''He was a wonderful man. The top 10 causes of death - World Health Organization Courtesy of the artist. He was 67. Death rate from cardiovascular disease. Lena Horne, Stevie Wonder, Joe Williams, Oscar Peterson and Quincy Jones were among the stars to pay tribute. Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. "Ivey-Divey" was one of Lester Young's common eccentric phrases. [4][9][10][11][12], Nestico had a long career in the film and television industry. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. There was an error deleting this problem. To use this feature, use a newer browser. With Mr. Basie's 13 men in full cry at one end of this elongated closet, the sound ricocheting off the walls and rocketing down from the low ceiling, no listener could escape the exhilarating power of the band. A brother, James, died when William was a young boy. 208.109.12.159 Nestico is best known for his arrangements for the Count Basie orchestra. [13] Playing on her name, he would call her "Lady Day." He later worked for a few years with a band led by Bennie Moten, who died in 1935. In August 1944, Young appeared alongside drummer Jo Jones, trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison, and fellow tenor saxophonist Illinois Jacquet in Gjon Mili's short film Jammin' the Blues. Please enter your email and password to sign in. The best-known of these appearances is the July 1957 performance at the Newport Jazz Festival, with a line-up including many of his 1940s colleagues: Jo Jones, Roy Eldridge, Illinois Jacquet and Jimmy Rushing. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. A group that included some Basie sidemen was on stage, playing in a ragged, desultory fashion, when Mr. Basie arrived. Count was 79 years old at the time of death. Verify and try again. He was one of the first drummers to promote the use of brushes on drums, and shifting the role of timekeeping from the bass drum to the hi-hat cymbal. In contrast to many of his hard-driving peers, Young played with a relaxed, cool tone and used sophisticated harmonies, using what one critic called "a free-floating style, wheeling and diving like a gull, banking with low, funky riffs that pleased dancers and listeners alike". Count Basie. Not loud and fast, understand, but smoothly and with a definite punch. (Count Basie), Of course, there are a lot of ways you can treat the blues, but it will still be the blues. (Count Basie), Im saying: to be continued, until we meet again. Another cause for the thickening of his tone around this time was a change in saxophone mouthpiece from a metal Otto Link to an ebonite Brilhart. Born in Chicago, Illinois, United States,[1] Jones moved to Alabama, where he learned to play several instruments, including saxophone, piano, and drums. See the article in its original context from. The Count Basie Orchestra had a slew of hits that helped to define the big-band sound of the 1930s and '40s. His daughter, Diane Basie, now 71 and living in Florida. ''One night the announcer called me to the microphone for those usual few words of introduction,'' Mr. Basie once recalled. 1956 was a relatively good year for Lester Young, including a tour of Europe with Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Quartet and a successful residency at Olivia Davis' Patio Lounge in Washington, DC, with the Bill Potts Trio. Basie studied music with his mother and was later influenced by the Harlem pianists James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, receiving . [11] He soon left Henderson to play in the Andy Kirk band (for six months) before returning to Basie. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. He started out to be a drummer. ', ''The next day he invited me to sit in the pit and start working the pedals. He married Catherine Morgan on August 21, 1942, with whom he had one child. Death rate from chronic respiratory diseases. [32] At Minguss request, Joni Mitchell wrote lyrics to Goodbye Pork Pie Hat which incorporated stories Mingus told Mitchell about Young; the song was featured on Mitchells 1979 album release, Mingus, a collaboration instigated by Mingus during the last year of his life as he struggled with the ALS that would kill him. So he called the pianist "Count," with Basie not realizing just how much the name would catch on as a form of recognition and respect in the music world. On a flight to New York City, he suffered from internal bleeding due to the effects of alcoholism and died in the early morning hours of March 15, 1959, only hours after arriving back in New York, at the age of 49.