Th~. Palladium-Item, Richmond, Ind., Wedr1esdav, Sept.

18, 1974 5

Count Basie .Sho:ws Are ''Toe Tappers'"'

By Eloise Beaeh ~he pianoto th~ front ..mike playing softly, subtly with io add variety• a young
Tue:s:ltay -'W'&5 ~ ~warmly at his aU=- offbeat pauses. then the _singer. in a white suit; pin\c
Basie Day in Ri~Jlmond. dience and announce spe- giant surge of musical ruffled shirt and r.ed shoes'
The -76-year-old '\V,itlian'l eia1-ntt.mbei'S ·aJld..o~.:-, energy··asc the whote·'band ancttie-did-8ome-voeaHzing
Count Basie, one of the en- soloists. At the outset be ex- ·came blasting in. The in a different and .unique
during greats of the jazz plained that Harold Jones, so~nd was brilUJint, stimu- style.
world gave two sprightly Richmond native who bas lating. The audience could The Basie· appearance
evening performances at been among his drummers have wished for more. But was the third for name big
the Ramada Inn here. was not in Richmond with Basi.e, it would appear. is bands at the Ramada this
Leading his band from, the band this time. Jones is pacing himself and when it summer. with Tommy Dar-
the plano, in the style for playing with Nancy Wilson" ca~ to responding to en- sey appearing in June and
which he is famous; the on the west coast. cotes it was with~-- sweet, Woody Herman in' August.
amiable Basie and his No Com Bread. engaging · smi~e and
skilled bandsm~n filled the ~'The chef l)ere ·isn't gracious thank you.
plaee with a. beat that had.: going to give us any corn A number of .the greats
toes tapping and shoulders bread because we haven't in the jazz business have
swaying. got Harold with us," he con- played with the Basie b~md
The exuberant big bapd fided·. to the audience. over the years alld the men
sound tired the audience There is a contagious he had here Tuesday were
ar,d they were unstinting in happiness abo4t the Basie in the -same l)igh tradi·
their demonstration of ap- band-wide grins here and tion-strorig ~rumpets,
proval. Among those there and little bursts of powerful trombone players.
present were Basie buffs amusement as Basie makes Those who go for the
over the years. prepares to make in· sound of the trumpet got
troductions. The humor satisfaction when Paul
ran especially· high when Cohen· gave a spectacul~r
Review he presented a nimble tin- so\.o performance in -.. 1
ger-ed sa,x man, Jimmy-For-. Can:t . Get St-arted With.
rest, who looks a lot like · You."
One of th~ was William TV star Redd Fox. ,Gra);
Martin, psyt"hologist at sideburns pointed up the
Wernle . Children s Home, Basie humor in introducing
who claims a complete col- him as a "young saxaphon-
lection of &sie record.- ist" and his intricate trills
ings::...:.~ough to play all -one after another, coming
night", he says. through loud and clear ahd
Martin took to the mike preciSI;l t,>stablished him as a
before Count Basie started fine jazz roan.
his show to read a procla- Basie peg~ another sax
manun; !tgned by Mayor soloist, Eddie Dav1s, as
Byroh Klute. declaring ''Lockjaw" when ~ st,q~1_d
Tuesday Count Basie Day up to play the lead in.
10 Richmond. "Speak !.,.ow,'' and de..
The proclamation point- scribed AI Grey, distin-
ed out that since Richmond guished trombonist whose
has a rich tradition in the name has long been associ-
histttry of jazz ·music, dat- ated with the Basie band,
ing from the early 1920s' as "The last ,Q! the big
when the Gennett Record- plungers" w])en he stood
ing Co. made recordings of up to play. "The Spirit is
many jazz giants in its Willing".
plant in the Whitewater Basie once admitted that
Valley, and since Count he was strong for tenor
B-asie, one of the historical sax~ that the band has
giants of the jazz Hall of always been built from the
Fame would be playing rhvthm section to the
here with his band Tues- tenors and then on to the
day, it was appropriate to rest.
name the day in his honor. The sweN sax tone came
Mrs. Martin, who has across to charm tht> au-
won photographic honors dience in an early prt>sent-
under her professional ation of "Prettv Gal."
name "Marlo... ptesented "Real Stufr•
the Count with a couple of There was some of the
unusual framed pastels she real Basit> stuff with th~
had made,. from profile Count beginning on the
photos of the musician. piano, with only bass fiddle
1
Basie would wander from and drum accompaniment,