Stranded in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1927, Basie remained there and eventually (in 1935) assumed the leadership of a nine-piece band composed of former members of the Walter Page and Bennie Moten orchestras. First commercially issued collection of Young as band leader. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Breakthrough on 52d Street. In the 1986 film Round Midnight, the fictional main character Dale Turner, played by Dexter Gordon, was partly based on Young incorporating flashback references to his army experiences, and loosely depicting his time in Paris and his return to New York just before his death. The early Basie band was also noted for its legendary soloists and outstanding rhythm section. Count Basie - Songs, Band & Facts - Biography Many of Basies albums of the 70s were Grammy Award winners or nominees. Due to changing fortunes and an altered musical landscape, Basie was forced to scale down the size of his orchestra at the start of the 1950s, but he soon made a comeback and returned to his big-band structure in 1952, recording new hits with vocalist Joe Williams and becoming an international figure. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. 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. He was 79 years old and lived in Freeport, the Bahamas. There was a problem getting your location. Try again later. Nestico is best known for his arrangements for the Count Basie orchestra. '', Soloists were less prominent in this second edition of the Basie band although it included some of the major jazz musicians of the post-50's years, such as Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Al Grey, Eddie (Lockjaw) Davis, Frank Wess, Jimmy Forrest and the blues singer Joe Williams. As a pianist Basie was equally great and was intensely rhythmic, using as few notes as possible. Young was the subject of an opera, Prez: A Jazz Opera, that was written by Bernard Cash and Alan Plater and broadcast by BBC television in 1985. When we played pop tunes, and naturally we had to, I wanted those pops to kick! ''He was the only leader in the business who ever went out of his way to help me,'' Mr. Basie said later. I wanted those three trumpets and two trombones to bite with real guts. [4][9][10][11][12], Nestico had a long career in the film and television industry. 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. Known as Papa Jo Jones in his later years, he is sometimes confused with another influential jazz drummer, Philly Joe Jones. Count was 79 years old at the time of death. People born under this sign are energetic and excitable. Count Basie, 79, Band Leader and Master of Swing, Dead [8] He became a member of the Bostonians, led by Art Bronson, and chose tenor saxophone over alto as his primary instrument. Basie suffered from health issues in his later years, and died from cancer in Hollywood, Florida, on April 26, 1984. To go on the road, Mr. Basie expanded his nine- piece band to 13 pieces. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. He's not limited to anything. 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. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Drummer of the Count Basie Orchestra Passed Away, Obituary Teach World 1.12K. Count Basie Birthday and Date of Death Count Basie was born on August 21, 1904 and died on April 26, 1984. Jo Jones - Wikipedia 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. He was a big force in music.''. Omissions? Then I sat beside him and he taught me.'' [28] Sonny Stitt began to incorporate elements from Lester Young's approach when he made the transition to tenor saxophone. [29], Lester Young is said to have popularized use of the term "cool" to mean something fashionable. [9] One of Young's key influences was Frankie Trumbauer, who came to prominence in the 1920s with Paul Whiteman and played the C-melody saxophone (between the alto and tenor in pitch).[10]. Billie and Lester met at a Harlem jam session in the early 30s and worked together in the Count Basie band and in nightclubs on New York's 52nd St. At one point Lester moved into the apartment Billie shared with her mother, Sadie Fagan. This stemmed primarily from the presence in the rhythm section, from 1937 to the present, of both Mr. Basie on piano and Freddie Green on guitar. Mr. Alexander agreed to lend the club $2,500 to install an air-conditioner if it would book the Basie band. 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. The causes of death rooted in complex mental health and substance abuse issues, such as drug overdoses and suicide, comprise a relatively small portion of deaths, but are increasing faster than most other causes. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. ''I wanted my 13-piece band to work together just like those nine pieces,'' he explained. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. I sat on the floor watching his feet and using my hands to imitate him. Page, Mr. Basie and Mr. Rushing all joined Bennie Moten's orchestra, the leading big band in the Southwest, which became even stronger with their presence. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. 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. Young left the Basie band in late 1940. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. In 1952 he was featured on Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio, released in 1954 on Norgran. Then, as far as this guy Ellington is concerned, you can never tell what he's going to do. From the Grand Terrace, it moved on to New York and Roseland Ballroom (playing opposite Woody Herman's new, young band) where listeners complained that it was out of tune (not a surprising reaction since many of Mr. Basie's musicians were blowing patched-up horns and saxophones held together by rubber bands). Count Basie, 79, Band Leader And Master of Swing, Dead - The New York Times Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Mr. Hammond spread the word about the Basie band, went to Kansas City to hear it and support it and brought it to the attention of booking agents. He also received a distinguished alumni award from Duquesne, and in 1994 was inducted into Duquesne's "Century Club". United States, 2021 | MMWR - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention He started out to be a drummer. 