JAM: August/September 2004 Issue: Woody Herman's Clarinet

One for the Count
A Personal Tribute to Count Basie

By Will Matthews Guitarist for the Count Basie Orchestra

Count Basie on piano at the Mutual Musicians Foundation in 1979 from "Last of the Blue Devils." Sitting at the table from L-R Laverne Barker (in checked sport jacket), Big Joe Turner, Jesse Price, Baby Lovett unknown, unknown and Jay McShann. Photo courtesy of Mutual Musicians Foundation. Photograph Collection, Department of Special Collection, Miller Nichols Library, UMKC.

Everyone knows Kansas City is the birthplace of the world-famous Count Basie Orchestra. Although William “Count” Basie was born in Red Bank, New Jersey , Kansas City embraced him as its own. He became an icon and one of the most powerful forces in jazz. It has been 20 years since his death, and his band swings on, performing all over the world.

I have heard many anecdotes about Count Basie from people who played in his band for many years, like Harry “Sweets” Edison, Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Benny Powell, Grover Mitchell, Bill Hughes and John Williams. Each one of these superb musicians spoke of Count Basie as being a gentleman, a genuinely kind soul and an all around good guy who treated everyone with respect and dignity.

I came close to meeting Count Basie, who was affectionately called The Chief by his band. The year was 1980 and the Basie Orchestra was scheduled to play an open-air concert in Kansas City . It would be my second time experiencing the band's live performance. And as before, I was blown away at all the power the band exerted as they went from a hard-driving flag waver tempo like Wind Machine to a very delicate plush unhurried tempo like Lil' Darling. The rhythm section was the driving force of the aggregation. Count Basie was at the helm with his sparse but hard-swinging piano style and signature ending—plink-plink-plink. His right-hand man Freddie Green held the rhythm section and the entire ensemble together playing his unique style of four-to-the-bar rhythm guitar.

A few of my current band mates performed that concert. Virtuoso tenor saxophonist Kenny “Doc” Hing had the crowd in the palm of his hands as he played one beautiful melody after another. And although baritone saxophonist John Williams did not have a solo, he played with the section superbly. Trombonist Bill Hughes played the solo on April in Paris and a swinging solo on Frank Foster's Blues in Hoss Flat. He is currently holding the position of band director. Little did I know that I would be gracing the stage with these gentlemen some 16 years later in the juggernaut known all over the world as the Count Basie Orchestra.

That night, I heard it mentioned that Count Basie would be paying a visit to the Mutual Musicians Foundation (MMF) after the concert. MMF is known all over the world for its late night jam sessions. I arrived at the MMF just as Count Basie was walking up to the door, so I followed behind as he went inside the building where many of his old KC friends, including Jay McShann, Ernie Williams, Baby Lovett, his first guitarist Claude “Fiddler” Williams, and Orville “Piggy” Minor waited to greet him. One by one he embraced them all. They reminisced of the past, told stories and shared many laughs. Although I did not get the opportunity to meet Count Basie that night I was elated just to be in the room.

Count Basie.
Photo courtesy of Dave e. Dexter, Jr. Collection, Department of Special Collection, Miller Nichols Library, UMKC.

Back in the days when Count Basie lived in Kansas City , the current MMF was the home of The Black Musicians Union. Musicians, dancers, and singers would gather there for rehearsals and meetings and exchange ideas and concepts on playing music. There was a strong camaraderie and unity among all of these gifted artists of that era.

One of my favorite stories is told by Harry “Sweets” Edison about Freddie Green and his experience with the amplifier. Just like Eddie Durham and Charlie Christian, Freddie received an amplifier from the Gibson Company. It was a new invention at that time in the 1930s. Freddie went to the gig that evening with the new amp and started using it every night. According to “Sweets” the amplified guitar was not a good sound and it changed the balance of the band. At that time none of the other instruments were miked or amplified, not even the bass. So every night “Sweets” and other band members would take turns sabotaging the amp, hoping this would discourage Freddie from using it. One night someone would pull a tube out. The next night someone would cut the power cord, etc. Freddie would have the amp repaired after each incident only to have the same scenario recur. Finally he eliminated the amplifier altogether. The rest is history: he became the greatest rhythm guitarist the world has ever known.

When I joined the Count Basie Orchestra in 1996, I knew that my main duty would be to play Freddie Green-style rhythm guitar. One day Grover Mitchell (the band leader) called me to his dressing room: he wanted me to play an amplified solo guitar introduction to Lil' Darling. I had been playing rhythm for about three or four months, so naturally I jumped at the opportunity and started to work on it. A few days later Grover put me into the show. The audience was very receptive. It is not easy to get solo space in a big band, unless of course it's your band, but a guitar taking center stage was unprecedented in the realm of the Basie Band.

As time passed, more songs were added to the solo spot and I would work arrangements that included the rhythm section. Eventually I began playing duets with vocalist Chris Murrell (also my friend). Because these solos do not happen every time, they are highly appreciated as an opportunity for some solo space and for a chance to do something that is ground breaking within the tradition of the Basie Band.

In celebration of Count Basie's 100 th Birthday, the band (which will be in its 70 th year of existence next year) is taking the music to new audiences in parts of the world where the Orchestra has never performed. We are showcasing the new and old components while continuing to uphold the great legacy and standards set by our predecessors. And in the process, we hope to make some history of our own.