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Count Basie
Count BasieWilliam Basie was born an only child on August 21, 1904  in Red Bank, New Jersey. As a child, Basie''s mother and a  German lady named Holloway took care of his music training.  Originally, Basie wanted to play the drums. But competition  at this instrument from his boyhood friend, Sonny Greer,  helped him choose the piano. In the 1920''s, like many young jazz musicians of the  time, Basie left New Jersey for Harlem. Here Jazz piano  greats such as James P. Johnson, Lucky Roberts, and Willie  "The Lion" Smith were serving as major influences. Harlem  provided a perfect place to work and learn. From cabarets to  theatres to saloons, there was always an opening somewhere  for a person with talent to play. Basie cites his most  important influence as Thomas "Fats" Waller. He first heard  Waller playing the pipe organ at the Lincoln Theatre,  One-Hundred and Thirty-fifth Street. Through his many visits  to the theatre, Basie got to know Waller and eventually was asked to sit along side him at the console. One of Basie''s first jobs was with an act called Kattie  Crippin and Her Kids and later another act called Hippity  Hope. Early in his music career, he also played with June  Clark''s band and accompanied singers Clara Smith and Maggie  Jones. Soon after this he joined a road show led by Gonzel  White. The show included Basie playing in a four-piece band  and even acting the part of a villain in one of the comedy  skits. While tour with Gonzel White''s show, Basie became  familiar with Walter Page''s Blue Devils in which he  eventually joined. Basie is quoted as saying it was the  "happiest band I''ve ever been in." The Blue Devils broke up  in the early 1930s upon which Basie joined the Bennie Morton  Band. He remained with this band until 1935 when Morton  died. Basie returned to Kansas City. It was here that the Count Basie Band began to form.  Basie and several other former Morton Band members began  playing at the Reno Club. One of their shows at the Reno  Club was broadcast and the announcer dubbed Basie, Count  Basie, to compete with other bandleaders such as Duke  Ellington. In addition to these broadcasts giving Basie his  new name, recording executive John Hammond also heard one of  the broadcasts. Hammond liked what he heard and convinced a  booking agency to take on the band. In October of 1935, 4  more men were added rounding out Count Basie''s band. The band began recording immediately. Count Basie''s  record contract called for twenty-four sides to be produced  with no royalties given to Basie. It also tied Basie to the  record company for three more years. In return, Basie  received seven hundred and fifty dollars. This sort of deal  was typical of the record industry''s exploitation of jazz  musicians. The contract was eventually brought up to union  standards, but Basie never got any royalties for such hits  as One O''clock Jump, Swingin'' the Blues or Jumpin'' at the  Woodside. The Count Basie and his band began to slowly obtain  acclaim. Today many musicians consider Count Basie''s band to  be the model for "ensemble rhythmic conception and tonal  balance". During the 1930''s, the band''s lightness and  precision set the tone for modern jazz accompanying style.  Basie himself perfected a piano style called comping.  Comping refers to the syncopated and highly precise style of  playing cords. Accompanying pianists would use this style of  play for the next thirty years. Along with the Count Basie  Bands contributions to the jazz style, the band also served  to launch many careers. These include tenor saxophonist  Lester Young, trumpeter Buck Clayton, trumpeter-composer  Thad Jones, bassist Walter Page, drummer Jo Jones, and many  others. Count Basie died on April 26, 1984 in Hollywood, Florida.
 


Count Basie: Combos
Here is a fabulous two-disc set by the legendary Basie.  This new release comes to us from ... more ..
Cabu Label
Catalog No: 534

On Sale $15.95


Basie Jam 2
It took approximately two years after the release of Basie's first "Jam" album before ... more ..
Original Jazz Classics Label
Catalog No: 631-2

On Sale $13.95


Count Basie and Friends: 100th Birthday Bash
It isn't every day a Count has a 100th birthday, and even though Basie is no lnger with us, the ... more ..
Roulette Label
Catalog No: 79666

On Sale $24.95


Atomic Swing
Here are some of the best tunes by the Basie band of the late fifties and early sixties. Great ... more ..
Roulette Label
Catalog No: 7243-4-97871-2

On Sale $13.95


Farmer''s Market Barbecue
As Basie's career was coming to a close, his talents, like fine wine, ripened, matured, and ... more ..
Original Jazz Classics Label
Catalog No: 732-2

On Sale $14.95


88 Basie Street
One of the pieces on this album is called "The Blues Machine" which could stand as a ... more ..
Original Jazz Classics Label
Catalog No: 808-2

On Sale $13.95


One O''Clock Jump: The Very Best of Count Basie
This Signture Series recording of Count Basie and his orchestra are quintessential Basie.  When ... more ..
Columbia Records Label
Catalog No: 82876-817442

On Sale $15.95


April in Paris
The old Vernn Duke song, "April in Paris" has been played and sung in any number of ... more ..
Verve Records Label
Catalog No: 314-521-4022

On Sale $18.95


Last of the Blue Devils (DVD)
Last of the Blue Devils is an affectionate backward glance at the Kansas City "blues" ... more ..
Rhapsody Films Label
Catalog No: RYF168

On Sale $29.95


Atomic Basie
Bristling with excitement and  electricity, this 1958 album represents the finest  ... more ..
Roulette Label
Catalog No: BLU28635

On Sale $11.95


Complete Decca Recordings
Down Beat (11/92, p.51) - 5 Stars -  Excellent - "...It's hard to imagine a more  important ... more ..
Grp/decca Label
Catalog No: GRP611

On Sale $38.95


Best of the Early Basie
Highlights from the box set listed  below. The best of the early Basie  bands. more ..
Grp/decca Label
Catalog No: GRP655

On Sale $11.95
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