Willis Leonard Holman (born May 21, 1927), known professionally as Bill Holman, is an American composer, arranger, conductor, saxophonist, and songwriter working in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

and traditional pop. His career is over seven decades long, having started with the

Charlie Barnet Charles Daly Barnet (October 26, 1913 – September 4, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His major recordings were "Skyliner", " Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffl ...

orchestra in 1950.

Early life

Bill Holman was born in

Olive, California Olive is an unincorporated parcel of about in the city of Orange, located along Lincoln Avenue, between Eisenhower Park and Orange Olive Road. History Members of the Tongva and Juaneño/Luiseño nations long inhabited this area. The village o ...

, United States. His family moved to

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

, east of Anaheim, then Santa Ana. He started playing the clarinet in junior high school. While attending Orange High School he played the tenor saxophone and formed a band. Although his family had no musical background, Holman was influenced by

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

and Duke Ellington while constantly listening to the radio. He was drafted at the later end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and served in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

from 1944 to 1946. Through the Navy, he studied

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, an ...

at the

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University o ...

and then studied at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

. In the late 1940s, he started to concentrate on music instead of engineering. He enrolled at the Westlake College of Music, and studied with Dave Robertson and Alfred Sendrey. He studied privately with composer and arranger Russ Garcia and Lloyd Reese on the saxophone. He was influenced by the African-American jazz musicians on Central Avenue in Los Angeles. He heard live music while living nearby and attending Westlake College. He got his first professional start with Ike Carpenter's dance band, and then with the

Orchestra in 1950 as a tenor saxophonist. He continued with that band for about three years. Early commercial work as an arranger came in 1951–52 when he wrote charts for band leader and producer

Bob Keane Robert Verrill Kuhn (January 5, 1922 – November 28, 2009), professionally known as Bob Keane, and also sometimes known as Bob Keene, was an American musician, producer and the founder and owner of the record label Del-Fi Records. He was the ...

for the album, ''Dancing on the Ceiling''.

The Stan Kenton Orchestra

Through his acquaintance with

Gene Roland Gene M. Roland (September 15, 1921 in Dallas – August 11, 1982 in New York City) was an American jazz composer and musician. He played many instruments during his career, but was most significant as an arranger/composer and for his associati ...

, Holman was auditioned by

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...

and hired as a tenor saxophone player for two years in March 1952 (replacing Bob Cooper). After working with the band as an instrumentalist, Holman submitted writing to Kenton for the group. His first writing was not an immediate success with Kenton, until he was given an assignment to write "Invention for Guitar and Trumpet" for

Sal Salvador Sal Salvador (November 21, 1925 – September 22, 1999) was an American bebop jazz guitarist and a prominent music educator. He was born in Monson, Massachusetts, United States, and began his professional career in New York City. He eventually m ...

and Maynard Ferguson. The chart was to become one of the recognized works for the Kenton orchestra from the album ''

New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm ''New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm'' is an album by Stan Kenton. "Invention for Guitar and Trumpet" features guitarist Sal Salvador. A ''New York Times'' writer commented in 2003 that composer Bill Russo's "Improvisation" piece was "among the h ...

''. It was used in the 1955 movie, ''

Blackboard Jungle ''Blackboard Jungle'' is a 1955 American social drama film about an English teacher in an interracial inner-city school, based on the 1954 novel ''The Blackboard Jungle'' by Evan Hunter and adapted for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks. I ...

''. Kenton was attracted to Holman's ability to integrate counterpoint and dissonance in subtle yet distinctive ways, and for his knack for making the Kenton band "swing". Holman became one of Kenton's primary arrangers, creating a signature for the band. His association with the Kenton orchestra lasted nearly 27 years and contribute to Kenton's albums ''New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm'', ''

Contemporary Concepts ''Contemporary Concepts'' is an album by pianist and bandleader Stan Kenton with featuring performances of jazz standards recorded in 1955 and released on the Capitol label.Vosbein, PStan Kenton Discographyaccessed April 11, 2016 Reception The ...

'' and the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

-winning ''

Adventures in Jazz ''Adventures in Jazz'' is an album by the Stan Kenton Orchestra, recorded in late 1961 but not released until about a year later in November 1962. The album won a Grammy Award in the category for Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, B ...

