[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 120 (Wednesday, September 29, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H7804-H7806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF WILLIAM ``COUNT'' 
   BASIE AND ACKNOWLEDGING HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO JAZZ AND SWING MUSIC

  Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 778) commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 
birth of William ``Count'' Basie and acknowledging his important 
contributions to jazz and swing music.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 778

       Whereas on August 21, 1904, renowned pianist and bandleader 
     William ``Count'' Basie was born in Red Bank, New Jersey;
       Whereas in 1924, William ``Count'' Basie moved to New York 
     City and, under the influence of James P. Johnson and Thomas 
     ``Fats'' Waller, learned the style of piano known as stride 
     piano, a contrasting constant beat from the left hand with a 
     melodious right hand;
       Whereas in 1927, William ``Count'' Basie's vibrant musical 
     career took off when he moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and 
     joined Walter Page's Blue Devils Band;
       Whereas William ``Count'' Basie joined the Bennie Morton 
     Band, and took over as bandleader in 1935, renaming the band 
     ``Count Basie and his Cherry Blossom Orchestra'';
       Whereas Count Basie and his Cherry Blossom Orchestra 
     disbanded, but eventually reformed as the ``Count Basie 
     Orchestra'';
       Whereas the Count Basie Orchestra dominated the realms of 
     jazz and swing for several decades;
       Whereas the music of William ``Count'' Basie and the Count 
     Basie Orchestra solidified the bond between the musical 
     fashion of jazz and the mournful sounds of the blues;
       Whereas William ``Count'' Basie and the Count Basie 
     Orchestra established swing as a predominant force in the 
     musical tastes of generations;
       Whereas the music of William ``Count'' Basie maintained a 
     lightness and precision that has set the tone for modern jazz 
     accompanying styles;
       Whereas William ``Count'' Basie perfected a style of piano 
     known as comping, a syncopated and highly precise style of 
     chords on the piano;
       Whereas William ``Count'' Basie's most famous pieces 
     included ``One O'clock Jump'', ``Swingin' the Blues'', 
     ``Jumpin' at the Woodside'', ``April in Paris'', ``Shiny 
     Stockings'', and ``Every Day I Have the Blues'';
       Whereas in 1983, William ``Count'' Basie was awarded an 
     American Jazz Masters Award by the National Endowment for the 
     Arts;
       Whereas in 1984, in honor of William ``Count'' Basie's 
     accomplishments, an historic theater in his hometown of Red 
     Bank, New Jersey, was renamed the ``Count Basie Theatre'';
       Whereas in 1996, the United States Postal Service issued a 
     commemorative postage stamp in honor of William ``Count'' 
     Basie;
       Whereas the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences 
     awarded William ``Count'' Basie 9 Grammy Awards throughout 
     his career, as well as the Grammy Trustees Award in 1981, and 
     the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002; and
       Whereas William ``Count'' Basie passed away on April 26, 
     1984, leaving his music and the Count Basie Orchestra as 
     vivid reminders of his brilliant talent and influential 
     career: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
       (1) commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth of 
     William ``Count'' Basie; and
       (2) acknowledges the important contributions of William 
     ``Count'' Basie to jazz and swing music.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Burns) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns).


                             General Leave

  Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on H. Res. 778.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Georgia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, 
and I rise in support of House Resolution 778, offered by the gentleman 
from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), commemorating the 100th anniversary of 
the birth of William ``Count'' Basie, and acknowledging his important 
contributions to jazz and swing music.
  William ``Count'' Basie was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, on August 
21, 1904. His vibrant musical career took off in 1927 when he moved to 
Kansas City, Missouri, and joined Walter Page's Blue Devils Band. From 
there, William ``Count'' Basie joined the Bennie Morton Band and took 
over as band leader in 1935, renaming the band the Count Basie and his 
Cherry Blossom Orchestra.
  Count Basie and his Cherry Blossom Orchestra disbanded, but 
eventually re-formed as the Count Basie Orchestra, which went on to 
dominate the realms of jazz and swing for several decades. The Count 
Basie Orchestra established swing as a predominant force in the musical 
taste of generations, and their music set the tone for modern jazz.
  In 1983, William ``Count'' Basie was awarded an American Jazz Masters 
Award by the National Endowment for the Arts. A historic theater in his 
hometown of Red Bank, New Jersey, was renamed the Count Basie Theater 
in 1984, and the United States Postal Service issued a commemorative 
stamp in his honor in 1996.
  Over the years, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences 
awarded William ``Count'' Basie nine Grammy Awards, which led to a 
Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.
  House Resolution 778 commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth 
of William ``Count'' Basie and acknowledges his important contributions 
to jazz and swing music. Mr. Speaker, I

