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William Basie was born in Red Bank, New
Jersey on August 21, 1904. Both of Bill's parents were amateur
musicians and his mother taught him to play the piano as a young
child. Initially Bill played drums in his school band, but later
switched to the piano. His playing style was strongly influenced by
both James P. Johnson
and Fats
Waller.
Bill began playing professionally in
Harlem nightclubs in 1920 and moved to Kansas City in 1924. Initially
Bill played the organ in a local movie theater. His first job with an
organized band was with a group called the Blue
Devils. It was while playing with this band that Bill
learned the distinctive Jump
Rhythm
Style of Jazz that became his trademark.
In 1927 Bill joined the Bennie
Moten orchestra and in 1935 after Bennie's death, he
became it's bandleader. A local radio announcer in Kansas City gave
Bill the nickname of Count Basie. He stated afterwards, "We
have an Earl (Hines) and a Duke (Ellington), so why not a Count."
John Hammond heard Count Basie's group playing on the
radio and was so impressed that he helped the band to get it's start
in Chicago. By 1937, the band had become one of the country's leading
jazz bands and had signed a recording contract with Decca
Records.
Over the years, Count Basie's band
included many gifted artists who later went on to become famous in
their own right such as Jimmie
Rushing, Lester
Young, Billie
Holiday, Big
Joe Williams, Thad
Jones, Walter
Page, and Buck
Clayton.
The Count Basie Band became the model
by which all future combo jazz pianists would be judged. Two of Count
Basie's best known hits are One O'Clock Jump and Jumpin'
at the Woodside.
Count Basie continued to tour with his
band until 1982. He died in Hollywood, Florida on April 26, 1984 and
his autobiography, Good
Morning Blues was published posthumously in 1985.
Sources:
Encyclopedia
Britannica
Encyclopedia
Africana
Atlanta
Music Group (AMG)
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