''. Kenton featured Holman as a composer and arranger with Bill Russo on the 1954 album ''

Kenton Showcase ''Kenton Showcase'' refers to two 10-inch LPs by bandleader Stan Kenton recorded in early 1954 on Capitol, one each featuring compositions by Bill Holman and Bill Russo. These albums were combined as a 12-inch LP in 1955.Vosbein, PStan Kenton Dis ...

''. Holman's comments about being most influenced by the writing of

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...

as the template for what was correct for the band: Classical influences from Béla Bartók were also used during this time. Two of the most important arrangements are on the Kenton album, ''Contemporary Concepts'' (1955). Holman talked about his arrangements of "

What's New? What's New?" is a 1939 popular song composed by Bob Haggart, with lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was originally an instrumental tune titled "I'm Free" by Haggart in 1938, when Haggart was a member of Bob Crosby and His Orchestra. The tune was writt ...

" and "

I've Got You Under My Skin "I've Got You Under My Skin" is a song written by American composer Cole Porter in 1936. It was introduced that year in the Eleanor Powell musical film ''Born to Dance'' in which it was performed by Virginia Bruce. It was nominated for the Aca ...

Zoot Sims John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman's big ...

joined the group as the solo tenor saxophonist; Kenton asked Holman to write for Sims. Later Holman left the band after an intense discussion about the band's shortcomings; this did not endanger Holman's reputation as a composer and arranger for Kenton. By the mid-1950s, while Holman was in his late 20s, Kenton was commissioning Holman to write as much as he could. He was writing sometimes two charts every week that included concert works, dance charts, originals, and vocals. During the 1952-55 period the two primary composers/arrangers who shaped the signature sound of the Kenton orchestra for years to come, were Holman and Bill Russo (who was a year younger than Holman). Almost two-thirds of the music recorded by Kenton during this period were from these two writers. Two of the original works of Holman's created for the band during that time include "Hav-a-Havana". The other work which has become the quintessential "Holman signature sound" of contrapuntal composition is "The Opener". Though Kenton's taste would evolve and Holman was not functioning as chief arranger by the end of the 1950s, he continued to make key contributions to the Kenton repertoire to 1977 before Kenton's demise in 1979. "In sum, it was a pretty high level for an 'earn-as-you-learn' case such as mine, but, ill-equipped as I was, Stan's patience and encouragement and the help of a lot of great players enabled me to make a start in a long and rewarding career. I'll always be grateful (to Stan) for this, but, what the hell, we both got something out of it." Holman also become a participant and clinician of the Stan Kenton Band Clinics as an educational component of the orchestra.

Big band writing

Holman wrote for other big bands. Examples of Holman's work for Woody Herman are "Mulligan Tawny" and "Blame Boehm" that were recorded for Columbia in 1954. Probably the most well known arrangement for the Herman band is Holman's up tempo chart on " After You've Gone" from the Grammy nominated album ''Woody Herman '64''. The band used three tenor saxes and a baritone sax (no alto saxes). The association and the writing for the Woody Herman continued off and on up through the 1980s; this included four Grammy nominated albums Holman's work is recorded on. In 1965, drummer

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, ...

started a touring big band. Rich's familiarity with Holman's writing came through playing on Harry James' group from earlier in the decade. Holman was one of the first writers to write for Rich's big band book; Rich was looking for updated material of contemporary pop hits that also featured himself (Rich) on drums. Holman became the primary 'go to' composer and arranger helping to create an appeal Rich was to have with much younger audiences at a time, when big bands had fallen out of fashion. Drum features and pop/rock tunes Holman wrote greatly helped Rich to achieve a new sound, that aided the band to gain a younger listening audience. Holman's writing is featured on several Buddy Rich big band albums from 1966 through 1985 to include Grammy nominated LPs '' Big Swing Face'' and '' Buddy & Soul''. Holman's arrangement of the Beatles " Norwegian Wood" was a commercial success, and prominently featured on numerous live television performances, creating a high profile early on for Rich's band. His composition "Ruth" is a good example of contemporary big band writing during that time of the late 1960s. One of the most notable jazz albums Holman wrote was '' I Told You So'', commissioned by the

Count Basie Orchestra The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 195 ...

and recorded at

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

studios, New York City in January 1976 (for

Norman Granz Norman Granz (August 6, 1918 – November 22, 2001) was an American jazz record producer and concert promoter. He founded the record labels Clef, Norgran, Down Home, Verve, and Pablo. Granz was acknowledged as "the most successful impres ...

and

Pablo Records Pablo Records was a jazz record company and label founded by Norman Granz in 1973, more than a decade after he had sold his earlier catalog (including Verve Records) to MGM Records. Pablo initially featured recordings by acts that Granz manag ...

