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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZHOLMAN, Bill(b 21 May '27, Olive CA) Arranger, composer and tenor saxophonist. He played with Charlie Barnet, worked for Stan Kenton, Shorty Rogers, Maynard Ferguson; wrote in the '60s for Gerry Mulligan and Woody Herman. Like a lot of other West Coast jazzmen he did a lot of studio work on TV series etc and was also a producer for West German Radio in Cologne. He carried on writing for Buddy Rich ('Norwegian Wood'), Peggy Lee and others, and remained best known for his superb arrangements. The Complete Capitol Recordings Of The Holman And [Bill] Russo Charts on Mosaic incl. 31 Holman essays inspired by such soloists as Sam Noto, Lee Konitz, Charlie Mariano and Frank Rosolino; he wrote 'Pizza Boy' for Les Brown '59, which featured Rosolino. Kenton Plays Holman Live! on Artistry was recorded '54--6. As a leader he recorded with an octet on Capitol '54, on Andex '58 and HiFiJazz '59 (playing baritone sax). But the ensemble writing on the big-band recordings is a rare treat, incl. The Fabulous Bill Holman '57 on Coral, later on Sackville; In A Jazz Orbit '58 on Andex, later on V.S.O.P.; Great Big Band '60 on Capitol, reissued on Kenton's Creative World label. Then the studio took over until Bill Holman And The Norwegian Radio Big Band on Gemini Taurus was made mid-'87; late that year came The Bill Holman Band on JVC, made in Hollywood (Thelonious Monk's 'I Mean You' has four soprano saxes on it, and only Holman could do something amusing with Stevie Wonder's 'Isn't She Lovely'); then Bill Holman Conducts The SDR Big Band '93 made in Stuttgart, and A View From The Side on JVC '95 with an excellent West Coast band incl. Bill Perkins; the 16-piece Bill Holman Band's Brilliant Corners on JVC treated ten Monk tunes. We must be grateful for late blessings; this is music worth listening to. |