European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 14, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse The out by Perry Flippin staff writer a concert appearance by the count Basie band is a sort of minor Miracle in Defiance of the Cap Rice of show business. This is his 34th year As a bandleader and in the style that won him Fame almost two generations ago his group continues to turn out the smooth walloping Melo Dies that Are unmistakably the count Basie his real first name is William he got the count Back in Kansas City when an announcer pointed out that Plain old Bill Basie was hardly fit company for Earl Hines and Duke Ellington and on the spot dubbed him royally is admired today by a immense audience that recognizes him As a timeless Titan of jazz. His euro Pean concerts May not generate the whistling stomping reaction of his american performances but he is nonetheless enthusiastically admired. Basie born in red Bank n.j., 64 year Sago arrived in Kansas City in the late 20s and was stranded there when the vaudeville show with which he was trav Eling folded. He found a Job playing piano to accompany the silent films of the Era i got a lot of Good experience in that Job he later said. After a stint in the Flicker world rejoined Walter Page s Blue devils and while playing with the group met Jimmy Rushing the fabulous blues Singer who for my Money has never had an later joined Benny Moten s group playing third piano behind Benny and his brother who squeezed an accordion. With Moten he met Many of the play ers who were later to form the nucleus of his own group but he did not despite Many tales to the contrary take Over the Moten band when the Leader died in1935. The Moten group played on for Sev eral months under brother bus Moten then folded. From the musicians freed Basie formed his first Don t mind saying it was a mad scuffle with that band said Basie later. It was thanks to John Hammond the jazz Buff and Benny Goodman that Basic s group was signed by a major booking Agency and finally brought Tonew York. The rest is jazz history. Of coarse that history did t just happen there were Long hours of work of rehearsal of careful thought involved. Looking Back Basie was to say years ago when i was using nine pieces. We had worked together along while. We got so we coordinated every move every Solo perfectly. Now and this is the Point i want understood most i wanted my 15-Pieceband to work together just like those nine pieces did. I wanted those four trumpets and three trombones to bite with real guts. But i wanted that bite to be just As tasty and Subtle As if it were the three brass i used to use. I said the minute the brass got out of hand and blared and screeched instead of making every note mean something there d be some changes Basie is still making every note mean with an Ami Able easy going stage presence he leads his band from the piano by Shuf fling an assortment of simple compel Ling musical phrases or riffs and fling ing them at the band. The result May be a Lemony clarinet Solo a billowing 7 of trumpets a braying saxophone or full orchestral explosion. Whatever comes out 1n Honey and vinegar tones will show an abundance of excitement warmth wit and life. Basie meets the press reluctantly an rarely allows an interview. He explains that his reticence is necessarily self imposed i m writing a Book so i can t say too much is his usual reply. Basic s music can t be easily categorized in any of jazz usual historic pigeonholes it s a sort of hybrid Withan ear cocked to the conservatory As Well As the Street. Over the years his style has remained fundamentally unchanged music played with a relaxed but powerful beat easy to dance to. The qualities that established the Basie band in the Early Days his simple somewhat elliptical piano style which leaves Handy holes in the left hand figures for the Bass to fill in Anda rhythm Section that could fill those holes smoothly Are the qualities that propel it today. Basic s music moves. It does t jus live and breathe it shouts and struts with conviction. He is a masterful orchestrator with a deep feeling for soar ing brass and infectious pulsating rhythms. The Basie band of the late 30s was one of the greatest of All big jazz bands. Through the 40s, despite an occasional loss of an outstanding soloist Basie maintained a band whose contagious rhythmic pulse and team spirit were matched by a succession of inspired soloists. Today the count identifies him self with mainstream jazz a move ment by some musicians to hew to the Basic principles of the Art As they see them. Mainstream is a reaction against the extremes of Rock v Roll and its crude descendants against the Over re fined self consciousness of the Cool school against the free form atonal Ity of the More Radical jazzmen. Some jazz buffs have criticize Basic s excursions into More Commer Cial songs which emphasize arrange ments More and improvisation less. A trademark of the Early Basie band was the use of head arrangements arrangements in which Only a certain phrase was known to All the musicians. The bulk of the music was straight out of the head improvised on the spot to fit the mood and the famed theme one o clock jump was a head piece and was so named on the Spur of the moment during a Broad cast when the hour was near 1 . B Asie does t deny his current move toward pop songs. Audiences change he said. We re playing to a Genera Tion that was t even born when we began and they appreciate another style. So we try to play music that they will fortunately there Are those who still enjoy such efforts As Doggin around blues for Eileen Chero Kee and april in and happily soloists such As Eddie lockjaw Davis Harlan Floyd Eric Dixon Harold Jones and Richard Boone help retain the original Kansas City flavor. Although Basic s style is basically unchanged it does t mean that he has t been aware of what has been going onion jazz. I think All the Guys like Bird Charlie Parker and dizzy Gillespie contributed so much to making the Steps of Progress of modern music. It was the finest thing in the world that could happen because everything has to change. It must be wonderful to be pioneers like they Are. Or like William count Basie. Page 12 Aste umps a Schu attly timeless titon of jazz Basie is now in 34th year As Ore playing to a generation that was t even born when we began Cooling it backstage the count scans a Sheet of Basie Bottom. 1961 it was Bill Basie in the