). Other important groups and big bands he has written and recorded for include names such as Louie Bellson, Maynard Ferguson, Gerry Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band,

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized ...

Terry Gibbs Terry Gibbs (born Julius Gubenko; October 13, 1924) is an American jazz vibraphonist and band leader. He has performed or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Chubby Jackson,Theroux, Gary"Gibbs, Terry".''Grove Music Online''. Oxford University Press. R ...

The Airmen of Note The Airmen of Note is the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force and part of the United States Air Force Band. Created in 1950 to carry on the tradition of Major Glenn Miller's Army Air Corps dance band, the "Note" is a touring b ...

and Chicago Jazz Orchestra.

West Coast work

Holman became an important figure in was to become the

West Coast jazz West Coast jazz refers to styles of jazz that developed in Los Angeles and San Francisco during the 1950s. West Coast jazz is often seen as a subgenre of cool jazz, which consisted of a calmer style than bebop or hard bop. The music relied rela ...

scene, starting in the 1950s. Through Holman's associations to personnel from Central Avenue, Stan Kenton, and

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his dea ...

he assembled small jazz groups and participated in those of others. These include

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

, Bob Cooper,

Shorty Rogers Milton "Shorty" Rogers (born Milton Rajonsky; April 14, 1924 – November 7, 1994) was an American jazz musician, one of the principal creators of West Coast jazz. He played trumpet and flugelhorn and was in demand for his skills as an arrang ...

, Sarah Vaughan,

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

The Tonight Show Band The Tonight Show Band is the house band that plays on the American television variety show '' The Tonight Show''. From 1962 until 1992, when the show was known as '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', the band was a 17-piece big band, and ...

, Manhattan Transfer,

Diane Schuur Diane Joan Schuur (born December 10, 1953), nicknamed "Deedles", is an American jazz singer and pianist. As of 2015, Schuur had released 23 albums, and had extended her jazz repertoire to include essences of Latin, gospel, pop and country music ...

J.J. Johnson J.J. Johnson (January 22, 1924 – February 4, 2001), born James Louis Johnson and also known as Jay Jay Johnson, was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. Johnson was one of the earliest trombonists to embrace bebop. Biography ...

Jack Sheldon Beryl Cyril Sheldon Jr. (November 30, 1931 – December 27, 2019), known professionally as Jack Sheldon, was an American singer, musician, and actor. He performed on '' The Merv Griffin Show'' and participated in episodes of the educational musi ...

Charlie Shoemake Charlie Shoemake (born July 27, 1937) is an American jazz vibraphonist. He played in George Shearing's Quintet for seven years, starting in 1967. He also played vibes on the soundtrack of the Clint Eastwood film ''Bird''. He is the director of th ...

Howard Roberts Howard Mancel Roberts (October 2, 1929 – June 28, 1992) was an American jazz guitarist, educator, and session musician. Early years Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona to Damon and Vesta Roberts, and began playing guitar at the age of 8 - a ...

Ann Richards Dorothy Ann Richards (née Willis; September 1, 1933 – September 13, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995. A Democrat, she first came to national attention as the Texas State Treasurer, w ...

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band app ...

, Lighthouse All-Stars, June Christy,

Mel Torme Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to: Biology * Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL) * National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL People * Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...

, Chet Baker, Art Pepper,

Lennie Niehaus Leonard Niehaus (June 1, 1929 – May 28, 2020) was an American alto saxophonist, composer and arranger on the West Coast jazz scene. He played with the Stan Kenton Orchestra and served as one of Kenton's primary staff arrangers. He also played ...

Conte Candoli Secondo "Conte" Candoli (July 12, 1927 – December 14, 2001) was an American jazz trumpeter based on the West Coast. He played in the big bands of Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, and Dizzy Gillespie, and in Doc Severinsen's NBC Orc ...

Dave Pell David Pell (February 26, 1925 – May 7, 2017) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and record producer. He was best known for leading a cool jazz octet in the 1950s. Biography Pell played in his teens with the big bands of Tony Pastor, B ...

