COUNT BASIE (1904-1984) Extract from unpublished book “A Jazz Supreme”

William ‘Count’ Basie’s role in The Blue Devils under the musical directorship of heavyweight string bassist Walter Page, a pioneer of the walking bass line, is documented in his autobiography ‘Good Morning Blues’. It was when sleeping off a hangover in a Tulsa hotel room that Basie was awakened by a jazz band playing on the back of a truck in the street below. The talent recruited to The Blue Devils were gradually assimilated by the Bennie Moten Band. Moten was a Kansas City piano player, his band’s final session for Victor Records in 13^th December, 1932 being particularly notable for producing such classics as Moten Swing and Toby. However, fate would intervene when Moten would die on the operating table, just forty years old. Born in New Jersey Basie’s original intention was to be a drummer but for the fact that his drumming skills were eclipsed by his friend Sonny Greer who went on to be a member of The Duke Ellington Band. Moving to New York, Basie came under the spell of stride piano player Fats Waller who also taught him to play the organ. But Basie soon stepped out of his mentor’s shadow to develop a unique technique of his own, As Ted Gioia puts it, “He could do so much with so little. Incisive, robust, energised- the ends achieved seemed at odds with the meagre means employed.” Basie, taking over the legacy of Moten, nurtured an irresistible and highly influential assortment of talent as a band leader including Lester Young and tenor saxophonist Herschel Evans (succeeded by Buck Clayton), famous for his ‘Texas moan’ and Hot Lips Page who had backed Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong. Listen to One O’Clock Jump for example. Unfortunately, Herschel would not achieve his full potential, dying before he was thirty. And then there were the singer: Jimmy Rushing was a master of blues balladry and the likes of Helen Humes and Joe Williams following on with equal distinction. Basie’s light, undemonstrative touch can be heard in his rendition of Leroy Carr’s How Long, How Long, an early record for the Decca label in 1948 with Freddie Green strumming his guitar and a rhythm section of Page and Jo Jones, The word ‘foxtrot’ can be seen on the blue label. Basie’s very first LP as band leader of his Orchestra was One O’Clock Jump: An Album of Jump Music (also on Decca in 1941). The rest of the story may be told by a selected discography of recommendations with a word of warning to avoid Basie’s 60s ‘pop’ albums like Basie’s Beatles Bag (1966).

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY: 10” and LONG PLAYERS

COUNT BASIE AT THE PIANO (1948) (Decca)

COUNT BASIE AND HIS INSTRUMENTALISTS AND RHYTHMISTS- PIANO RHYTHMS (1948) (Decca)

COUNT BASIE AND THE KANSAS CITY 7/ LESTER YOUNG AND HIS QUARTET (1950) (includes Lester Leaps) (Mercury)

COUNT BASIE AND HIS ORCHESTRA- BASIE IN LONDON (1955) (Verve) (With Joe Wiliams on vocals)

COUNT BASIE AT NEWPORT (1957) (Verve): A great way to hear the Basie band in full flow in a live setting- includes an 8½ minute long Swingin’ At Newport and a 9½ minute long One O’Clock Jump

BASIE/ BENNETT: COUND BASIE SWINGS, TONY BENNETT SINGS (1959) (Roulette): If you’re a fan of Bennett you’ll love this.

DUKE ELLINGTON AND COUNT BASIE- FIRST TIME! THE COUNT MEETS THE DUKE (1961) (Columbia): Includes Billy Strayhorn’s Take The A Train and a Battle Royal between the two protagonists with a nice reissue on Wax Time Records)

SINATRA- BASIE- AN HISTORIC MUSICAL FIRST (1962) (Reprise): With a picture of Sinatra on the label

ELLA AND BASIE!(1963) (Verve)

COUNT BASIE- THE ATOMIC MR BASIE (1969) (Roulette): Recorded in 1957 and widely available.