[[Page H7805]]

urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate the life of William ``Count'' Basie 
and his influence on jazz and swing music. Born in Red Bank, New 
Jersey, Count Basie began to learn the piano under his mother's 
direction. In 1924, he moved to New York City to perfect his talent and 
begin his remarkable career.
  Throughout the years, he developed and advanced his own music style. 
In 1935, Count Basie formed his own nine-piece group called the Barons 
of Rhythm. The Barons of Rhythm's style was a powerful one. This earned 
Basie the nickname ``Count.'' By the end of the 1930s, the band was one 
of the most popular in the world, with hits like ``One O'clock Jump'' 
and ``Jumpin' At the Woodside.''
  Count Basie continued to share his talent with the world through the 
1970s. In 1985, one year after his death, President Reagan awarded him 
the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1996, the U.S. Post Office 
honored him with a commemorative stamp.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, we honor the 100th anniversary of the birth of 
Count Basie and acknowledge the tremendous impact he had on music. I 
congratulate our colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Pallone), for this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone).
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Woolsey), for yielding me this time and for her role in 
bringing this resolution up on the suspension list today.
  It is with distinct honor and pleasure that I stand before this 
Chamber today to speak in support of House Resolution 778. Count Basie 
was born in my district and spent the first 20 years or so of his life 
in my district, and I would like to kind of recount some of the events 
that occurred in my district during those early years.
  This bill recognizes and celebrates the incredible contribution that 
William ``Count'' Basie has made to jazz and swing music. Furthermore, 
it is only fitting we acknowledge his pivotal role this year, marking 
the 100th anniversary of his birth.
  He was born, as was stated previously by my colleagues, on August 21, 
1904, in his parents' home on Mechanic Streets in Red Bank, New Jersey, 
which has been in my district the entire time I have been in Congress, 
and even prior to the time I represented the area. And Count Basie is 
highly regarded in our area, as well as obviously nationally, as one of 
the best and most influential musicians and composers of the last 
century.
  The city of Red Bank, where he was born, gave the young William Basie 
his first exposure to music and the title of one of the most famous 
tunes associated with his band, ``The Kid From Red Bank''; and it is 
evidence the city of Red Bank has had on his early musical development.
  As a child, Basie would do chores at the Palace Theater in Red Bank 
so that he could get in free. One day when the Palace's house piano 
player was unable to travel from New York, Basie offered to fill in for 
him, but the manager declined the offer. Basie simply waited until the 
picture had started, then snuck into the pit and accompanied the film 
anyway on the piano. He was invited back to play the evening show.
  Years later, Basie would trace his lifelong interest in the organ to 
his experiences at the Lyric Theater, another theater in Red Bank, New 
Jersey, where he would listen to the organ played by Henry La Ross.
  Many are surprised to learn that William Basie's first love was not 
the piano, but rather the drums. However, his aspiration went towards a 
different direction when he met Sonny Greer, a young talented drummer 
from nearby Long Branch, New Jersey, which is actually my hometown. The 
young men quickly realized where their true respective talents really 
laid, and the drums and piano duo went on to win first place in an 
Asbury Park piano competition, one of the first of many honors bestowed 
upon Basie throughout his career.
  Asbury Park is also in my district, Mr. Speaker, and some of my 
colleagues know that Asbury Park was made famous also by Bruce 
Springstein, another one of our constituents.

