At age 17, Nestico joined the ABC radio station WCAE in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a trombonist. Though rooted in the riff style of the 1930s swing-era big bands, the Basie orchestra played with the forceful drive and carefree swing of a small combo. Basie suffered from health issues in his later years, and died from cancer in Hollywood, Florida, on April 26, 1984. Through Mr. Waller, Mr. Basie got a job as accompanist with a vaudeville act called Katie Crippen and Her Kids. Lena Horne, Stevie Wonder, Joe Williams, Oscar Peterson and Quincy Jones were among the stars to pay tribute. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? [3], Lester Young was born in Woodville, Mississippi, on August 27, 1909. It continues . Weve updated the security on the site. Chinese Zodiac: Count Basie was born in the Year of the Rabbit. [21], This list is incomplete. In contrast to the prevailing jazz drum style exemplified by Gene Krupa's loud, insistent pounding of the bass drum on each beat, Jones often omitted bass drum playing altogether. Discography. In 2021, approximately 3,458,697 deaths occurred in the United States. He recorded with trumpeter Lloyd Hunter's Serenaders in 1931, and later joined pianist Count Basie's band in 1934. Updates? cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. In 1978 she was found dead on a Washington, D.C. sidewalk, [3] [8] [10] after attending a Count Basie concert. For a smaller band, the Savoy Sultans had a great swing thing going. JUMP TO: Count Basies biography, facts, family, personal life, zodiac, videos and related celebs. His first marriage was to Beatrice Tolliver, in Albuquerque, on 23 February 1930. Your IP: In 1950, when big bands were falling apart, Mr. Basie cut down to an eight-piece group but by 1952 he was leading a big band once again. Try again later. Holiday toured with the Count Basie Orchestra in 1937. cemeteries found in East Farmingdale, Suffolk County, New York, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. For many of the other participants, the photo shoot was the last time they saw him alive; he was the first musician in the famous photo to pass away. Throughout the 1960s, Basies recordings were often uninspired and marred by poor choice of material, but he remained an exceptional concert performer and made fine records with singers Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Frank Sinatra. His experience inspired his composition "D.B. Nestico continued to provide arrangements for Basie until Basie's death in 1984, and four of Nestico's collaborations with Basie earned Grammy . Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. The Count Basie Orchestra had a slew of hits that helped to define the big-band sound of the 1930s and '40s. recording ban by the American Federation of Musicians, Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio, The President Plays with the Oscar Peterson Trio, Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia, "Lester 'Pres' Young in Minneapolis: The Formative Years", "Frankie Trumbauer - Biography & History", "Lester Young - Biography, Albums, & Streaming Radio - AllMusic", "Stories of Standards: Lester Leaps In by Lester Young", "Lester Young With the Oscar Peterson Trio - Lester Young | Songs, Reviews, Credits", "Young, Lester, Jr. (2008/01/31) | Oral History", "Lester Young: 'The Prez' Still Rules At 100", "Seven Music Greats Added to ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lester_Young&oldid=1142318678, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Page, Mr. Basie and Mr. Rushing all joined Bennie Moten's orchestra, the leading big band in the Southwest, which became even stronger with their presence. Charles Mingus dedicated an elegy to Young, "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", only a few months after his death. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. The early Basie band was also noted for its legendary soloists and outstanding rhythm section. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Count Basie I found on Findagrave.com. He also received a distinguished alumni award from Duquesne, and in 1994 was inducted into Duquesne's "Century Club". To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. His studio recordings are relatively sparse during the 1942 to 1943 period, largely due to the recording ban by the American Federation of Musicians. Fletcher Henderson's band was playing at the Grand Terrace just before the Basie band arrived there. [1], Samuel Luigi Nistico was born on February 6, 1924, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Luigi Nistico, an Italian immigrant, and Frances Mangone. His father Harvey was a mellophonist and his mother Lillian was a pianist who gave her son his first lessons. Once more details are available, we will update this section. In 1958, Basie became the first African American male recipient of a Grammy Award. Lester married three times. [6], In 1933, Young settled in Kansas City, where after playing briefly in several bands, he rose to prominence with Count Basie. In 1963, he switched to the Marines and became director and arranger of the United States Marine Band, where he served under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. It was on one of these broadcasts that Bill Basie became Count Basie. Try again later. [1], Known for his hip, introverted style,[2] he invented or popularized much of the