Basie played the vaudevillian circuit for a time until he got stuck in Kansas City, Missouri in the mid-1920s after his performance group disbanded. 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. Some of their notable songs included "One O'Clock Jump"the orchestra's signature tune which Basie composed himself and "Jumpin' at the Woodside.". The strengths of this sign are being creative, passionate, generous, warm-hearted, cheerful, humorous, while weaknesses can be arrogant, stubborn, self-centered, lazy and inflexible. 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. [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. Then he joined a touring show headed by one Gonzel White, playing piano in a four-piece band. [21], This list is incomplete. ''And that's when the whole fire started,'' said Mr. Alexander. [7] Young left the family band in 1927 at the age of 18 because he refused to tour in the Southern United States, where Jim Crow laws were in effect and racial segregation was required in public facilities. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Mr. Basie was, along with Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, one of the pre-eminent bandleaders of the Big Band era in the 1930's and 40's. Jonathan David Samuel Jones (October 7, 1911 - September 3, 1985) [1] was an American jazz drummer. Not loud and fast, understand, but smoothly and with a definite punch. [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. Count Basie was born in Red Bank. Sorry! See the article in its original context from. Holiday broke new ground with Shaw, becoming one of the first female . [15] He also worked as an arranger for the 81st Academy Awards, as well as some Grammy Awards. [4][12], Nestico published nearly 600 numbers for school groups and many for professional big bands. 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. His father was a railroad worker. With Count Basie Best Known For: One of jazz music's all-time greats, bandleader-pianist Count Basie was a primary shaper of the big-band sound that characterized mid-20th century popular music. Try again later. [3], Lester Young was born in Woodville, Mississippi, on August 27, 1909. He also received a distinguished alumni award from Duquesne, and in 1994 was inducted into Duquesne's "Century Club". The Count Basie Theatre in Redbank, New Jersey. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Jonathan David Samuel Jones (October 7, 1911 September 3, 1985)[1] was an American jazz drummer. 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. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Whos the richest Pianist in the world? To use this feature, use a newer browser. Death Year: 1984, Death date: April 26, 1984, Death State: Florida, Death City: Hollywood, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Count Basie Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/count-basie, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: April 14, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. 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. 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. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. After Young's clarinet was stolen in 1939, he abandoned the instrument until about 1957. 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. Live recording of Young and Potts in Washington were issued later. He also starred in several films, most notably the musical short Jammin' the Blues (1944). [18] In 1956, he recorded two LPs with his 1930s collaborators Teddy Wilson and Jo Jones. These performances were generally well attended by other drummers such as Max Roach and Roy Haynes. Cholera deaths in Great Britain over the long-term. He was also helming one of the biggest, most renowned African American jazz groups of the day. 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. If you see something that doesnt look right, contact us. 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. There will be a viewing at Benta's Funeral Home, 630 St. Nicholas Avenue at 141st Street, on Sunday from 1 to 7 P.M. [35], On 17 March 2003, Young was added to the ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame, along with Sidney Bechet, Al Cohn, Nat "King" Cole, Peggy Lee and Teddy Wilson. He was a big force in music.''. He sold newspapers and shined shoes. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. He directed music programs at Los Angeles Pierce College, Woodland Hills, California, Westinghouse Memorial High School, and Wilmerding, Pennsylvania. Holiday toured with the Count Basie Orchestra in 1937. Chinese Zodiac: Count Basie was born in the Year of the Rabbit. Producer John Hammond heard the band's sound and helped secure further bookings. 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. Allmusic's Scott Yanow, reviewing one of the albums, Pres and Teddy, commented: Although it has been written much too often that Lester Young declined rapidly from the mid-'40s on, the truth is that when he was healthy, Young played at his very best during the '50s, adding an emotional intensity to his sound that had not been present during the more carefree days of the '30s. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. He began his professional career as an accompanist on the vaudeville circuit. It featured such jazzmen as tenor saxophonists Lester Young (regarded by many as the premier tenor player in jazz history) and Herschel Evans, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry Sweets Edison, and trombonists Benny Morton and Dicky Wells. But the obvious talents of another young Red Bank drummer, Sonny Greer, who was Duke Ellington's drummer from 1919 to 1951, discouraged young Basie and he switched to piano. 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. From around 1951, Young's level of playing declined more precipitously as his drinking increased. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. ''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. 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. You can't have a Count Basie collection without going back to the beginning. 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). 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. The story of Count Basie is very much the story of the great jazz band that he led for close to 50 years (1935-1984), an orchestra with a distinctive . Oops, we were unable to send the email. Like many famous people and celebrities, Count Basie kept his personal life private. The initials "G.I." Young joined Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic troupe in 1946, touring regularly with JATP over the next 12 years. [12], Nestico married his second wife, Shirley, in 1995, and was married to her until his death. The Black Music Association honored Mr. Basie in 1982 with a gala at Radio City Music Hall. Nestico continued to provide arrangements for Basie until Basie's death in 1984, and four of Nestico's collaborations with Basie earned Grammy . That year Norman Granz gave him one and urged him to play it (with far different results at that stage in Young's lifesee below). Drummer of the Count Basie Orchestra Passed Away, Obituary Teach World 1.12K. Generation. William James Basie is part of G.I. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? and the bebop revolution of the mid-1940s all played a role in the death of the big-band era. .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. 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. 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. Even in Harlem, it puzzled the aware audiences at the Savoy Ballroom. People of this zodiac sign like to be admired, expensive things, bright colors, and dislike being ignored, facing difficulties, not being treated specially. 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). (William) Count Basie (1904-1984) was an extremely popular figure in the jazz world for half a century. [11] He soon left Henderson to play in the Andy Kirk band (for six months) before returning to Basie. It was a reunion with Holiday, with whom he had lost contact over the years. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Their famously empathetic classic recordings with Teddy Wilson date from this era. Along with Duke Ellington, Count Basie is regarded as one of the two most important and influential bandleaders in the history of jazz. In 2021, approximately 3,458,697 deaths occurred in the United States. 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. It was a loose and swinging band, built around distinctively individualistic solos by Lester Young, Herschel Evans, Buddy Tate, Buck Clayton, Harry Edison, Dickie Wells, Vic Dickenson and, primarily, Mr. Basie himself. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. He left home permanently in 1932 when he became a member of the Blue Devils led by Walter Page. During the 1960s and '70s, Basie recorded with luminaries like Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. GREAT NEWS! This is a carousel with slides. Who are the richest people in the world? ). Basie benefited greatly from his association with Granz and made several recordings during the 70s that rank among his best work. It was on one of these broadcasts that Bill Basie became Count Basie. The Sun is about vitality and is the core giver of life. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. 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. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. A band leader and pioneer in jazz percussion, Jones anchored the Count Basie Orchestra rhythm section from 1934 to 1948. You never got tired of that business at the end.'' He served one traumatic year in a detention barracks[15] and was dishonorably discharged in late 1945. Count Basies mothers name is unknown at this time and his fathers name is under review. [17] Young's playing and health went into a crisis, culminating in a November 1955 hospital admission following a nervous breakdown. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. A band leader and pioneer in jazz percussion, Jones anchored the Count Basie Orchestra rhythm section from 1934 to 1948. Samuel Louis Nistico (February 6, 1924 January 17, 2021), better known as Sammy Nestico, was an American composer and arranger. Page, a bassist, Jimmy Rushing, the blues singer, both of whom would be key members of Mr. Basie's band. [5] He grew up in a musical family. Small record labels not bound by union contracts continued to record, and Young recorded some sessions for Harry Lim's Keynote label in 1943. [8] He became a member of the Bostonians, led by Art Bronson, and chose tenor saxophone over alto as his primary instrument. [4] to Lizetta Young (ne Johnson), and Willis Handy Young, originally from Louisiana. [14] Based in Ft. McClellan, Alabama, Young was found with marijuana and alcohol among his possessions. He was also honored by ASMAC and the Big Band Academy of America. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. I mean, he'll concert you all, and then he'll swing you all, too, you understand, when he's ready to. Count Basie Birth Name: William James Basie Occupation: Pianist Place Of Birth: Red Bank Date Of Birth: August21, 1904 Date Of Death: April 26, 1984 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: Black Nationality: American Count Basie was born on the 21st of August, 1904. Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. A few of his songs were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame as well, including "April in Paris" and "Everyday I Have the Blues.". 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. His alma mater later awarded him with an honorary Doctor of Music degree and the Distinguished Alumni award. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. After leaving the military, Nestico became a freelance arranger. He is rumored to have refused to play with the band on Friday, December 13 of that year for superstitious reasons, spurring his dismissal[11] although Young and drummer Jo Jones would later state that his departure had been in the works for months. Young left the Basie band to replace Hawkins in Fletcher Henderson's orchestra. Count Basie Birthday and Date of Death Count Basie was born on August 21, 1904 and died on April 26, 1984. [1] Jones took a brief break for two years when he was in the military, but he remained with Basie until 1948. Failed to delete memorial. One famous instance of his irritable temper was in the spring of 1936, during a jam session at the Reno Club in Kansas City. Verify and try again. Basie studied music with his mother and was later influenced by the Harlem pianists James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, receiving . He made a habit of leaving, working, then going home. [3], For the fictional television character, see, Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 08:43, The Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Pete Brown, Jo Jones All Stars at Newport, Mae Barnes, Jo Jones, Buck Clayton, Ray Bryant, The Oscar Peterson Trio with Sonny Stitt, Roy Eldridge and Jo Jones at Newport, Sonny Stitt Plays Arrangements from the Pen of Quincy Jones, Jazz Icons: Coleman Hawkins-Live in 62 & 64, "Book Review: The Life and Opinions of Papa Jo Jones", "Jo Jones, 73, A Jazz Drummer Influential in Swing Era, Dies", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jo_Jones&oldid=1141690806, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 08:43. In 1958, Basie became the first African American male recipient of a Grammy Award. Nestico continued to provide arrangements for Basie until Basie's death in 1984, and four of Nestico's collaborations with Basie earned Grammy Awards. The 1994 documentary about the 1958 Esquire "A Great Day in Harlem" photograph of jazz musicians in New York, contains many remembrances of Young. I said the minute the brass got out of hand and blared and screeched instead of making every note mean something, there'd be some changes made. He made many studio recordings under Granz's supervision as well, including more trio recordings with Nat King Cole. Born in Chicago, Illinois, United States,[1] Jones moved to Alabama, where he learned to play several instruments, including saxophone, piano, and drums. "Ivey-Divey" was one of Lester Young's common eccentric phrases. Drag images here or select from your computer for Count Basie memorial. In December 1943, Young returned to the Basie fold for a 10-month stint, cut short by his being drafted into the army during World War II. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. [2][3] Nestico joined the Oliver High School beginner orchestra in 1937 as a trombonist. Even more important was the fact that the Famous Door had national and local radio wires. (Sorry I could . [20] His second was to Mary Dale. Lena Horne, Stevie Wonder, Joe Williams, Oscar Peterson and Quincy Jones were among the stars to pay tribute. One night, while the band was broadcasting on a shortwave radio station in Kansas City, he was dubbed Count Basie by a radio announcer who wanted to indicate his standing in a class with aristocrats of jazz such as Duke Ellington. At the time of his death, a feature-length documentary film titled Shadow Man: The Sammy Nestico Story was in production. Birthday: August 21, 1904 Date of Death: April 26, 1984 Age at Death: 79 Live Live Death Statistics Worldwide and The United States Count Basie - Biography In 2009, Nestico said in an interview "I didn't answer, although I didn't think [Johnson's] concept of music was worth a damn. While growing up in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans, he worked from the age of five to make money for the family. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Foster asked the drummer to come back for another audition in six months after the young man had listened to every recording he could find of Sonny Payne drumming with Count Basie. Count Bill Basie . Jones performed regularly in later years at the West End jazz club at 116th and Broadway in New York City. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. We have set your language to *How USAFacts measures death. Click to reveal 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. Mr. Basie's wife, Catherine, died in April 1983. The pianist Count Basie died at the age of 79. This page is updated often with latest details about Count Basie. Basie studied music with his mother and was later influenced by the Harlem pianists James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, receiving informal tutelage on the organ from the latter. Causes of deaths for people who were 70 years and older. They were considered a model for ensemble rhythmic conception and tonal balancethis despite the fact that most of Basies sidemen in the 1930s were poor sight readers; mostly, the band relied on head arrangements (so called because the band had collectively composed and memorized them, rather than using sheet music). In 1979, Jones was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame for his contribution to the Birmingham, Alabama musical heritage. Biography - A Short Wiki Swing-era bandleader noted for his theme songs One O'Clock Jump from 1937 and April in Paris from 1932. Basie was born William James Basie (with some sources listing his middle name as "Allen") on August 21, 1904, in Red Bank, New Jersey. [28] Sonny Stitt began to incorporate elements from Lester Young's approach when he made the transition to tenor saxophone. Mr. Basie's band, more than any other, was the epitome of swing, of jazz that moved with a built-in flowing intensity. cemeteries found in East Farmingdale, Suffolk County, New York, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. All Rights Reserved. Basies autobiography, Good Morning Blues, written with Albert Murray, was published posthumously in 1985. 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.