Walter Page

Another and perhaps the most influential bass player that I have researched is the great Walter Page. Page was an African American jazz bassist that was known for his ability to play behind soloists while remaining in the “four beats to the bar” form. Walter Page was born in Gallatin, Missouri in the year 1900. He attended Lincoln High School and started playing bari-sax and tuba while in high school. He then went to The University of Kansas and continued his study of music there. While he was studying he would go Kansas City on weekends to play with Bennie Moten and also did some gigs with the Dave Lewis band.

After school he was the founder of the Blue Devils, a band centered in Oklahoma City. He experimented with different instruments and more instruments in the rhythm section and basically set the precedent of the modern rhythm sections as we know them today. His changes included a piano, drum set, guitar and a string bass. Before it had been common to see a banjo, drum set and bass horn such as a tuba. The Blue Devils were a little bit different than other bands. They were known as a “commonwealth” band meaning the earnings by the band were split evenly among its members. They were also a band that used head arrangements and often times didn't play with music. Every single member in the band shared the same or similar ideas in music as the others.

As his band grew better and stronger Page offered challenges to Bennie Moten to prove that his band was better. Page wanted to Battle him. Over time as Moten refused to battle, he became rather smart and started to recruit members of Pages band. With little effort he stole Count Basie and several others. Page soon had them replaced with top notch musicians such as Lester Young. As he grew older Page was known for his walking bass lines. A quote from allaboutjazz.com states: “His evenly accented, four-beat “walking” bass lines provided not only a harmonic foundation but a melodic counterpoint in his accompaniments, and he chose notes that enhanced the playing of his bands and soloists.”[1]

Walter eventually joined Count Basie and Bennie Moten in Bennie Moten's band until Bennies death in 1935. He returned to play with Count Basie from then until 1942. Walter Page died in 1957. He was on his was to film part of The Sound of Jazz and he passed away not to long after. His early death limited his impact on jazz but he is still regarded as one of the most influential bassists and band leaders of the swing era.


http://grooveshark.com/s/Them+There+Eyes+number+2/44X3s5?src=5


For my listening this week, I wanted to incorporate a song that featured Walter Page. The song "Them There Eyes" does just that. As you can see I posted the link to it above because I could not find anything I liked on YouTube. Even though this song doesn't have a full band playing, it is a great example of how simple jazz can be. The song starts off with a guitar introduction and goes right into a muted trumpet solo. In the background you can hear Page with his "walking bass line". After some vocals we go into a saxophone solo. This tune seems to be in AABA form. It is a very laid back traditional song. The next soloist is a muted trumpet and the clarity of the "walking bass line" can really be heard well here. A third soloist on an alto sax comes in and we end with a trumpet. This song isn't the most upbeat song out there, but rather very simple. The simplicity allows you to really hear that walking bass line and understand how it helped the musicians solo. It opened up a ton of opportunities for them as musicians and jazz would not be what it is today with out it.