hipster jargon which came to be associated with the music. He eventually relocated the Cherry Blossoms to Chicago, then to New York City. Try again later. The 1950s band showcased the sound and style Basie was to employ for the remainder of his career, although there were to be occasionaland successfulexperiments such as Afrique (1970), an album of African rhythms and avant-garde compositions that still managed to remain faithful to the overall Basie sound. After some challenges, the Count Basie Orchestra had a slew of hits that helped to define the big-band sound of the 1930s and '40s. It was a reunion with Holiday, with whom he had lost contact over the years. He was sometimes known as Papa Jo Jones to distinguish him from younger drummer Philly Joe Jones. [21][22] Both hold a PhD in Education, according to drummer Roy Haynes, who was interviewed as part of an attempt to create a film biography of Young. The key factor in popularizing it was a series of repetitions of the final few bars when, as the orchestra seemingly came to the end of the piece, Mr. Basie held up a finger and called out, ''One mo' time! ''He commented that Bill Basie was a rather ordinary name and that there were a couple of well-known bandleaders named Earl Hines and Duke Ellington. When is Count Basies birthday? He was represented at the ceremony by his children Lester Young Jr and Yvette Young.[36]. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Basie then formed the Barons of Rhythm with some of his bandmates from Moten's group, including saxophonist Lester Young. Count Basies mothers name is unknown at this time and his fathers name is under review. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Although they were recorded in New York (in 1938, with a reunion in 1944), they are named after the group, the Kansas City Seven, and comprised Buck Clayton, Dicky Wells, Basie, Young, Freddie Green, Rodney Richardson, and Jo Jones. He originally wanted to be a drummer, but he grew up near Sonny Greer, who would become Duke Ellington s legendary drummer in 1919. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most influential players on his instrument. But it sure sounds good.. COVID-19 was reported as the underlying cause or a contributing cause in an estimated 460,513 (13.3%) of those deaths (111.4 deaths per 100,000). Count Bill Basie . Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. [6] His family moved to Minneapolis in 1919 and Young stayed there for much of the 1920s, first picking up the tenor saxophone while living there. To go on the road, Mr. Basie expanded his nine- piece band to 13 pieces. This page is updated often with latest details about Count Basie. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. ''He certainly made a notch in musical history,'' said Benny Goodman, 75 years old, the jazz clarinetist and bandleader. Learn more about merges. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Failed to report flower. In August 1944, Young appeared alongside drummer Jo Jones, trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison, and fellow tenor saxophonist Illinois Jacquet in Gjon Mili's short film Jammin' the Blues. [9] One of Young's key influences was Frankie Trumbauer, who came to prominence in the 1920s with Paul Whiteman and played the C-melody saxophone (between the alto and tenor in pitch).[10]. He was famous for being a Pianist. One of jazz music's all-time greats, bandleader-pianist Count Basie was a primary shaper of the big-band sound that characterized mid-20th century popular music. The strengths of this sign are being creative, passionate, generous, warm-hearted, cheerful, humorous, while weaknesses can be arrogant, stubborn, self-centered, lazy and inflexible. But I wanted that bite to be just as tasty and subtle as if it were the three brass I used to use. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). His alma mater later awarded him with an honorary Doctor of Music degree and the Distinguished Alumni award. She gave Lester the nickname "Prez" after President Franklin Roosevelt, the "greatest man around" in Billie's mind. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Count Basie was a Leo and was born in the G.I. Rock Icon KISS Is Saying Goodbye (For Real), Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Count Basie, Birth Year: 1904, Birth date: August 21, 1904, Birth State: New Jersey, Birth City: Red Bank, Birth Country: United States. In 1979, Jones was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame for his contribution to the Birmingham, Alabama musical heritage. "Sammy Nestico | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links", "How my father pursued the American Dream", "Sammy Nestico, 'the Rolls Royce of composers and arrangers' in big-band jazz, dies at 96", "Pittsburgh Native writer/arranger/bandleader Sammy Nestico has passed, weeks short of his 97th birthday", "Massillon Museum to offer virtual Q&A with filmmaker", "Sammy Nestico, prolific composer and arranger for Count Basie, dies at 96", "Dave's WOW: Beloved American composer and arranger Sammy Nestico dies at 96", "Count Basie arranger Sammy Nestico has died The Syncopated Times", "Sammy Nestico | Album Discography | AllMusic", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sammy_Nestico&oldid=1130442453, United States Army personnel of World War II, Articles with Spanish-language sources (es), Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 30 December 2022, at 05:30. 