William James Basie was born on August 21, 1904, in Red Bank, New Jersey. Basie’s mother gave him his first piano lessons. After moving to New York, Basie met Fats Waller, whom he heard playing organ for silent movies.
In 1928 in Kansas City, he joined Walter Page’s Blue Devils, though he members of the Blue Devils were soon lured away by pianist Bennie Moten who could pay them more lucrative salaries.
Basie’s stride playing was excellent and that, coupled with his friendly nature, made Basie popular in Kansas City. Basie was pianist on eight record dates with Moten during 1929-31. On Dec. 13, 1932, the Bennie Moten Orchestra had their final and greatest recording session. On the sides recorded that day, the swinging band often hints at the future Count Basie Orchestra.
After Bennie Moten died in 1935, Basie went out on his own. The record producer John Hammond, while switching dials on his radio, heard the Basie Orchestra and flew to Kansas City to convince Basie that he should take his band to Chicago and New York.
By 1936 Basie was playing a sparer style, making dramatic use of space and perfectly placing his notes to maximize swing. The cool and light sound that he created made it essential for him to have a strong rhythm section, which uplifted the entire band.
Once the Count Basie Orchestra had begun to solidify its sound in 1937, there was little real change during the next dozen years despite changes in personnel and the development of other styles of music.
By the late 1940s, a number of factors made it difficult for any big band to survive. Basie’s increasingly dire financial situation led to his band breaking up in 1949. Count Basie had no intention of giving up music. In 1952, Basie appeared at the helm of a swinging new big band, one with tight, modern arrangements that left room for individual solos. From the mid-’50s on, the Count Basie Orchestra was permanently back.
The quality of his band stayed consistently high. Count Basie stayed musically active up until the time of his death on April 26, 1984. – Adapted from essays by Scott Yanow, please see:
Count Basie: Part 1 – The Old Testament Years
Count Basie Part 2: The New Testament Years