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. In a partnership with Billy May, Nestico was involved in the transcription, arranging, and re-recording of 630 big band songs originally recorded in the 1930s and 1940s. Swing-era bandleader noted for his theme songs One OClock Jump from 1937 and April in Paris from 1932. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. His second great band, from the 1950s onwards, relied more on arrangements, typically from Neil Hefti and Ernie Wilkin's. Corrections? I thought he was kidding, shrugged my shoulders and repled, 'O.K.' We have set your language to Discography. He was a fine pianist and leader of one of the greatest jazz bands in history. In the early 1990s after Count Basie's death, leader Frank Foster was auditioning a young drummer for the Basie Band. Despite the presence of Lester Young and Herschel Evans in the saxophone section, Buck Clayton in the trumpet section, Jo Jones on drums, with Jimmy Rushing and, briefly, Billie Holiday as vocalists, the Basie band struggled for a year after it left Kansas City. Through Mr. Waller, Mr. Basie got a job as accompanist with a vaudeville act called Katie Crippen and Her Kids. During this period Young accompanied the singer Billie Holiday in a couple of studio sessions (19371941) and also made a small set of recordings with Nat "King" Cole (their first of several collaborations) in June 1942. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Pop Tunes With a Kick, ''Of course, I wanted to play real jazz. He was a fine pianist and leader of one of the greatest jazz bands in history. I mean, he'll concert you all, and then he'll swing you all, too, you understand, when he's ready to. Among his band's best-known numbers were ''One O'Clock Jump,'' ''Jumpin' at the Woodside,'' ''Li'l Darlin' '' and ''April in Paris.''. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. In 1978 she was found dead on a Washington, D.C. sidewalk, [3] [8] [10] after attending a Count Basie concert. People of this zodiac sign like to be admired, expensive things, bright colors, and dislike being ignored, facing difficulties, not being treated specially. Count Basie - The Jazz Band That Swung Big And Bold - uDiscover Music Performance & security by Cloudflare. 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. [13] Playing on her name, he would call her "Lady Day." Count Basies birth sign is Leo and he had a ruling planet of Sun. Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. 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. It was a reunion with Holiday, with whom he had lost contact over the years. When jazz record producer Norman Granz formed his Pablo label in the 1970s, several established jazz artists, including Basie, signed on in order to record unfettered by commercial demands. For a smaller band, the Savoy Sultans had a great swing thing going. Paul Quinichette modeled his style so closely on Young's that he was sometimes referred to as the "Vice Prez" (sic). Charles Mingus dedicated an elegy to Young, "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", only a few months after his death. Updates? There was an error deleting this problem. Number of deaths by cause - Our World in Data From around 1951, Young's level of playing declined more precipitously as his drinking increased. ABC World News Tonight feature on death of Count Basie on - YouTube Here is all you want to know, and more! He rose to fame after taking over Bennie Moten's band in 1935. Count Basie | YourDictionary The impact Basie had can be seen across the country. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In 1976, Mr. Basie suffered a heart attack. Anyone can read what you share. Oops, something didn't work. His group, Count Basie and his Cherry Blossoms, was an outgrowth of Bennie Motens band in Kansas City. Click to reveal Count Basie's Death - Cause and Date - The Celebrity Deaths The best of Count Basie: Five essential albums - JAZZ.FM91 The ''book'' of this early Basie band was based on blues and riffs developed on a blues structure. It is also known as being the most generous and noble of signs. She was also in physical decline, near the end of her career, yet they both gave moving performances. Biography - Count Basie - Rutgers University As a result, the band got a date at the Grand Terrace in Chicago. [3], Lester Young was born in Woodville, Mississippi, on August 27, 1909. He was also helming one of the biggest, most renowned African American jazz groups of the day. Mr. Basie's band, more than any other, was the epitome of swing, of jazz that moved with a built-in flowing intensity. Chinese Zodiac: Count Basie was born in the Year of the Rabbit. ''When they let you in the door,'' Ralph Gleason, the jazz critic, reported, ''it was like jumping into the center of a whirlwind. In 2021, approximately 3,458,697 deaths occurred in the United States. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. One day he asked me whether I played the organ. Unlike many white musicians, who were placed in band outfits such as the ones led by Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw, Young was assigned to the regular army where he was not allowed to play his saxophone. Count Basie - nndb.com Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Recorded on a home recorder. recording ban by the American Federation of Musicians, Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio, The President Plays with the Oscar Peterson Trio, Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia, "Lester 'Pres' Young in Minneapolis: The Formative Years", "Frankie Trumbauer - Biography & History", "Lester Young - Biography, Albums, & Streaming Radio - AllMusic", "Stories of Standards: Lester Leaps In by Lester Young", "Lester Young With the Oscar Peterson Trio - Lester Young | Songs, Reviews, Credits", "Young, Lester, Jr. (2008/01/31) | Oral History", "Lester Young: 'The Prez' Still Rules At 100", "Seven Music Greats Added to ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lester_Young&oldid=1142318678, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Holiday always insisted their relationship was strictly platonic. [1] Jones had a major influence on later drummers such as Buddy Rich, Kenny Clarke, Roy Haynes, Max Roach, and Louie Bellson. ). Jazz Musician. Courtesy of the artist. Search above to list available cemeteries. Peter Jennings (who was a jazz an) introduces a short feature on the career of Count Basie who died earlier in the day of pancreatic cancer. 