AprilCadence2013

97 | CadenCe Magazine | april May June 2013
Interview Carmen Bradford
CAD: So how did the changeover to the Basie Band happen?
cB: Well, i was singing in an r ‘n’ B band called minor miracle, and i was dating
a pianist in another band called passenger and they got the job of opening the
show for the count Basie orchestra when they came to austin, so they asked me
if i wanted to sing a couple of tunes with them to open the show, and of course i
agreed. But at that time about the only standard that i knew all the way through
was a foggy day, oh, and i also knew lost in the stars, because i had a record of
it by patti austin, so those were the two tunes i’d intended to sing. now at that time
mr Basie was already riding on a motorised cart, now he could walk, but he was
just moving slow, but once he got on stage and off that cart and moved to the piano
bench, he just came to life and his body became the body of a teenager. offstage it
was tough for him but he was not an invalid by any means, although his health was
not great. so i approached him and introduced myself, told him that i was part of
the group that was opening his show, and i said “i just think you’d make millions of
dollars if you’d hire me”.
CAD: You didn’t!
cB: i did! Well at twentytwo – everyone’s stupid at twentytwo. Well you know i
was very spoiled, my parents spoiled me a lot, but they also said “no” a lot. so
i thought “Go ahead, all he can say is no – so i’m gonna ask..” so when i said
that, he said “really, millions?” and i said “oh yes, now i know you have a male
vocalist, but there’s nothing like having a young lady on stage with you with a lovely