Basie count biography books

His wife may have adopted some since her husband was endlessly on the road. Only one chapter was helpful and did not include enough detail. Also, his band's performances were of the played on the radio and that helped become famous. Now Count Basie to me was just a name, barely a name [I have never been up on jazz or blues or indeed any popular music at all], but this book [and the book of correspondence] seemed to be the only books of Albert Murray's still in print.

Early on in the book are the best anecdotes, e. He had few personal stories,especially if he interacted with other musicians. Here's another brief passage: "I've got to the place now that I want to be relaxing and playing.

Basie count biography books: Presents the life and times

Buy on Amazon. Help center. About the author. An appendix lists all known micro-groove issues of Count Basie performances, cross-referenced to the main text. Anyway, if you read carefully, you can learn a lot about the racism aspect, but Basie does not dwell on it at all. Kansas City figures prominently in the early part of the book, as that is kind of where Basie got started [after messing around some in New Jersey where he grew up, leaving school early].

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book! A wealth of cross-referenced material is contained in five separate indexes covering all known films and videos in which Basie took part; radio and television performances; arrangers whose work has colored the Count Basie orchestra repertoire; musicians, vocalists, and other voices heard in the sessions listed; and tunes played, together with composer, lyricist, and year of composition.

Count Basie Books | List of books by author Count Basie

Bands of musicians would travel [by bus] for ONE-night stands from one city to another to play for them. I'm guessing he cleaned it up a lot, regularized the tenses a lot, but he left in enough to give some indication that Basie was speaking to him in some form [perhaps a rather adapted form] of Black English. Good Morning Blues is both testimony and tribute to a remarkable, rich life.

It was basically an endless steam of where Basie played, who was in the band and what records he made - itinerary, itinerary, itinerary, band member, band member, band member, band member and recording session, recording session, recording session. Moreover, I never felt Basie's career advanced very far. The Apple Jump. Spent several years there, and I was thrilled to get the chance to visit downtown KC this June and see the part of town that used to be the jazz scene in what was the black district at the time.

He rambles a bit, but it's like having a long visit with him. Barry Hammond. It was like. I don't know why I sat down at that piano. Search review text. There were other bands along the way. There were a few fun stories from Basie's life on the road. Community Reviews.