208.109.12.159 He was soon court-martialed. It was a loose and swinging band, built around distinctively individualistic solos by Lester Young, Herschel Evans, Buddy Tate, Buck Clayton, Harry Edison, Dickie Wells, Vic Dickenson and, primarily, Mr. Basie himself. The band flopped at a Pittsburgh hotel that had never booked a jazz band before. He rose to fame after taking over Bennie Moten's band in 1935. [34], Peter Straub's short story collection Magic Terror (2000) contains a story called "Pork Pie Hat", a fictionalized account of the life of Lester Young. Young is described as playing the clarinet in a "liquid, nervous style. Basie decided to form a medium-sized band in 1950, juggling combinations of all-star . Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. After earning his degree, Nestico then returned to the military, where he arranged music for the United States Air Force Band (19501963), as well as leading the Glenn Miller Army Air Corps dance band, which would later become known as the Airmen of Note. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. After moving to New York, he was further influenced by James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, with Waller teaching Basie organ-playing techniques. [18] In 1956, he recorded two LPs with his 1930s collaborators Teddy Wilson and Jo Jones. 'No,' I said, 'but I'd give my right arm to learn. William James " Count " Basie ( / besi /; August 21, 1904 - April 26, 1984) [1] was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. [32] At Minguss request, Joni Mitchell wrote lyrics to Goodbye Pork Pie Hat which incorporated stories Mingus told Mitchell about Young; the song was featured on Mitchells 1979 album release, Mingus, a collaboration instigated by Mingus during the last year of his life as he struggled with the ALS that would kill him. A few of his songs were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame as well, including "April in Paris" and "Everyday I Have the Blues.". George Wein, producer of the festival, announced yesterday that this year's festival would be dedicated to Mr. Basie and that the June 30 program would be enlarged as a ''Salute to Count Basie.''. Learn more about managing a memorial . As one critic put it, they ''put wheels on all four bars of the beat,'' creating a smooth rhythmic flow over which Mr. Basie's other instrumentalists rode as though they were on a streamlined cushion. When jazz record producer Norman Granz formed his Pablo label in the 1970s, several established jazz artists, including Basie, signed on in order to record unfettered by commercial demands. [4] Lester had two siblings a brother, Leonidas Raymond, known as Lee Young, who became a drummer, and a sister, Irma Cornelia. You can't have a Count Basie collection without going back to the beginning. Billie and Lester met at a Harlem jam session in the early 30s and worked together in the Count Basie band and in nightclubs on New York's 52nd St. At one point Lester moved into the apartment Billie shared with her mother, Sadie Fagan. That year Norman Granz gave him one and urged him to play it (with far different results at that stage in Young's lifesee below). On December 8, 1957, Young appeared with Billie Holiday, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, and Gerry Mulligan in the CBS television special The Sound of Jazz, performing Holiday's tune "Fine and Mellow." She was also in physical decline, near the end of her career, yet they both gave moving performances. One of the band's most popular arrangements, ''April in Paris,'' was written in 1955 by Wild Bill Davis, a jazz organist who had originally developed it for his own small group. Young's playing style influenced many other tenor saxophonists, including Stan Getz, as well as Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Warne Marsh, as well as baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and alto saxophonists Lee Konitz, and Paul Desmond. So he called the pianist "Count," with Basie not realizing just how much the name would catch on as a form of recognition and respect in the music world. Failed to remove flower. It had continued success throughout the war years, but, like all big bands, it had declined in popularity by the end of the 1940s. I decided that I would be one of the biggest new names; and I actually had some little fancy business cards printed up to announce it, Count Basie. 1956 was a relatively good year for Lester Young, including a tour of Europe with Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Quartet and a successful residency at Olivia Davis' Patio Lounge in Washington, DC, with the Bill Potts Trio. Despite the presence of Lester Young and Herschel Evans in the saxophone section, Buck Clayton in the trumpet section, Jo Jones on drums, with Jimmy Rushing and, briefly, Billie Holiday as vocalists, the Basie band struggled for a year after it left Kansas City. Even more important was the fact that the Famous Door had national and local radio wires. Nestico continued to provide arrangements for Basie until Basie's death in 1984, and four of Nestico's collaborations with Basie earned Grammy Awards. Basie ultimately earned nine Grammy Awards over the course of his career, but he made history when he won his first, in 1958, as the first African American man to receive a Grammy. [12], In the late 1960s, Sammy worked as an arranger and orchestrator for Capitol Records. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. For a year he played piano accompaniment to silent movies and then joined Walter Page's Blue Devils in Tulsa, Okla., a band that included, in addition to Mr. [7] Young left the family band in 1927 at the age of 18 because he refused to tour in the Southern United States, where Jim Crow laws were in effect and racial segregation was required in public facilities. In contrast to many of his hard-driving peers, Young played with a relaxed, cool tone and used sophisticated . Then he said, 'Bill, I think I'll call you Count Basie from now on. Sorry! Basie was born William James Basie (with some sources listing his middle name as "Allen") on August 21, 1904, in Red Bank, New Jersey. Omissions? Mr. Hammond spread the word about the Basie band, went to Kansas City to hear it and support it and brought it to the attention of booking agents. Death rate from chronic respiratory diseases. The ''book'' of this early Basie band was based on blues and riffs developed on a blues structure. Jazz critic and record producer John Hammond heard the broadcasts and promptly launched the band on its career. According to jazz critic Leonard Feather, who rode with Holiday in a taxi to Young's funeral, she said after the services, "I'll be the next one to go. Zodiac Sign: Count Basie was a Leo. Causes of deaths for people who were 70 years and older. Within less than six months, however, Mr. Basie was back at the keyboard. Resend Activation Email. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Early "in person" recordings. Year should not be greater than current year. Please reset your password. Well, that was the last time I was ever introduced as Bill Basie. Jones died of pneumonia in New York City at the age of 73. Played for Kennedy and Reagan. The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. [17] Young's playing and health went into a crisis, culminating in a November 1955 hospital admission following a nervous breakdown. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 1950s, the band survived long past the Big Band era itself and the death of Basie in 1984. Swing-era bandleader noted for his theme songs One OClock Jump from 1937 and April in Paris from 1932. People who are born with the Sun as the ruling planet are courageous, self-expressive and bold. [12], Nestico married his second wife, Shirley, in 1995, and was married to her until his death. The band broadcast from the Reno Club on an experimental radio station. From that time on, I was a daily customer, hanging onto every note, sitting behind him all the time. Directing With a Glance Mr. Basie, a short, stocky, taciturn but witty man who liked to wear a yachting cap offstage, presided over the band at the piano with apparent utmost casualness. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. One night, while the band was broadcasting on a shortwave radio station in Kansas City, he was dubbed Count Basie by a radio announcer who wanted to indicate his standing in a class with aristocrats of jazz such as Duke Ellington. Born in Chicago, Illinois, United States,[1] Jones moved to Alabama, where he learned to play several instruments, including saxophone, piano, and drums. Cholera deaths in Great Britain over the long-term. He was one of the first drummers to promote the use of brushes on drums, and shifting the role of timekeeping from the bass drum to the hi-hat cymbal. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. From Bill to Count. Count Basie was an extremely popular figure in the jazz world for half a century. The Count Basie Theatre in Redbank, New Jersey. When we played pop tunes, and naturally we had to, I wanted those pops to kick! [1] The two died only a few days apart. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Live. He would ask, "How does the bread smell?" Whereas other pianists were noted for technical flash and dazzling dexterity, Basie was known for his use of silence and for reducing his solo passages to the minimum amount of notes required for maximum emotional and rhythmic effect. When the band left for Chicago it had only 12 written arrangements in its book. Allmusic's Scott Yanow, reviewing one of the albums, Pres and Teddy, commented: Although it has been written much too often that Lester Young declined rapidly from the mid-'40s on, the truth is that when he was healthy, Young played at his very best during the '50s, adding an emotional intensity to his sound that had not been present during the more carefree days of the '30s. Unlike many white musicians, who were placed in band outfits such as the ones led by Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw, Young was assigned to the regular army where he was not allowed to play his saxophone. 24 part "Interview with Lester Young", conducted in the 1950s. Jones was the 1985 recipient of an American Jazz Masters fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts. William Basie was born at 229 Mechanic Street on August 21, 1904. He was one of the greatest bandleaders of all-time, epitomizing the jazz of south-western America. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. In 1958, Count Basie became the first African-American male recipient of a Grammy Award. ' (Count Basie), I, of course, wanted to play real jazz. [4] to Lizetta Young (ne Johnson), and Willis Handy Young, originally from Louisiana. Young joined Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic troupe in 1946, touring regularly with JATP over the next 12 years. [4] In 1939, he wrote his first arrangement. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Then he joined a touring show headed by one Gonzel White, playing piano in a four-piece band. Unostentatious as Mr. Basie appeared, his presence was a vital factor in directing his band or any group of musicians with whom he might be playing. "[27] Holiday died four months later on July 17, 1959 at age 44. ''He was a wonderful man. He directed music programs at Los Angeles Pierce College, Woodland Hills, California, Westinghouse Memorial High School, and Wilmerding, Pennsylvania. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). During the 1960s and '70s, Basie recorded with luminaries like Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson. [11] " Police deemed it suicide, Kuehl having supposedly jumped from her hotel room, although there was no proof of this", [3] and her family believes she may have been murdered. Beginning in Vaudeville. I thought he was kidding, shrugged my shoulders and repled, 'O.K.' Generation also known as The Greatest Generation. In January 1956, he recorded two Granz-produced sessions including a reunion with pianist Teddy Wilson, trumpet player Roy Eldridge, trombonist Vic Dickenson, bassist Gene Ramey, and drummer Jo Jones which were issued as The Jazz Giants '56 and Pres and Teddy albums. He emerged from this treatment improved. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Basie studied music with his mother and was later influenced by the Harlem pianists James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, receiving . Count Basie, byname of William Basie, (born August 21, 1904, Red Bank, New Jersey, U.S.died April 26, 1984, Hollywood, Florida), American jazz musician noted for his spare, economical piano style and for his leadership of influential and widely heralded big bands. In fact, the only reason I enlarged the brass was to get a richer harmonic structure. In 1952 he was featured on Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio, released in 1954 on Norgran. In his hometown of Red Bank, there is now a Count Basie Theatre and a Count Basie Field. This stemmed primarily from the presence in the rhythm section, from 1937 to the present, of both Mr. Basie on piano and Freddie Green on guitar. [1] He worked as a drummer and tap-dancer at carnival shows until joining Walter Page's band, the Blue Devils in Oklahoma City in the late 1920s. He was a fine pianist and leader of one of the greatest jazz bands in history. It is also known as being the most generous and noble of signs. Death rate from cardiovascular disease. Red Bank, Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Death rate by cause. Of course, I wanted to play real jazz. Jones's style influenced the modern jazz drummer's tendency to play timekeeping rhythms on a cymbal, that is now known as the ride cymbal. Young also recorded extensively in the late 1940s for Aladdin Records (1945-1947, where he had made the Cole recordings in 1942) and for Savoy (1944, 1949 and 1950), some sessions of which included Basie on piano. He wrote many books, including The Complete Arranger, which was first published in 1993 and has since been revised and published in at least four languages. Young's solo was brilliant, acclaimed by some observers as an unparalleled marvel of economy, phrasing and extraordinarily moving emotion; Nat Hentoff, one of the show's producers, later commented, "Lester got up, and he played the purest blues I have ever heard in the control room we were all crying. These performances were generally well attended by other drummers such as Max Roach and Roy Haynes. Death Year: 1984, Death date: April 26, 1984, Death State: Florida, Death City: Hollywood, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Count Basie Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/count-basie, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: April 14, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. COUNT BASIE, 79, BAND LEADER AND MASTER OF SWING, DEAD, https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/27/arts/count-basie-79-band-leader-and-master-of-swing-dead.html. '', Soloists were less prominent in this second edition of the Basie band although it included some of the major jazz musicians of the post-50's years, such as Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Al Grey, Eddie (Lockjaw) Davis, Frank Wess, Jimmy Forrest and the blues singer Joe Williams. [11] He soon left Henderson to play in the Andy Kirk band (for six months) before returning to Basie. Causes of deaths for children between 5 and 14. Corrections? This account has been disabled. A brother, James, died when William was a young boy. Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Who are the richest people in the world? If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. I mean, he'll concert you all, and then he'll swing you all, too, you understand, when he's ready to. Try again. Basie played the vaudevillian circuit for a time until he got stuck in Kansas City, Missouri in the mid-1920s after his performance group disbanded. Generation. Count Basie, the jazz pianist whose spare, economic keyboard style and supple rhythmic drive made his orchestra one of the most influential groups of the Big Band era, died of cancer yesterday.