As a child, Basie's mother and a German lady named Holloway took care of his music training. Originally, Basie wanted to play the drums. But competition at this instrument from his boyhood friend, Sonny Greer, helped him choose the piano.
In the 1920's, like many young jazz musicians of the time, Basie left New Jersey for Harlem. Here Jazz piano greats such as James P. Johnson, Lucky Roberts, and Willie "The Lion" Smith were serving as major influences. Harlem provided a perfect place to work and learn.
In 1935, the Count Basie Band began to form. Basie and several other former Morton Band members began playing at the Reno Club. One of their shows at the Reno Club was broadcast and the announcer dubbed Basie, Count Basie, to compete with other bandleaders such as Duke Ellington. In addition to these broadcasts giving Basie his new name, recording executive John Hammond also heard one of the broadcasts. Hammond liked what he heard and convinced a booking agency to take on the band. In October of 1935, 4 more men were added rounding out Count Basie's band.
Today many musicians consider Count Basie's band to be the model for "ensemble rhythmic conception and tonal balance". During the 1930's, the band's lightness and precision set the tone for modern jazz accompanying style. Basie himself perfected a piano style called comping. Comping refers to the syncopated and highly precise style of playing cords. Accompanying pianists would use this style of play for the next thirty years. Along with the Count Basie Bands contributions to the jazz style, the band also served to launch many careers. These include tenor saxophonist Lester Young, trumpeter Buck Clayton, trumpeter-composer Thad Jones, bassist Walter Page, drummer Jo Jones, and many others.
Best known for: “ One O’clock Jump”, and “April in Paris”
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