Editing Count Basie (section)

===Early career===
Around 1920, Basie went to [[Harlem]], a hotbed of jazz, where he lived down the block from the [[The Harlem Alhambra|Alhambra Theater]]. Early after his arrival, he bumped into [[Sonny Greer]], who was by then the drummer for the Washingtonians, [[Duke Ellington]]'s early band.<ref>Basie (1985), p. 51.</ref> Soon, Basie met many of the Harlem musicians who were "making the scene," including [[Willie "the Lion" Smith]] and [[James P. Johnson]].

Basie toured in several acts between 1925 and 1927, including ''Katie Krippen and Her Kiddies'' (featuring singer [[Katie Crippen]]) as part of the ''Hippity Hop'' show; on the [[Benjamin Franklin Keith|Keith]], the [[Columbia Burlesque]], and the [[Theater Owners Booking Association]] (T.O.B.A.) [[vaudeville]] circuits; and as a soloist and accompanist to [[blues]] singer [[Gonzelle White]] as well as Crippen.<ref>Basie (1985), p. 55.</ref><ref>Robinson, J. Bradford. ''Count Basie.'' in Kernfeld, Barry. ed. ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, 2nd Edition, Vol. 1.'' London: MacMillan, 2002. p. 155.</ref> His touring took him to [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], [[St. Louis]], [[New Orleans]], and [[Chicago]]. Throughout his tours, Basie met many jazz musicians, including [[Louis Armstrong]].<ref>Basie (1985), p. 96.</ref> Before he was 20 years old, he toured extensively on the Keith and TOBA vaudeville circuits as a solo pianist, accompanist, and music director for blues singers, dancers, and comedians. This provided an early training that was to prove significant in his later career.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_basie_count.htm|title=JAZZ A film by Ken Burns – PBS|website=Pbs.org|access-date=May 2, 2017}}</ref>

Back in Harlem in 1925, Basie gained his first steady job at Leroy's, a place known for its piano players and its "[[cutting contests]]". The place catered to "uptown celebrities", and typically the band winged every number without sheet music using "head arrangements".<ref>Basie (1985), p. 68.</ref> He met [[Fats Waller]], who was playing organ at the [[Lincoln Theatre (Harlem)|Lincoln Theater]] accompanying silent movies, and Waller taught him how to play that instrument. (Basie later played organ at the Eblon Theater in Kansas City).<ref name="NYT1984">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0821.html |last=Wilson | first= John S. |title= On This Day: Count Basie, 79, Band Leader And Master of Swing, Dead |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 27, 1984 |access-date=October 22, 2011}}</ref> As he did with Duke Ellington, Willie "the Lion" Smith helped Basie out during the lean times by arranging gigs at "[[Rent party|house-rent parties]]", introducing him to other leading musicians, and teaching him some piano technique.<ref>Basie (1985), p. 77.</ref>

In 1928, Basie was in [[Tulsa]] and heard [[Walter Page]] and his Famous [[Oklahoma City Blue Devils|Blue Devils]], one of the first [[big band]]s, which featured [[Jimmy Rushing]] on vocals.<ref>Basie (1985), p. 6.</ref> A few months later, he was invited to join the band, which played mostly in [[Texas]] and [[Oklahoma]]. It was at this time that he began to be known as "Count" Basie (see [[Jazz royalty]]).<ref>Basie (1985), p. 20.</ref>