                              {time}  1815

  Count Basie was awarded with a total of nine Grammys throughout his 
career, including the Grammy Trustees Award from the National Academy 
of Recording Arts and Sciences in 1981. In addition, he was the 
recipient of an American Jazz Masters Award from the National Endowment 
of the Arts in 1983, and in 1996, he was bestowed the honor of a 
Commemorative Stamp by the United States Postal Office. And I assure 
Members myself and many others in my district have lots of those 
stamps.
  Today, the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey stands as a 
testament to the life, career and accomplishments of this innovative 
and ingenious musician. In 1984, the historic theater, which first 
opened its doors in 1926, was renamed to honor Count Basie. Much of the 
theater has been preserved and remains true to its original appearance. 
The theater is now owned and operated by Count Basie Theater, Inc., a 
nonprofit corporation formed solely to operate the theater for the 
benefit of the community, and one cannot help but think this is exactly 
how the ``Kid from Red Bank'' would have liked it.
  Mr. Speaker, once again I ask my colleagues to vote in favor of this 
resolution and pay tribute to the life and career of an individual who 
revolutionized the face of jazz music and to this day stands as a model 
for all those who have followed him.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Pallone) for introducing H. Res. 778, and urge my colleagues to support 
this resolution.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to commemorate the 100th 
anniversary of the birth of William ``Count'' Basie, one of the leading 
figures of the swing era in jazz. Bandleader of the renowned Count 
Basie Orchestra, Basie was integral in establishing swing as the 
popular music of subsequent generations. His orchestra was a unique 
band during a unique time in the history of jazz and American music.
  Born in Red Bank, New Jersey on August 24, 1904, William ``Count'' 
Basie took an interest in music at an early age. He honed his skills on 
both the piano and drums in local theatres in Red Bank before moving to 
New York in 1924, at the age of twenty. It was in New York where he was 
influenced by two of the greatest early jazz pianists, James P. Johnson 
and Thomas ``Fats'' Waller. In 1927, Basie moved to Kansas City, 
Missouri to capitalize on its nascent jazz scene. He first joined the 
Blue Devils Band, but soon after he became a member of the famed Benny 
Moten Orchestra. Basie later took over as bandleader of Moten's 
orchestra, which was renamed the Count Basie Orchestra.
  In 1937, Basie and his orchestra moved to New York City and 
established their home base in Harlem, where they became one of the 
leading big bands of the era. Basie's orchestra was best known for its 
unique ``Kansas City Sound,'' exemplified in such works as, ``One 
O'clock Jump'' and ``Swingin' the Blues.''
  Throughout his career, ``Count'' Basie received nine Grammy awards as 
well as a Grammy Trustee award in 1981; he was also posthumously 
recognized for lifetime achievement in 2002. William ``Count'' Basie 
was an extremely talented and ambitious musician and bandleader; his 
influence has persisted throughout time and among many different 
generations. He made many important contributions to swing, jazz, and 
American music. Let us honor this great musician and man today. Central 
New Jerseyans are proud to say ``such as he came from among us.''
  Ms. McCARTHY of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. 
Res. 778, a resolution to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 
birth of William ``Count'' Basie, one of America's premier swing 
musicians who rose to national prominence as a jazz pioneer while 
playing at the Club Reno in Kansas City.
  Born an only child on August 21, 1904 in Red Bank, New Jersey, Basie 
moved to Harlem in 1920 to pursue a career in jazz music. An aspiring 
pianist, he soon met Thomas ``Fats'' Waller and developed a style of 
piano

[[Page H7806]]

