The pianist Count Basie died at the age of 79. 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. [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. They hate hypocrisy and gossip and can sometimes be a bit arrogant and impatient. Within less than six months, however, Mr. Basie was back at the keyboard. Young was the subject and inspiration of Prez. He made many studio recordings under Granz's supervision as well, including more trio recordings with Nat King Cole. He subsequently led a number of small groups that often included his brother, drummer Lee Young, for the next couple of years; live and broadcast recordings from this period exist. [4][17], Nestico also had a career in music education, teaching at the University of Georgia from 1998 to 1999, where he taught orchestration and conducted the studio orchestra; after which he retired to Carlsbad, California, near San Diego. Jones was the 1985 recipient of an American Jazz Masters fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. His alma mater later awarded him with an honorary Doctor of Music degree and the Distinguished Alumni award. Instrument (s) Drums. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Resend Activation Email. The best-known of these appearances is the July 1957 performance at the Newport Jazz Festival, with a line-up including many of his 1940s colleagues: Jo Jones, Roy Eldridge, Illinois Jacquet and Jimmy Rushing. Mr. Basie's musicians had been playing ''head'' arrangements in Kansas City - treatments of the blues or pop tunes that were worked out on the stand. He is survived by a daughter, Diane Basie of Freeport. In 1978 she was found dead on a Washington, D.C. sidewalk, [3] [8] [10] after attending a Count Basie concert. It continues . People of this zodiac sign like to be admired, expensive things, bright colors, and dislike being ignored, facing difficulties, not being treated specially. The pianist in the combo gave up his seat to Mr. Basie who sat down, tinkled a few introductory notes, looked up at the drummer, nodded at the rest of the group and, when the combo took off, the musicians were playing as brilliantly and cleanly as they had been disheveled only a few moments before. To go on the road, Mr. Basie expanded his nine- piece band to 13 pieces. [11] " Police deemed it suicide, Kuehl having supposedly jumped from her hotel room, although there was no proof of this", [3] and her family believes she may have been murdered. One famous instance of his irritable temper was in the spring of 1936, during a jam session at the Reno Club in Kansas City. There was an error deleting this problem. [11] He soon left Henderson to play in the Andy Kirk band (for six months) before returning to Basie. Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Oops, we were unable to send the email. In 1981, Mr. Basie was honored along with Cary Grant, Helen Hayes and other stars as a recipient of Washington's Kennedy Center honors for achievement in the performing arts. 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. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. The ''book'' of this early Basie band was based on blues and riffs developed on a blues structure. Oops, something didn't work. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Count Basie was born in Red Bank. Young's solo was brilliant, acclaimed by some observers as an unparalleled marvel of economy, phrasing and extraordinarily moving emotion; Nat Hentoff, one of the show's producers, later commented, "Lester got up, and he played the purest blues I have ever heard in the control room we were all crying. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. He married Catherine Morgan on August 21, 1942, with whom he had one child. Especially noteworthy were the albums featuring the duo of Basie and Oscar Peterson, with Basies economy and Petersons dexterous virtuosity proving an effective study in contrasts. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Scale for the musicians at the Reno Club, where beer was a nickel and whisky was 15 cents, was $15 a week for playing from 8 P.M. to 4 A.M., except Saturdays when it was 8 P.M. until 8 A.M. And it was a seven-day week. [13] Playing on her name, he would call her "Lady Day." The following year, she worked with Artie Shaw and his orchestra. He was a big force in music.''. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Count-Basie, All About Jazz - Biography of Count Basie, Long Island Music Hall of Fame - Biography of William Count Basie, African American Registry - Biography of Count Basie, BlackHistoryNow - Biography of Count Basie, National Endowment for the Arts - Biography of William "Count" Basie, Count Basie - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). [3], Lester Young was born in Woodville, Mississippi, on August 27, 1909. [23] On January 31, 2008, Sady Sullivan conducted an oral history interview with Dr. Lester W. Young Jr.[24] At approximately 1:10:00 he speaks about his father, listening to jazz, learning to play, and how having a famous father did not convey any favours. "[4][9], After leaving the military, Nestico became a freelance arranger. The band will continue under the guidance of Aaron Woodward, an adopted son of Mr. Basie who has worked closely with the orchestra leader during the last year. Lester married three times. In January 1956, he recorded two Granz-produced sessions including a reunion with pianist Teddy Wilson, trumpet player Roy Eldridge, trombonist Vic Dickenson, bassist Gene Ramey, and drummer Jo Jones which were issued as The Jazz Giants '56 and Pres and Teddy albums. Courtesy of the artist. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. He began his professional career as an accompanist on the vaudeville circuit. Mr. Basie's wife, Catherine, died in April 1983. Paul Quinichette modeled his style so closely on Young's that he was sometimes referred to as the "Vice Prez" (sic). Jazz Musician. His autobiography, The Gift of Music, was published in 2009. Counts education details are not available at this time. In 1958, Count Basie became the first African-American male recipient of a Grammy Award. [30] Another slang term he is rumoured to have popularized was the term "bread" for money. According to jazz critic Leonard Feather, who rode with Holiday in a taxi to Young's funeral, she said after the services, "I'll be the next one to go. Young is described as playing the clarinet in a "liquid, nervous style. Basie began his career as a stride pianist, reflecting the influence of Johnson and Waller, but the style most associated with him was characterized by spareness and precision. He left home permanently in 1932 when he became a member of the Blue Devils led by Walter Page. Nestico continued to provide arrangements for Basie until Basie's death in 1984, and four of Nestico's collaborations with Basie earned Grammy . As a result, the band got a date at the Grand Terrace in Chicago. 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. He directed music programs at Los Angeles Pierce College, Woodland Hills, California, Westinghouse Memorial High School, and Wilmerding, Pennsylvania. 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. The work was subsequently adapted for the theater, and was staged in November of that year at the Manhattan Theater Club, New York City, with a four-piece jazz combo led by Dwight Andrews.[33]. based on information from your browser. His solo albums eventually earned him four Grammy Award nominations, besides the awards he earned with Count Basie: in 2002 for his album This Is The Moment and for the arrangement "Kiji Takes A Ride"; in 2009 for his album Fun Time; and in 2016 for his arrangement "Good 'Swing' Wenceslas". He worked as an orchestrator and arranger for the film The Color Purple. 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. Lena Horne, Stevie Wonder, Joe Williams, Oscar Peterson and Quincy Jones were among the stars to pay tribute. He originally wanted to be a drummer, but he grew up near Sonny Greer, who would become Duke Ellington s legendary drummer in 1919. When Bennie Moten died in 1935, the band disintegrated and Mr. Basie organized a small band to play at the Reno Club in Kansas City that became the nucleus of the band with which he gained his initial fame. Death rate from cardiovascular disease. Learn more about merges. The 1950s band showcased the sound and style Basie was to employ for the remainder of his career, although there were to be occasionaland successfulexperiments such as Afrique (1970), an album of African rhythms and avant-garde compositions that still managed to remain faithful to the overall Basie sound. When we played pop tunesand, naturally, we had toI wanted those pops to kick! He thought he could never outmatch Greers talent, so he took up piano at 15. William James " Count " Basie ( / besi /; August 21, 1904 - April 26, 1984) [1] was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. His third wife was Mary Berkeley. Astrological Sign: Leo. One of Kansas City's own, Ronald McFadden, 66, who together with his brother Lonnie, is well known for entertaining audiences in Kansas City and worldwide, died unexpectedly Monday evening. His studio recordings are relatively sparse during the 1942 to 1943 period, largely due to the recording ban by the American Federation of Musicians. The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. He was also helming one of the biggest, most renowned African American jazz groups of the day. JUMP TO: Count Basies biography, facts, family, personal life, zodiac, videos and related celebs. With vocals by Jimmy Rushing, the band set up shop to perform at Kansas City's Reno Club. A group that included some Basie sidemen was on stage, playing in a ragged, desultory fashion, when Mr. Basie arrived. Failed to delete memorial. [21][22] Both hold a PhD in Education, according to drummer Roy Haynes, who was interviewed as part of an attempt to create a film biography of Young. 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. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. ''I wanted 13 men to think and play the same way. [4][7], Beginning in 1982, Nestico began releasing solo albums, with Dark Orchid" as his debut album. So he called the pianist "Count," with Basie not realizing just how much the name would catch on as a form of recognition and respect in the music world. He began working as an arranger for Count Basie in 1967, and wrote and arranged all the music for Basie's 1968 LP Basie Straight Ahead. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Charles Mingus dedicated an elegy to Young, "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", only a few months after his death. Breakthrough on 52d Street. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2b3f35bc02472d . Causes of deaths for people who were 70 years and older. when asking how much a gig was going to pay.[31]. Count was 79 years old at the time of death. Recordings made during this and subsequent periods suggest Young was beginning to make much greater use of a plastic reed, which tended to give his playing a somewhat heavier, breathier tone (although still quite smooth compared to that of many other players). 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. ). To help it through the Grand Terrace engagement, Fletcher Henderson, who had provided Benny Goodman with the arrangements that enabled his band to break through a year earlier, lent Mr. Basie some of his arrangements. Count Basie AKA William Allen Basie Born: 21-Aug - 1904 Birthplace: Red Bank, NJ Died: 26-Apr - 1984 Location of death: Hollywood, FL Cause of death: Cancer - Pancreatic Remains: Buried, Pinelawn Memorial Park, Farmingdale, NY Gender: Male Race or Ethnicity: Black Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Pianist, Jazz Musician 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. [16] Nestico composed commercial jingles for Anheuser-Busch, Zenith, Ford Motor Company, Mattel Toys, Pittsburgh Paint, the National Guard, Dodge, Remington Bank, and Americard. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. His father was a teacher and band leader. He eventually relocated the Cherry Blossoms to Chicago, then to New York City. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 1950s, the band survived long past the Big Band era itself and the death of Basie in 1984. . They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Discography.
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