Count Basie Musician - 527 Words

When white Americans think of jazz musicians we think new Orleans, sex, drugs, alcohol. Well this is not always the case. Count Basie was from New Jersey and played the piano not the saxophone. He went to New York for his big break in jazz got stranded in Kansas City and became one of the most famous jazz musicians of all time. He led us from big band to bebop. He did not always want to play the piano; he also had a love for drums. Lady’s and Gentlemen please give a warm welcome for The King William Count Basie. Lillian and Harvey were blessed with a baby boy on August 21, 1904 in Red Bank New Jersey. They named their son, William James Basie (some sources say his middle name is Allen). James, William’s older brother, died when he was a small child. His musical talent came honestly. His father was a mellophonist and his mother was a pianist. Lillian was a laundress and his father was a coachman and a caretaker. As a child William did not always like the piano. When he was a small boy he liked the drums, his father even bought him a trap set to practice on. When he decided to take up the piano, his mother would pay 25 cents for a lady to teach William to play the piano. In addition to his parents working William also worked so he could watch silent films free. Well one day the piano accompanist did not show up so Basie took his place, needless to say he was invited back that evening to play again. After dropping out of high school in his Junior year, he moved to New YorkShow MoreRelatedEssay Billie Holiday1341 Words   |  6 Pagesrecognition without help.†Ã¢â‚¬  (Jackson, pg. 86) Billie stopped working as a prostitute and began singing at night clubs and speakeasies in Harlem. The New York nightlife is where John Hammond would discover her. He introduced her to many prestigious jazz musicians and promoted her unparallel sound. Billie Holiday played on the radio where she became recognized as a female singer within the jazz industry. Without the help of John Hammond, Billie may not have had a chance as a singer. â€Å"He is widely creditedRead More Billie Holiday Essay examples2164 Words   |  9 Pagesfresh new style that was a combination of Louis Armstrongs swinging and Bessie Smiths sound. Over the next seven years she would go on to record some of the greatest songs of her career. Lady Day was with Count Basies Orchestra during much of 1937 but, she was soon kicked out by Count Basie for trying to be too independent and temperamental. Later Lester Young and Buck Clayton began recording with Holiday and the music that the three of them made was timeless. She worked with Artie ShawsRead MoreEssay about Billie Holiday918 Words   |  4 PagesHarlem nightclubs such as Pods and Jerrys Log Cabin, the Yeah Man, Monette Moores Supper Club, the Hot-Cha, Alabama Grill and Dickie Wells place. She also sang at the local Elks club in order to pick up a few extra dollars. She was the starving musician, the jazz singer who did all she could to stay alive and still do what she loves. The dedication she displayed to jazz is not easy to explain. She was a perfectionist in her fashion, depending upon her excellent ear, unique voice and honesty andRead MoreMotown Records Influence On Society Essay1128 Words   |  5 Pagesthe dance floor. The earlier jazz bands of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Louis Armstrong were obviously extraordinary and influential too. But these great musicians mostly played to segregated clubs and concert halls, whether legally separate in the South or de facto separated in the North. The earlier jazz bands of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Louis Armstrong were obviously extraordinary and influential too. But these great musicians mostly played to segregated clubs and concert halls, whetherRead More Jazz historiography779 Words   |  4 PagesThe rapid development of jazz in both the United States and Europe generated a number of diverse musical expressions, including musics that most listeners today would not recognize as â€Å"jazz† music. In order to remedy this situation, jazz musicians and critics after 1930 began to codify what â€Å"real† jazz encompassed, and more importantly, what â€Å"real† jazz did not encompass. This construction of authenticity, often demarcated along racial lines, served to relegate several artists and styles (those outsideRead MoreThe Jazz Age : The Roaring 20 S1363 Words   |  6 Pagesjazz and dance music in to the â€Å"cultural mainstream†. (â€Å"The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures: The Mid-Atlantic Region† 2/5) James Europe later established the Chef Club, which created a newly professional atmosphere for black musicians. This exclusive club allowed them to get the best jobs in hotels, restaurants, and ballrooms. Louis Armstrong, once employed by King Oliver, later carried his gig to New York, also. The Original Dixieland Jazz Band was the first five-member whiteRead MoreThe Great Depression And President Roosevelt s New Deal895 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"not want to mix socially with Negroes,† and black people believed that â€Å"when a Negro enters a White band, he loses his identity as a Negro musician† (â€Å"DownBeat Dodges the Racial Issue†). Benny Goodman, however, broke this barrier, initially in 1935 with the first interracial jazz performance, and again in his 1938 Carnegie Hall concert featuring black musicians. Benny Goodman’s career did not begin with the Trio’s 1935 performance; a clarinet player from a young age, Goodman started his professionalRead MoreThe Great Depression And President Roosevelt s New Deal894 Words   |  4 Pagesdid â€Å"not want to mix socially with Negroes,† and blacks believed that â€Å"when a Negro enters a White band, he loses his identity as a Negro musician† (â€Å"DownBeat Dodges the Racial Issue†). Benny Goodman, however, broke this barrier, initially in 1935 with the first interracial jazz performance, and again in his 1938 Carnegie Hall concert featuring black musicians. Benny Goodman’s career did not commence with the Trio’s 1935 performance; a clarinet player from a young age, Goodman initiated his professionalRead MoreEssay on The Many Types of Jazz Music2786 Words   |  12 Pageshas also brought out many famous people. Although jazz is not the most influencing music currently in the nation, its history proves that it is a great form of music with many origins, a multigenerational life span, numerous styles, many legendary musicians, and its own creative, independent interpretation. Jazz is over 100 years old, probably making it one of the longest, lasting forms of music so far. Jazz was not created by Europeans, it was created by Afro-Americans who descended from ancestorsRead More SING SING SING Essay examples1262 Words   |  6 Pagesheard him. Goodman was hired by Pollack, then working in California, and the following year made a triumphal return to Chicago as featured soloist with the band. Goodman remained with Pollack until 1929, when he became a much in-demand session musician in New York. When the band was between jobs, Goodman jammed with members of the Austin High Gang who introduced him to the New Orleans Rhythm Kings and the Dixieland clarinet style of Leon Rappolo. After his 17th birthday Benny made his first recording