improvisation called ``comping,'' where he would play a standard chord 
progression with his left hand, but improvise a melody with his right 
hand. He soon began touring the country with a variety show, ``Gonzel 
White and the Big Jamboree.''
  In 1927, Basie was stranded in Kansas City when the tour went bust. 
After playing silent theatres, he joined Walter Paige's ``Blue 
Devils,'' a well-known performance ensemble in the city. In 1929, he 
used his reputation and contacts to secure a spot as arranger and 
backup pianist with the Bennie Moten band, a local mainstay. During an 
internal dispute about an engagement at the Cherry Blossom club, the 
band voted to kick out Moten and install Basie as its new leader.
  The new band called themselves ``Count Basie and his Cherry Blossom 
Orchestra,'' marking the first time with Basie was billed as ``Count.'' 
After a few months with his new orchestra, Basie reunited with Moten's 
new band, which he then took over in 1935 following Moten's death. 
Basie and saxophonist Buster Smith brought in former members of the 
Blue Devils and created a nine piece orchestra called ``Count Basie and 
His Barons of Rhythm.''
  Under Basie, the band perfected a sound based on syncopated rhythms 
and simple musical themes. These arrangements produced light, 
straightforward and uncomplicated music that was a marked contrast to 
the style of many other jazz groups of the time, who tended to employ 
complicated melodies and layers of improvisation. That style of music 
became known as the ``Kansas City Sound.''
  On the popularity of their new sound, Basie's band played a long 
engagement at the Club Reno in Kansas City, which turned out to be a 
critical turning point in Basie's career. Basie performed nightly from 
8 p.m. to 4 a.m. The Club Reno performances were broadcast nationally 
over radio WXBY from 11:15 p.m. until midnight, offering exposure far 
beyond that of the nascent Kansas City jazz scene.
  In Chicago, a young music writer and promoter named John Hammond 
heard the broadcast on shortwave radio and took an immediate interest 
in the Basie band. After writing several articles about the band, he 
traveled to Kansas City to meet Basie and a life long friendship was 
formed.
  Hammond arranged for a national booking deal with MCA and a record 
deal with Decca Records, and by 1937 an enlarged thirteen piece band 
known as the Count Basie Orchestra had become one of the country's 
leading big bands. Over the next 13 years the band toured and recorded 
relentlessly, delivering the Kansas City jazz sound to all corners of 
the country. During this period, Basie and his orchestra were featured 
in five movies and headlined the famous ``Spirituals to Swing'' series 
from 1938 to 1939, one of the first Carnegie Hall productions to 
present African American performers to a predominantly white audience.
  Later in his career, Basie performed with a number of famous 
performers, from saxophone player Lester Young to trumpeter Dizzy 
Gillespie to crooner Frank Sinatra. He received nine Grammy awards, the 
Grammy Trustee's Award and the American Jazz Masters Award in 1983 from 
the National Endowment for the Arts. His songs ``One O'Clock Jump'' and 
``Everyday I have the Blues'' are included in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
  Though Count Basie died from cancer on April 26, 1984, he is still 
considered one of the premier jazz greats. The Count Basie band was 
featured in famous Kansas City Filmmaker Robert Altman's movie ``Jazz 
'34.'' Just 2 years ago in 2002, 18 years after his death, a tribute 
album entitled ``Homage to Basie'' won the Grammy award for Best Large 
Jazz Ensemble Album.
  Over the course of a career that spanned seven decades, Basie's style 
of Kansas City swing became a prominent fixture in jazz repertoire. His 
legacy continues to inspire new generations of jazz musicians and 
remind new performers of the important role Kansas City played in 
American musical history.
  This past August 21st, I had the honor of hearing two Kansas City 
jazz greats and former members of Basie's famous group, pianist Jay 
McShann and trumpeter Clark Terry. They joined Bobby Watson and the 
``18th and Vine Big Band'' to perform a tribute that was broadcast 
worldwide on National Public Radio. Sponsored by Kansas City's American 
Jazz Museum, the live performance sold out Kansas City's historic Gem 
Theatre. For his contributions to American music, and his role in 
bringing the Kansas City jazz sound to the wider world, I join my 
colleagues in commemorating Count Basie's enduring legacy.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate the life of 
William ``Count'' Basie and his influence on jazz and swing music. Born 
in Red Bank, New Jersey, William ``Count'' Basie began to learn the 
piano under his mother's direction. In 1924, he moved to New York City 
to perfect his talent and begin his remarkable career. In 1927, Count 
Basie began playing piano accompaniment to silent movies. He then 
joined Walter Page's Blue Devils and from there along with several 
other members joined Bernie Moten's Kansas City Band. Throughout the 
years, he was developing and advancing his own music style. In 1935, 
Basie formed his own 9 piece group, Barons of Rhythm, gaining much 
attention from live appearances. The Barons of Rhythm style was a 
powerful swing, intensified by Basie's frequent playing with the rhythm 
section alone using short phrases called ``riffs'' exchanged back and 
forth between sections, giving the band a unique sound and identity. 
This raised Basie's stature in the community onto an even keel with 
Duke Ellington, earning him the nickname ``Count''. By the end of the 
1930s, the Basie band was one of the most popular in the world, with 
massive hits like ``One O'clock Jump'' and ``Jumpin at the Woodside.''
  William ``Count'' Basie continued to share his talent with the world 
through the 1970s. One year after his death, on May 23, 1985, Basie was 
awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan. 
He was also honored in 1996 with a United States Postal Service 
commemorative postage stamp. Mr. Speaker, we honor the 100th 
anniversary of the birth of Count Basie and acknowledge the tremendous 
impact he had on music.
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bonner). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 778.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________