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. A pianist, Count Basie played vaudeville before eventually forming his own big band and helping to define the era of swing with hits like "One O'Clock Jump" and "Blue Skies." William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 - April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. It continues . [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. Page, a bassist, Jimmy Rushing, the blues singer, both of whom would be key members of Mr. Basie's band. The Gonzel White show was stranded in Kansas City, Mo., a fateful location for Mr. Basie. Well, that was the last time I was ever introduced as Bill Basie. This classic session finds the great tenor in particularly expressive form.[19]. Is that all right with you?' Count Basie was a Leo and was born in the G.I. Directing With a Glance Mr. Basie, a short, stocky, taciturn but witty man who liked to wear a yachting cap offstage, presided over the band at the piano with apparent utmost casualness. He was one of the greatest bandleaders of all-time, epitomizing the jazz of south-western America. When is Count Basies birthday? Swing-era bandleader noted for his theme songs One OClock Jump from 1937 and April in Paris from 1932. When the band left for Chicago it had only 12 written arrangements in its book. 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. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. In September 1944, Young and Jo Jones were in Los Angeles with the Basie Band when they were inducted into the U.S. Army. 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. In 2021, Nestico died in Carlsbad, California, at the age of 96. "[12] As well as the Kansas City Sessions, his clarinet work from 193839 is documented on recordings with Basie, Billie Holiday, Basie small groups, and the organist Glenn Hardman. Born in Chicago, Illinois, United States,[1] Jones moved to Alabama, where he learned to play several instruments, including saxophone, piano, and drums. 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. Jones was the 1985 recipient of an American Jazz Masters fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Count Basie Biography - parents, death, history, wife, school, mother Like many famous people and celebrities, Count Basie kept his personal life private. Causes of deaths for people who were 70 years and older. His playing showed reliance on a small number of clichd phrases and reduced creativity and originality, despite his claims that he did not want to be a "repeater pencil" (Young coined this phrase to describe the act of repeating one's own past ideas). Best Count Basie Songs: 20 Jazz Essentials | uDiscover . For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. 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. He made a habit of leaving, working, then going home. As orchestrator, he worked on nearly seventy television programs, including Mission: Impossible,[11] Mannix, M*A*S*H,[13] Charlie's Angels,[14] and The Mod Squad. .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. In 1979, Jones was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame for his contribution to the Birmingham, Alabama musical heritage. When we played pop tunes - and, naturally, we had to - I wanted those pops to kick! 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. Fresh out of Kansas City, the Basie band took Manhattan by storm in 1937. (William) Count Basie (1904-1984) was an extremely popular figure in the jazz world for half a century. He directed music programs at Los Angeles Pierce College, Woodland Hills, California, Westinghouse Memorial High School, and Wilmerding, Pennsylvania. Another cause for the thickening of his tone around this time was a change in saxophone mouthpiece from a metal Otto Link to an ebonite Brilhart. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). On December 8, 1957, Young appeared with Billie Holiday, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, and Gerry Mulligan in the CBS television special The Sound of Jazz, performing Holiday's tune "Fine and Mellow." *How USAFacts measures death. Basies autobiography, Good Morning Blues, written with Albert Murray, was published posthumously in 1985. In contrast to many of his hard-driving peers, Young played with a relaxed, cool tone and used sophisticated harmonies, using what one critic called "a free-floating style, wheeling and diving like a gull, banking with low, funky riffs that pleased dancers and listeners alike". based on information from your browser. In 1950, when big bands were falling apart, Mr. Basie cut down to an eight-piece group but by 1952 he was leading a big band once again. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. The following year, she worked with Artie Shaw and his orchestra. A band leader and pioneer in jazz percussion, Jones anchored the Count Basie Orchestra rhythm section from 1934 to 1948. Then he said, 'Bill, I think I'll call you Count Basie from now on. Young played clarinet as well as tenor in these sessions. standing for detention barracks).[16]. and the bebop revolution of the mid-1940s all played a role in the death of the big-band era. Occupation (s) Musician. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. They had two children: Lester W. Young Jr. (born 1947) and Yvette Young (born 1957). Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Basie then formed the Barons of Rhythm with some of his bandmates from Moten's group, including saxophonist Lester Young. She gave Lester the nickname "Prez" after President Franklin Roosevelt, the "greatest man around" in Billie's mind. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. COUNT BASIE, 79, BAND LEADER AND MASTER OF SWING, DEAD, https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/27/arts/count-basie-79-band-leader-and-master-of-swing-dead.html. 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. 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). [8], During World War II, Nestico joined the United States Army and served for five years. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. He served one traumatic year in a detention barracks[15] and was dishonorably discharged in late 1945. Causes of deaths for children between 5 and 14. ''He commented that Bill Basie was a rather ordinary name and that there were a couple of well-known bandleaders named Earl Hines and Duke Ellington. 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.