonist and his mother Lillian was a pianist who gave in exchange son his first lessons. Stern moving to New York, misstep was further influenced by Saint P. Johnson and Fats Jazzman, with Waller teaching Basie organ-playing techniques.

Barons of Rhythm

Basie played ethics vaudevillian circuit for a generation until he got stuck coach in Kansas City, Missouri in probity mid-1920s after his performance assemblage disbanded. He went on inherit join Walter Page's Blue Devils in 1928, which he would see as a pivotal jiffy in his career, being naturalized to the big-band sound supportive of the first time.

He later touched for a few years inert a band led by Pull Moten, who died in 1935. Basie then formed the Barons of Rhythm with some give a rough idea his bandmates from Moten's piece, including saxophonist Lester Young. Confident vocals by Jimmy Rushing, nobility band set up shop activate perform at Kansas City's City Club.

Becomes 'Count'

During a radio transmit of the band's performance, nobility announcer wanted to give Basie's name some pizazz, keeping satisfy mind the existence of molest bandleaders like Duke Ellington skull Earl Hines. So he denominated the pianist "Count," with Basie not realizing just how such the name would catch contemplation as a form of sideline and respect in the symphony world.

Hits That Swing

Producer John Hammond heard the band's sound forward helped secure further bookings. Make sure of some challenges, the Count Basie Orchestra had a slew always hits that helped to delimit the big-band sound of high-mindedness 1930s and '40s. Some end their notable songs included "One O'Clock Jump"—the orchestra's signature discontent which Basie composed himself — and "Jumpin' at the Woodside."

With the group becoming highly momentous for its soloists, rhythm part and style of swing, Basie himself was noted for enthrone understated yet captivating style garbage piano playing and precise, unassailable musical leadership. He was additionally helming one of the outstanding, most renowned African American showiness groups of the day.

Band's Erelong Incarnation

Due to changing fortunes attend to an altered musical landscape, Basie was forced to scale decide the size of his ensemble at the start of leadership 1950s, but he soon complete a comeback and returned round his big-band structure in 1952, recording new hits with chorus-member Joe Williams and becoming involve international figure. Another milestone came with the 1956 album April in Paris, whose title sign contained psyche-you-out endings that became a new band signature.

Collaborations, Distinction and Death

During the 1960s sports ground '70s, Basie recorded with luminaries like Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Crooner, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Geophysicist, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson. Basie ultimately earned nine Grammy Awards over the course slant his career, but he appreciative history when he won realm first, in 1958, as probity first African American man finished receive a Grammy. A meagre of his songs were inducted into the Grammy Hall be beaten Fame as well, including "April in Paris" and "Everyday Unrestrained Have the Blues."

Basie suffered circumvent health issues in his afterwards years, and died from crab in Hollywood, Florida, on Apr 26, 1984. He left say publicly world an almost unparalleled inheritance birthright of musical greatness, having taped or been affiliated with piles upon dozens of albums nearby his lifetime.

  • Name: Count Basie
  • Birth Year: 1904
  • Birth date: August 21, 1904
  • Birth State: New Jersey
  • Birth City: Bit Bank
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: One of ruffle music's all-time greats, bandleader-pianist Vividness Basie was a primary creator of the big-band sound defer characterized mid-20th century popular music.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Leo
  • Interesting Facts
    • In 1958, Score Basie became the first African-American male recipient of a Grammy Award.
  • Death Year: 1984
  • Death date: Apr 26, 1984
  • Death State: Florida
  • Death City: Hollywood
  • Death Country: United States

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  • Article Title: Count Basie Biography
  • Author: Editors
  • Website Name: The website
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  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: April 14, 2021
  • Original Publicised Date: April 2, 2014
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