Shelly Manne Sheldon "Shelly" Manne (June 11, 1920 – September 26, 1984) was an American jazz drummer. Most frequently associated with West Coast jazz, he was known for his versatility and also played in a number of other styles, including Dixieland, sw ...

and

. He recorded for several labels and performed often at The Lighthouse, Basin Street West, and Donte's. Holman worked with The Wrecking Crew,

The 5th Dimension The 5th Dimension is an American popular music vocal group, whose repertoire includes pop, R&B, soul, jazz, light opera, and Broadway. Formed as the Versatiles in late 1965, the group changed its name to "the 5th Dimension" by 1966. Betwe ...

The Association The Association is an American sunshine pop band from California. During the late 1960s, the band had numerous hits at or near the top of the ''Billboard'' charts (including " Windy", " Cherish", " Never My Love" and "Along Comes Mary") and ...

The Sandpipers The Sandpipers were an American easy listening trio who carved a niche in 1960s folk rock with their vocals and innovative arrangements of international ballads and pop standards. They are best remembered for their cover version of " Guantanamer ...

, and

The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was con ...

. Each of these four pop groups had award-winning hits and platinum selling records containing Holman's work as an arranger. This roster includes Burt Bacharach, Pearl Bailey,

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birt ...

, Les Brown,

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American musician and actor. He performed jazz, pop, rock and roll, folk, swing, and country music. He started his career as a songwriter for Connie ...

Johnny Desmond Johnny Desmond (born Giovanni Alfredo De Simone; November 14, 1919 – September 6, 1985) was an American singer who was popular in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Biography Early years Desmond was born Giovanni de Simone in Detroit, Michigan, ...

The Four Freshmen The Four Freshmen is an American male vocal quartet that blends open-harmonic jazz arrangements with the big band vocal group sounds of The Modernaires, The Pied Pipers, and The Mel-Tones, founded in the barbershop tradition. The singers accom ...

Jackie & Roy Jackie and Roy was an American jazz vocal team consisting of husband and wife singer Jackie Cain (1928-2014) and singer/pianist Roy Kral (1921-2002). They sang together for 56 years and made almost 40 albums. Kral's 2002 obituary in ''The New Y ...

, Eartha Kitt,

Mario Lanza Mario Lanza (, ; born Alfredo Arnold Cocozza ; January 31, 1921 – October 7, 1959) was an American tenor and actor. He was a Hollywood film star popular in the late 1940s and the 1950s. Lanza began studying to be a professional singer at ...

Steve Lawrence Steve Lawrence (born Sidney Liebowitz; July 8, 1935) is an American singer, comedian and actor, best known as a member of a duo with his wife Eydie Gormé, billed as " Steve and Eydie", and for his performance as Maury Sline, the manager and f ...

, Peggy Lee,

Seals & Crofts Seals and Crofts was an American soft rock duo made up of James Eugene Seals (October 17, 1942 – June 6, 2022) and Darrell George "Dash" Crofts (born August 14, 1938) They are best known for their hits " Summer Breeze" (1972), " Diamond Girl" ...

Bobby Sherman Robert Cabot Sherman Jr. (born July 22, 1943), known professionally as Bobby Sherman, is an American retired paramedic, police officer, singer, actor and occasional songwriter who became a teen idol in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He had a s ...

, Tak Shindo,

The Turtles ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

Randy VanWarmer Randy VanWarmer (also written as Vanwarmer, Van Warmer; March 30, 1955 – January 12, 2004) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His biggest success was the pop hit, "Just When I Needed You Most". It reached No. 8 on the UK Single ...

and Si Zentner. Holman's television credits include ''

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

'', '' Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', ''

The Dick Cavett Show ''The Dick Cavett Show'' was the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks, including: * ABC daytime, (March 4, 1968–January 24, 1969) originally titled ''This Morning'' * ABC prime time, Tuesdays, We ...

'', '' The Bing Crosby Show'', ''

The Mike Douglas Show ''The Mike Douglas Show'' was an American daytime television talk show that was hosted by Mike Douglas. It began as a local program in Cleveland before being carried on other stations owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The show went into natio ...

'', ''

The Merv Griffin Show ''The Merv Griffin Show'' is an American television talk show starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, May 10, 1965 to July 4, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 ...

'', ''

The Hollywood Palace ''The Hollywood Palace'' was an hour-long American television variety show that was broadcast weekly Saturday nights (except September 1967 to January 1968, when it was seen Monday nights) on ABC from January 4, 1964, to February 7, 1970. Titl ...

'', ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Night M ...

''. He wrote film scores for ''

Swamp Women ''Swamp Women'' is a 1956 American adventure film noir crime film directed by Roger Corman. It stars Carole Mathews, Beverly Garland, and Marie Windsor, with Mike Connors and Ed Nelson in small roles. The film follows undercover police officer ...

'' (1956), ''Get Out of Town'' (1959), and ''

Three on a Couch ''Three on a Couch'' is a 1966 American comedy film directed by Jerry Lewis and starring Jerry Lewis and Janet Leigh. Plot Christopher Pride wants to marry his girlfriend, Dr. Elizabeth Acord. However, she is too involved with her patients and s ...

'' (1966), '' Glengarry Glen Ross'', '' The Wrecking Crew'', '' Luv'', ''

Harper Harper may refer to: Names * Harper (name), a surname and given name Places ;in Canada * Harper Islands, Nunavut *Harper, Prince Edward Island ;In the United States *Harper, former name of Costa Mesa, California in Orange County * Harper, Il ...

'', ''

The Marrying Man ''The Marrying Man'' (known as ''Too Hot to Handle'' in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Philippines) is a 1991 American romantic comedy film, directed by Jerry Rees, written by Neil Simon, and starring Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger. The f ...

'' and ''

Sharky's Machine ''Sharky's Machine'' is a 1981 American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Burt Reynolds, who stars in the title role. It is an adaptation of William Diehl's first novel ''Sharky's Machine'' (1978) with a screenplay by Gerald Di Pego. It ...

''.

Bill Holman Big Band

He formed a big band in the 1950s which recorded several albums in the late 1950s and early 1960s. These albums included ''In a Jazz Orbit'' (1958), ''The Fabulous Bill Holman'' (1958) and ''Bill Holman's Great Big Band'' (1961). The group also recorded several albums under Holman's name backing

, Mark Murphy and David Allen. The most notable album of these was with singer

in 1960/61 entitled ''Incomparable!'' for

Verve Records Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simon ...

. By the late 1960s Holman had de-emphasized the group due to his busy schedule, the commercial viability of a big band, and partly because of the departure of drummer

Mel Lewis Melvin Sokoloff (May 10, 1929 – February 2, 1990), known professionally as Mel Lewis, was an American jazz drummer, session musician, professor, and author. He received fourteen Grammy Award nominations. Biography Early years Lewis was ...

moving back to New York City. Starting in 1975, nearly 13 years after his last big band recording, Holman began rehearsing, writing and recording with his own big band again, which has won two Grammys. His first recording with the new group in 1988 was ''Bill Holman Band: World Class Music'' (JVC). Pulling in Los Angeles studio musicians who admired and appreciated his work, Holman has been able to release a list of acclaimed CDs, including ''Brilliant Corners'', which featured arrangements of tunes written by

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", ...

, that won a Grammy in 1997. Holman's band is one of the few regularly rehearsing big bands that meets on a weekly basis. The group has been featured at numerous jazz venues and festivals over the last 30 years, that include The Jazz Bakery, the Reno Jazz Festival, Elmhurst Jazz festival, Monterey Jazz Festival and many times at the Los Angeles Jazz Institute's Big Band Bash that happens every May.

Work with European musicians

Holman's writing for large jazz ensemble has had a tremendous impact outside of the United States. He has conducted and recorded with well-known jazz orchestras such as the WDR Big Band in Cologne, the

BBC Big Band The BBC Big Band, originally known as the BBC Radio Big Band is a British big band, previously run under the auspices of the British Broadcasting Corporation ( BBC). The band broadcasts exclusively on BBC Radio, particularly on BBC Radio 2's long ...

in London, SWR Big Band in

Stuttgart, Germany Stuttgart (; Swabian German, Swabian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fe ...

, the

hr-Bigband The hr-Bigband is the big band of Hessischer Rundfunk, the public broadcasting network of the German state of Hesse. Founded 1946 as Tanz- und Unterhaltungsorchester des Hessischen Rundfunks it was renamed to hr Big Band in 1972. Since 2005 it is ...

Frankfurt, Germany Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its ...

