Count Basie(1904-1984)
Count Basie was
a pivotal figure in American popular music.
After studying piano with his mother, he went to New York where
he met James Johnson and Fats Waller,
with whom he studied
informally. Before he was 20, he had toured extensively
on vaudeville circuits as a solo pianist and director for
blues singers, dancers and comedians. In 1927, he found himself
stranded in Kansas City. He decided to remain.
He joined the Blue Devils and later Benny Moten's Kansas
City Orchestra with other famous performers, including Lester
Young and Jimmie Rushing. When Benny Moten died, Count Basie
formed his own orchestra called the Barons of Rhythm. They were
heard on national radio broadcasts by famed critic John Hammond
and were picked up by Decca Records in 1936.
Their style differed from other bands in the thirties in that
others placed emphasis on melodies and ensemble whereas the CBO
stressed rhythm and solos.
They moved to New York and by the
end of the thirties the band had acquired international fame.
Later in the 50's, 60's, and 70's, the Basie Orchestra served
as stepping stones for famous musicians. While the later bands
were arguably less satisfying musically, they never lost their
popular following.
