Count Basie: The Swing King From Kansas City

Count Basie was a leader, a jazz pianist, a composer and an organ player. He was the first to rise to national fame as a Kansas City style swing band leader.

William James Basie as he was named was the son of Harvey Lee Basie and Lillian Ann Childs born on 21st August, 1904. His spent his early childhood in New Jersey. The pull towards piano was a gift from his mother who was a piano player. She gave him music lessons in his early childhood which got him hooked on to music. He gradually polished his skills with the help of some of the greatest pianists from Harlem. He played the organ informally with Fats Waller and also had an inclination towards playing the drums.
He initially started his career as a co-pianist in vaudeville shows. Simultaneously he played for pick up groups at dances and amateur shows. He debuted officially in a play called “Katie Krippen and her Kids”. He soon joined the company of June Clark and Sonny Greer who were to become Duke Ellington’s drummers soon.
He moved to Kansas City eventually and joined Bennie Moten, a band that played classier and more respected “ Kansas City Style “ stomp rather that the snappier and cheesier bands that existed in that era. With Moten, Basie recorded and also tried his hand at composing. After Moten’s unfortunate death, he formed a new band with the Moten alumni.
The band started blooming gradually and was broadcast regularly by Kansas City radio station. As fate would have it, one of the wealthy jazz aficionados heard one of these broadcasts. With his support and efforts, the band went to New York and was extended in its membership too. Willard Alexander was appointed as the band’s manager by Hammond. In January 1937, Count Basie’s band made its first recording with the Decca record label.
Following this, the band made it big internationally with its leader’s simple but unique piano style and the support of other talented members who were an integral part of the band. He maintained a highly swinging big band except for a brief period in 1950 and ’51 when economic conditions forced him to restrict his performances.
His health started failing in 1976 when he suffered a heart attack that kept him out of commission for several months. In1981, following another stay in the hospital, he began appearing on stage on an electric wheel chair. He died of cancer at 79 on 26th April 1984. 
His life time achievements include a number of Grammys, Esquire’s Silver Award in 1945, Down Beat reader’s poll in 1955, ’57 -’59; Metronome Poll ’58 -’60; Down Beat Critics Poll ’54 -’57; Playboy All Stars’ All Stars ’59. He won Metronome Poll in ’42-’43.He was elected to the Down Beat Hall of Fame in 1958.

Article Tags: Kansas City, Down Beat

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR