Talk:Count Basie

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someone needs to explain the Kansas City style, maybe as a separate entry: Confuzion 10:46, 28 Mar 2004 (UTC)

Contents 1 Title Change? 2 Discography list 3 Date of Death 4 Who coined "Count" 5 My Grammy 6 Orchestra after Basie's Death? 7 Missing Information

[edit] Title Change?

Shouldn't the title of this article be "William 'Count' Basie" rather than "Count Basie," given that the former encompasses his given and "public" names more accurately than the latter?

--TPB 23:49, Apr 28, 2005 (UTC)

I don't know what the rule is, but I think he is much more widely known as just "Count Basie", so it is the most appropriate article title. Spalding 03:28, Apr 29, 2005 (UTC)

Yeah, I had later noted that in a subsequent comment, but apparently it didn't get posted. Oh well....

--TPB 02:34, May 2, 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Discography list

could use some sort of comprehensive listing of his albums or at the very least a link to a discography page of the orchestra and everything —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 35.11.134.97 (talk) 20:57, 15 January 2007 (UTC).

[edit] Date of Death

Not sure where 132.150.8.242 got the information that Basie died in 1983,[1] so changing back to 1984. IMDB and who2 agree on 1984.[2][3][4] Basie received a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship in 1983,[5] and I've not seen mention that this was posthumous, which of course it would have been if the fellowships were announced in the autumn/fall, as they are now. Google searches[6][7] also suggest it was 1984. Finally, the article says that Basie died at 79, which again fits in with death in 1984 – perhaps 1983 was simply a miscalculation. However, if anyone has better information, of course please change it again and explain here! — John Mark Williams (t) 16:01, 23 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Gunther Schuller's "The Swing Era" and "The Penguin Guide to Jazz" both place Basie's death in 1984. In my opinion, these are definitive sources. -- SeanO 00:20, Jun 24, 2005 (UTC)

--TPB 08:05 PM, October 17, 2005 (UTC)

Pancreatic Cancer

I believe Count Basie was a amzaning man and Jazz singer with the blues and all that good stuff.

[edit] Who coined "Count"

Basie never started referring to himself as "Count" Basie. He was called this by a radio announcer. --Thepuckery 22:47, 16 September 2006 (UTC)

I invite you to read his autobiography Good Morning Blues, where he claims he invented the name 'Count' Basie for himself while he was with the Blue Devils. His autobiography appears to be the definitive source, don't you think? --SeanO 17:24, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] My Grammy

Am I right he was first black man to win a Grammy, 1959? Include it? Trekphiler 04:33, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Orchestra after Basie's Death?

It would be helpful to add some information on the activities of the Count Basie Orchestra after Basie's death, especially with the recent release of "Ray Sings, Basie Swings" (a composite of archived Ray Charles vocals with new accompinament by the Count Basie Orchestra). If this info doesn't belong on this page, perhaps there should be a separate page for the Orchestra.

Edalton 22:31, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Missing Information

What blues singers did basie tour with during 1924?

Count Basie is commonly accosiated with the Harlem Renaissance but there seems to be no information on why. Theres also no information on why he's known as one of the most important jazz musicians of all time.

Im currently searching on the internet and the library for the answers but if you find them or already know them please post them here.

TheZoink 15:27, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

I added the requested information regarding touring in 1924 (also 1926 when he toured again). I'll look for sources for the Harlem Renaissance and his relevance to Jazz. My unresearched opinion is Basie might not have been the best jazz pianist, but he was a great bandleader and could get the band to swing. He hired a lot of talented musicians and made a lot of popular records. Most jazz critics will put him in the 'top three' during the swing era (Ellington, Goodman are the other two). Basie also had terriffic longevity. Except for a brief period in the early 1950s (when he toured with a small band called the Kansas City Seven) Basie kept a Jazz Orchestra working and popular. Some of his biggest hits (April in Paris, Everyday I have the Blues) were in the 1950s, well after the Swing Era. Anyhow, I'll try to find some relevant sources for your other questions. --SeanO 05:48, 7 March 2007 (UTC)