COUNT BASIE
Posted: Fri May 29, 2026 1:13 pm
Saturday 14th May 1960 Pete Haslam’s Collegians Jazz Band is contracted to perform at the newly opened Iron Door Club, 13 Temple Street, Liverpool 2. Also performing were the Les Harris Six and Jackie Lynn.
There was an exciting buzz among the members of the Collegian Jazz Band. They had spotted the unusual figure of the famous American Jazz piano player alighting from a Taxi, making his way into the club.
Count Basie had been performing at a concert in the city. He had some time on his hands before he boarded his tour bus to take him to the next venue. (He was touring with what he used to describe as his short band, as opposed to his full orchestra.) Basie called his short band ‘The Kansas City Five’. Basie asked a young journalist who worked for the now-defunct Sunday Pictorial (who was covering Count Basie’s tour) to take him to a jazz club in Liverpool. The young journalist chose to bring him to the Iron Door.
The famous Jazzman managed to walk into the Bar area before he was spotted. He was literally being mobbed when I spotted the commotion; I urgently asked ‘Buster’, one of the two Corps of Commissionaires on duty, to help me get Basie out of harm’s way.
Mary, who was in charge of the bar, realized our predicament and quickly opened the bar door and ushered the Count and me into the safety of the bar.
Basie quickly regained his composure; he was amazed that he was recognized. I offered him a drink, ‘Bourbon’; I wasn’t familiar with what the American interpretation of whisky was. Litre bottles of whisky were on a shelf under the counter. I offered him a bottle to read the label. He immediately started to open the bottle, grabbed a half-pint glass, and walloped the contents, poured himself another. After two or three glasses, he started to talk about his time as a young piano player in the downtown drinking parlors, mixing with pimps and prostitutes rolling in the gutters, too paralytic to stand. I was absolutely fascinated. He was a master at describing situations.
So it was that I offered the name Kansas City Five when Bruce asked for suggestions for a name for his newly formed ‘Beat Band.’ The small group of musicians who had gathered in the foyer of the club in Temple Street voiced their approval. For obvious reasons, ‘Kansas City Six’ didn’t have the same ring. I did not meet Count Basie again, but I never forgot the meeting in Temple Street, Liverpool.
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There was an exciting buzz among the members of the Collegian Jazz Band. They had spotted the unusual figure of the famous American Jazz piano player alighting from a Taxi, making his way into the club.
Count Basie had been performing at a concert in the city. He had some time on his hands before he boarded his tour bus to take him to the next venue. (He was touring with what he used to describe as his short band, as opposed to his full orchestra.) Basie called his short band ‘The Kansas City Five’. Basie asked a young journalist who worked for the now-defunct Sunday Pictorial (who was covering Count Basie’s tour) to take him to a jazz club in Liverpool. The young journalist chose to bring him to the Iron Door.
The famous Jazzman managed to walk into the Bar area before he was spotted. He was literally being mobbed when I spotted the commotion; I urgently asked ‘Buster’, one of the two Corps of Commissionaires on duty, to help me get Basie out of harm’s way.
Mary, who was in charge of the bar, realized our predicament and quickly opened the bar door and ushered the Count and me into the safety of the bar.
Basie quickly regained his composure; he was amazed that he was recognized. I offered him a drink, ‘Bourbon’; I wasn’t familiar with what the American interpretation of whisky was. Litre bottles of whisky were on a shelf under the counter. I offered him a bottle to read the label. He immediately started to open the bottle, grabbed a half-pint glass, and walloped the contents, poured himself another. After two or three glasses, he started to talk about his time as a young piano player in the downtown drinking parlors, mixing with pimps and prostitutes rolling in the gutters, too paralytic to stand. I was absolutely fascinated. He was a master at describing situations.
So it was that I offered the name Kansas City Five when Bruce asked for suggestions for a name for his newly formed ‘Beat Band.’ The small group of musicians who had gathered in the foyer of the club in Temple Street voiced their approval. For obvious reasons, ‘Kansas City Six’ didn’t have the same ring. I did not meet Count Basie again, but I never forgot the meeting in Temple Street, Liverpool.
See less
