Count Basie remembered

[king ubu]

As you may have noted, some of us have started to work on a website dedicated to the music and life of the Count. I am in charge of what we will have as far as a biography and articles are concerned (there will also be a huge discography, of course). Now some members of this group here have been contacted by me personally. If anyone feels he or she has got anything substantial to offer, please drop me a line!

Now the purpose of this thread is to collect things you know about - there is so much knowledge among the posters of this group, that it would be a waste not to make use of it for our website!

Post your personal recollections, your fond memories, anecdotes and little bits & pieces about Basie and his band here, please!

Thanks in advance for everybody who is willing to contribute!

ubu

[king ubu]

Now c'mon guys! There are certainly some among you that have witnessed the Basie band(s)! Please step ahead and post something! Would be really appreciated!

Thanks,

ubu

[couw]

What Ubu is asking for here is really very simple, it is for you out there to share your recollections, any recollections, related to Basie.

We will then want to use those to make a kind of scrap book on the Basie site. Short anecdotes of how you saw the band perform, how you bought your first Basie record and were blown off your socks, or about that time you met that guy from the band.

Anything goes. This is your chance to make up for all them rekkid kompanies and the stoopid general public not noticing the Count celebrates his 100th birthday this year.

[king ubu]

What Ubu is asking for here is really very simple, it is for you out there to share your recollections, any recollections, related to Basie.

Alright... it has never been my strenght to put things simple, even less in a foreign language...

We will then want to use those to make a kind of scrap book on the Basie site. Short anecdotes of how you saw the band perform, how you bought your first Basie record and were blown off your socks, or about that time you met that guy from the band.

Anything goes. This is your chance to make up for all them rekkid kompanies and the stoopid general public not noticing the Count celebrates his 100th birthday this year.

So please go ahead now! And make good for what all those big crap-heads sitting at Vivendi's, EMI's and Sony's top floors don't bother about...

ubu

Edited June 16, 2004 by king ubu

[Clunky]

I wish I something to add here. My only comprehension of Basie whilst he was alive was via his bizarre appearance in Mel Brooks "Blazing saddles" which was released when I was a teenager. Maybe something stuck with me as from the start of my affair with jazz I knew I loved Basie.

[LAL]

Perhaps, The Count's centennial is not as forgotten as perceived - we just need to look in the right places.

For instance, the Count Basie Orchestra, currently led by Bill Hughes (a trombonist!) has been and will be actively touring the world in conjunction with The Count's 100th anniversary. The band is currently doing a fairly extensive tour of Asia (Hong Kong in April; Singapore, Malaysia and Korea this month). The fact they're touring shows at least some interest in the music and possibly an equal awareness of the centennial.

Guess what? I'm going to my first ever jazz concert next week - and surprise surprise the artists are the Count Basie Orchestra! Booked my tickets one year in advance and I'm sure looking forward to this one. B) From what I read and hear, the current band matches the power and excitement of its predecessors. Will post some impressions later.

[John Tapscott]

I saw the Basie band three times that I can remember, first in '74. Sonny Payne was back on drums for a short stint and really tore things up. Al Grey, too. The next time was in '75. Butch Miles was on drums and Dave Stahl was in lead tumpet. Jimmy Forrest did one of his feature numbers, Body and Soul, I believe. The audience was disappointed because the band only did an hour long set before departing for the night. There was a mix-up somewhere.

Perhaps the most enjoyable Basie concert I attended was in the early 80's. Basie came on stage in a scooter, slid onto the paino bench, played little, said even less, and hardly moved thoughout the whole concert. The band was very good, however.

I believe Dennis Mackrel was on drums. Some of the soloists were Kenny Hing, Dennis Wilson, Booty Wood and Bob Summers. Freddie Green was still at Basie's side.

Most of my Basie exposure has been though recordings, - the Pablos, Verves, Mosaics, and some of the earlier Decca and Columbia sides. I prefer the later recordings, however, because of the superiorr recoding quality. The Mosaics are among my most teasured musical possessions. The live Birdland material is exceptional IMHO. It's so well recorded you'd think you were sitting at a table a few feet in front of the band.

Listening to Basie's music always lightens your load, helps to make the sun come out, and seems to make the world a brighter, better place. Basie's music is a supreme example of how the swinging blues can "blow your blues away."

[jazzbo]

I only saw Basie once, and it was before I really understood and appreciated its brilliance and history. It was at a Catholic church in south side Chicago in 1975. I enjoyed the show, but I remember it as rather sedate. . . . It was an afternoon recital at a church, and short and sweet. Plus I was distracted by the fact that the gal that I was so crazy about (NOW my wife Helen) was there with someone else (I hadn't gotten the nerve to ask her to this one) and I kept watching them on the sly when I could.

Wish I had seen the band again!

[king ubu]

Well how does that go: save the world, get the girl... by getting the "girl" you may have saved your world, and that's a lot, I guess! (Maybe you could dare asking? Basie's 100th birthday and you and your wife having been there would be a good pretext, no? )

Thanks, Lon, LAL, and John Tapscott!

This is what I imagined when I started this thread, keep it comin'!

ubu

[brownie]

I caught the Basie band several times. First time was in 1957 at the London Royal Albert Hall. I wrote a short article on the concert in 'Jazz Hot'. Will have to dig up the issue to refresh the memory and will post an account then. The band was in its full glory then!

[medjuck]

I only saw the Basie band once: at Disneyland! The played in that outdoor patio called (I think) The Carnation something or other. . Basie came out on his scooter wearing his captain's hat and the band swung like hell.