Biography of Count Basie

An American music giant, William "Count" Basie ranks among the select handful of artists whose work embodies swing, and by extension jazz. He may have been the greatest bandleader ever in terms of setting tempos for either large orchestras or small combos. He used a system of melodic leads and cues, that kept things smoothly moving, able to acclerate or downshift whenever necessary. Basie changed the way rhythm sections accompanied soloists. His piano riffs, in conjunction with bassist Walter Page, drummer Jo Jones and guitarist Freddie Green, established equal emphasis on every beat as swing's foundation rhythm. Jones' innovation of putting a constant pulse in the high hat cymbal rather than the bass drum was vital, as were Page's "walking" bass lines, which provided their own liberating component. This section practiced hours independently of the band, and were extremely disciplined, yet conveyed a relaxed, loose eloquence. Basie's lean, spare piano style was so concise it was often mistaken for subtle masking of an inability to play. He was a savvy technician who created a blues-rooted style, inserting simple, melodic phrases at strategic moments that provided comic relief and acted as transitional links to move to the next soloist. His late-period piano recordings, some done with pianists boasting far flashy techniques like Oscar Peterson, demonstrated the fallacy of underestimating his keyboard prowess. He influenced several other players from John Lewis to Mary Lou Williams and many self-styled "cool" musicians. Basie studied piano with his mother, then got his graduate degree in practical training from James P. Johnson and Fats Waller upon moving to New York. By the time he was 20, Basie had toured extensively on the vaudeville circuit as a solo pianist, accompanist, and music director for blues vocalists, dancers and comics. After getting stranded in Kansas City, he decided to stay there, and began playing organ in silent film theaters. He joined Walter Page's Blue Devils, then moved to Bennie Moten's Orchestra. After Moten's death, the band continued a short time under Buster Moten, then Basie departed. He formed a new band with Buster Smith and some other Moten alumni, among them Jo Jones and Lester Young. They were known as The Barons of Rhythm, and began a long engagement at Kansas City's Reno Club. By 1936, they had a regular radio program, and deals with a national booking agency and Decca. The nine-piece band was expanded, and became the Count Basie Orchestra. John Hammond, the famed talent scout and producer, heard them on his car radio, quickly went to a live engagement, and eventually got The Orchestra a recording deal and encouraged Basie to do a national tour. By the end of the '30s, they were established stars, thanks to such anthems as "One O'Clock Jump," "Jumpin' At The Woodside" and "Taxi War Dance." The orchestra had Young and Herschel Evans on tenor saxes, Buck Clayton and, shortly after, Harry Edison on trumpets, plus the superb rhythm section. They were dominant through the '40s, but in 1950 Basie suffered a money crunch and had to disband. He kept going for two years with six-to-nine piece groups, featuring such musicians as Clark Terry, Buddy DeFranco, Serge Chaloff and Buddy Rich. He reorganized the big band in 1952, and began the rigorous recording and touring schedule he'd maintain almost faithfully until the end, to keep the orchestra intact and active. Among Basie's sidemen during his last three decades were such top jazz musicians as trumpeters Thad Jones and Joe Newman, tenors Frank Foster, Frank Wess (who helped introduce the flute into jazz), Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Jimmy Forrest, trombonist Al Grey and drummers Sonny Payne, Rufus "Speedy" Jones and Butch Miles, not to mention vocalist Joe Williams. The Basie orchestra toured Europe for the first time in 1954, starting what became a tradition. Though not celebrated for this like Art Blakey, a fair number of great young players found their voices while in the Basie orchestra. He issued countless recordings on various labels, heading the band and backing singers like Sarah Vaughan, Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. After his death in 1984, first trumpeter Thad Jones, then longtime saxophone section member, composer and arranger Frank Foster took over the reins. Basie alumni have also reunited periodically for concerts and tours as The Countsmen. ~ Ron Wynn and Dan Morgenstern