main_stem wrote:Basie came out of Kansas City and shok up the jazz world. So how did the Kansas City style differ from what the big bands were playing in Harlem prior at the time.
http://www.jazzscript.co.uk/ wrote:Basie's band is the Kansas City band that outgrew Kansas; the band grew within a jazz context yet remained close to its roots. The early arrangements grew from spontaneous 'riffs', a repetitive ensemble device that supported the improvising soloist, and this was memorized as a 'head arrangement' - an example of this would be Basie's signature tune, One O'Clock Jump, which was created by Buster Smith and transcribed by Buck Clayton (Basie was careful to copyright it!).
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emphasis was placed on simple memorized arrangements and the 12-bar blues
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The rhythm section par excellence was Bill Basie, Walter Page and Jo Jones.
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By the late-1930s the arrangements became more structured, both to accommodate singers and more carefully to recreate popular numbers, and arrangements were made from within the group or bought in. After the war, more illustrious names were brought in to arrange - such as Neal Hefti, Quincy Jones, Thad Jones and Benny Carter. At all times Basie's band was well-drilled, precise and tight in its ensemble playing creating a relaxed sound with a huge dynamic range, and in each decade had something new to say.
So, Basie's KC style indeed can easily be contrasted to what was going on in Harlem while Basie picked up where Moten's band left off. However, what happens when Basie moves to NY in '36? Now he's doing what he was doing, and always evolving, in NY? Are we to ignore post '36 Basie because of his previous 7 or 8 years in Kansas City?
main_stem wrote:How did it change the rst of the bands.
Because they had to compete with him! He was stealing away their business. He was stealing some of their musicians (Paul Gonsalves for one). The ideas of "riffs" can certainly be heard in post 1940's Ellington. However, we commonly refer to these as well-planned solos for favorite, talented musicians in his band. I'm not saying other bands imitated what Basie was doing, but they certainly felt his presence -- as did the people dancing to his music, listening to it on the radio, and picking up records.
main_stem wrote:Further if this became the pervassive style how come we still refer to Basie, Harlen Leonard and Jay McShann as playing the Kansas Cty sound.
Don't forget Kirk. I didn't include these people into the discussion; you did. These other musicians did not have anywhere near the prolific career the Basie Orchestra did. I'm not putting them in the same league as Basie. All of the musicians you listed, including Basie, are certainly heralded for the Kansas City Style. Count Basie enjoyed his developmental stage in Kansas City, MO fostering this wonderful style.
What I'm trying to address is where Basie took that style. NY, NY. He didn't wait for the Harlam dancers to come to him, he went to them. He went to where it was all happening, and once he made NY his home so many more doors opened up as a result. To say Basie doesn't have close ties to NY and Harlam is ignoring so many of Basie's great achievements.