[26]. [17] Young's playing and health went into a crisis, culminating in a November 1955 hospital admission following a nervous breakdown. I decided that I would be one of the biggest new names; and I actually had some little fancy business cards printed up to announce it, Count Basie. Lester Young - Wikipedia Unlike many white musicians, who were placed in band outfits such as the ones led by Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw, Young was assigned to the regular army where he was not allowed to play his saxophone. This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 19:11. Jonathan David Samuel Jones (October 7, 1911 - September 3, 1985) [1] was an American jazz drummer. This browser does not support getting your location. Billie Holiday - Movie, Death & Strange Fruit - Biography From the Grand Terrace, it moved on to New York and Roseland Ballroom (playing opposite Woody Herman's new, young band) where listeners complained that it was out of tune (not a surprising reaction since many of Mr. Basie's musicians were blowing patched-up horns and saxophones held together by rubber bands). The causes of death rooted in complex mental health and substance abuse issues, such as drug overdoses and suicide, comprise a relatively small portion of deaths, but are increasing faster than most other causes. This generation experienced much of their youth during the Great Depression and rapid technological innovation such as the radio and the telephone. Some of their notable songs included "One O'Clock Jump"the orchestra's signature tune which Basie composed himself and "Jumpin' at the Woodside.". One night, while the band was broadcasting on a shortwave radio station in Kansas City, he was dubbed Count Basie by a radio announcer who wanted to indicate his standing in a class with aristocrats of jazz such as Duke Ellington. He flicked out tightly economical, single-finger passages, directing his musicians with a glance, a lift of an eyebrow or a note hit gently but positively in passing. His father Harvey was a mellophonist and his mother Lillian was a pianist who gave her son his first lessons. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Count Basie (1664)? Live. During his tenure, a composition by Nestico led President Johnson to remark "You call this music?" From 1935 to his death in 1984, pianist and bandleader Count Basie led one of the most important jazz institutions of the 20th century, in the process forging a distinctive sound that changed the . On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In September 1944, Young and Jo Jones were in Los Angeles with the Basie Band when they were inducted into the U.S. Army. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Rock Icon KISS Is Saying Goodbye (For Real), Rihanna and 10 Other Great Pregnant Performances, Burt Bacharachs Legacy: 5 Notable Collaborations, 2023 Grammy Awards: Six Winners Who Made History. His group, Count Basie and his Cherry Blossoms, was an outgrowth of Bennie Motens band in Kansas City. Even in Harlem, it puzzled the aware audiences at the Savoy Ballroom. Sammy Nestico - Wikipedia A pianist, Count Basie played vaudeville before eventually forming his own big band and helping to define the era of swing with hits like "One O'Clock Jump" and "Blue Skies." Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. As one Basie band member put it, Count dont do nothin. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. He originally wanted to be a drummer, but he grew up near Sonny Greer, who would become Duke Ellington s legendary drummer in 1919. When jazz record producer Norman Granz formed his Pablo label in the 1970s, several established jazz artists, including Basie, signed on in order to record unfettered by commercial demands. For a year he played piano accompaniment to silent movies and then joined Walter Page's Blue Devils in Tulsa, Okla., a band that included, in addition to Mr. 0 cemeteries found in East Farmingdale, Suffolk County, New York, USA. Ronald McFadden, consummate entertainer, tap dancer and musician, died unexpectedly this week, shortly after a performance in downtown Kansas City. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. This account has been disabled. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. There is a problem with your email/password. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Swing-era bandleader noted for his theme songs One OClock Jump from 1937 and April in Paris from 1932. Recorded on a home recorder. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Basie then formed the Barons of Rhythm with some of his bandmates from Moten's group, including saxophonist Lester Young. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). United States, 2021 | MMWR - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention His autobiography (as told to Albert Murray), entitled Rifftide: The Life and Opinions of Papa Jo Jones and based on conversations between Jones and novelist Murray from 1977 to before Jones' death in 1985, was posthumously published in 2011 by the University of Minnesota Press.[2]. He was soon court-martialed. For a smaller band, the Savoy Sultans had a great swing thing going. All Rights Reserved. [1] Jones, Basie, guitarist Freddie Green and bassist Walter Page were sometimes billed as an "All-American Rhythm section," an ideal team. Please try again later. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? We will continue to update information on Count Basies parents. ABC World News Tonight feature on death of Count Basie on - YouTube His mother paid 25 cents per piano lesson for him when he was young. ''I had dropped into the old Lincoln Theater in Harlem,'' Mr. Basie once recalled, ''and I heard a young fellow beating it out on an organ. ''He was the only leader in the business who ever went out of his way to help me,'' Mr. Basie said later. People of this zodiac sign like to be admired, expensive things, bright colors, and dislike being ignored, facing difficulties, not being treated specially. According to jazz critic Leonard Feather, who rode with Holiday in a taxi to Young's funeral, she said after the services, "I'll be the next one to go. Count Basie Biography - parents, death, history, wife, school, mother The ''book'' of this early Basie band was based on blues and riffs developed on a blues structure. [3], Lester Young was born in Woodville, Mississippi, on August 27, 1909. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Count-Basie, All About Jazz - Biography of Count Basie, Long Island Music Hall of Fame - Biography of William Count Basie, African American Registry - Biography of Count Basie, BlackHistoryNow - Biography of Count Basie, National Endowment for the Arts - Biography of William "Count" Basie, Count Basie - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. He rose to fame after taking over Bennie Moten's band in 1935. In addition to his artistry on the drums, Jones was known for his irascible, combative temperament. In 1963, he switched to the Marines and became director and arranger of the United States Marine Band, where he served under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Duffy Jackson, a drummer whose swinging exuberance propelled him from child stardom to a prolific career behind Lionel Hampton, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne and many others, died on Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn. After Young's clarinet was stolen in 1939, he abandoned the instrument until about 1957. ''He commented that Bill Basie was a rather ordinary name and that there were a couple of well-known bandleaders named Earl Hines and Duke Ellington. Young is a major character in English writer Geoff Dyer's 1991 fictional book about jazz, But Beautiful. In December 1943, Young returned to the Basie fold for a 10-month stint, cut short by his being drafted into the army during World War II. Basie was born William James Basie (with some sources listing his middle name as "Allen") on August 21, 1904, in Red Bank, New Jersey. "[25], Young made his final studio recordings and live performances in Paris in March 1959 with drummer Kenny Clarke at the tail end of an abbreviated European tour during which he ate next to nothing and drank heavily. He began his professional career as an accompanist on the vaudeville circuit. His first marriage was to Beatrice Tolliver, in Albuquerque, on 23 February 1930. This page is updated often with latest details about Count Basie. Beginning in Vaudeville. recording ban by the American Federation of Musicians, Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio, The President Plays with the Oscar Peterson Trio, Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia, "Lester 'Pres' Young in Minneapolis: The Formative Years", "Frankie Trumbauer - Biography & History", "Lester Young - Biography, Albums, & Streaming Radio - AllMusic", "Stories of Standards: Lester Leaps In by Lester Young", "Lester Young With the Oscar Peterson Trio - Lester Young | Songs, Reviews, Credits", "Young, Lester, Jr. (2008/01/31) | Oral History", "Lester Young: 'The Prez' Still Rules At 100", "Seven Music Greats Added to ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lester_Young&oldid=1142318678, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. [1] The two died only a few days apart. He became an accompanist to the blues singers Clara Smith and Maggie Jones and he worked in a 14th Street dance hall. In 2009, Nestico said in an interview "I didn't answer, although I didn't think [Johnson's] concept of music was worth a damn. Jones was the 1985 recipient of an American Jazz Masters fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts. Then he said, 'Bill, I think I'll call you Count Basie from now on. It featured such jazzmen as tenor saxophonists Lester Young (regarded by many as the premier tenor player in jazz history) and Herschel Evans, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry Sweets Edison, and trombonists Benny Morton and Dicky Wells. Holiday broke new ground with Shaw, becoming one of the first female . Family members linked to this person will appear here. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most influential players on his instrument. Friend 'stole' $70K from jazz legend's disabled daughter As orchestrator, he worked on nearly seventy television programs, including Mission: Impossible,[11] Mannix, M*A*S*H,[13] Charlie's Angels,[14] and The Mod Squad.