, RIAS Big Band Berlin, the Klaus Weiss Big Band,

Vic Lewis Victor Lewis MBE (29 July 1919 – 9 February 2009) was a British jazz guitarist and bandleader. He also enjoyed success as an artists' agent and manager. Biography He was born in London, England. Lewis began playing the guitar at the age ...

, the Norwegian Radio Big Band, BuJazzO, and the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

. Musical scores and recording for Bill Holman are archived in over 20 major countries' national libraries around the world.

Awards and honors

Holman has been the arranger and orchestrator on numerous albums that have garnered Grammy nominations; he has personally had 16 nominations total and won three times. Holman's first nomination came in 1960 for Best Arrangement for Peggy Lee's hit single "I'm Gonna Go Fishin' ". He was the main contributor as an arranger (three tracks) to the 1963 Best Jazz Performance - Large Group (Instrumental) category winning

album ''

Adventures In Jazz ''Adventures in Jazz'' is an album by the Stan Kenton Orchestra, recorded in late 1961 but not released until about a year later in November 1962. The album won a Grammy Award in the category for Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, B ...

''. Holman was a contributing arranger for the 1970 Grammy Record of the Year, '' The Age of Aquarius'' by

. His first Grammy Award win came in 1988 for Best Instrumental Arrangement (with Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Orchestra). He was an important contributing orchestrator/arranger of

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...

's 1992 multiple Grammy winning album '' Unforgettable... with Love'', and her follow up Grammy winning CD's '' Take a Look'' and '' Still Unforgettable''. In 1996, Holman received his second

Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (including its previous names) has been awarded since 1960. The award is presented to the composer of an original piece of music (not an adaptation), first released during the eligibility year. I ...

, "A View from the Side", recorded by his Bill Holman Band on the JVC label. His third Grammy came in 1997, for the recording ''Brilliant Corners/The Music of Thelonious Monk'', it won the Grammy Award in 1998 for Best Instrumental Arrangement for Holman's arrangement of "Straight, No Chaser". He has been repeatedly selected as one of the leading names in the '' DownBeat'' magazine poll for "Jazz Arranger/Orchestrator". In May 2000, the Bill Holman Collection of scores and memorabilia was established at the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

in Washington, D.C. On January 12, 2010, the National Endowment for the Arts bestowed the 2010 NEA Jazz Masters Award on Bill Holman, the nation's highest honor for jazz and American Music. Holman is a recipient of the

American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers The American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers is an organization whose mission is to promote the arts of Music Arranging, Composition and Orchestration within the entertainment industry community and the general public. The ASMAC was foun ...

Golden Score Award in 2008. He has received an honorary doctorate from Elmhurst College in Illinois.

Grammy Awards

, - , style="text-align:center;", , "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'", arranged by Holman , rowspan="3", Best Arrangement , , - , rowspan="2", , "

Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1965 album '' Rubber Soul''. It was written mainly by John Lennon, with lyrical contributions from Paul McCartney, and credited to the Lennon–M ...

", arranged by Holman - instrumental , , - , " Windy", arranged by Holman - instrumental for backing vocal , , - , style="text-align:center;", , " Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In", arranged by Holman , Best Arrangement for Vocalist(s) or Instrumental(s) , , - , style="text-align:center;", , "The Daily Dance", composed by Holman , Best Instrumental Arrangement , , - , style="text-align:center;", , "

Take the "A" Train "Take the 'A' Train" is a jazz standard by Billy Strayhorn that was the signature tune of the Duke Ellington orchestra. History The use of the Strayhorn composition as the signature tune was made necessary by a ruling in 1940 by the Americ ...

", arranged by Holman , Best Arrangement on an Instrumental , , - , style="text-align:center;", , ''Bill Holman Band'' , Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band , , - , rowspan="2", , "A View from the Side", composed by Holman ,

Best Instrumental Composition The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (including its previous names) has been awarded since 1960. The award is presented to the composer of an original piece of music (not an adaptation), first released during the eligibility year. I ...

, , - , ''A View from the Side'' , rowspan="2",

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance The Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album has been presented since 1961. From 1962 to 1971 and 1979 to 1991 the award title specified instrumental performances. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works ...

, , - , rowspan="2", , "Brilliant Corners" , , - , " Straight, No Chaser", arranged by Holman , rowspan="2", Best Instrumental Arrangement , , - , rowspan="2", , " The Moon of Manakoora", arranged by Holman , , - , ''Further Adventures'' ,

, , - , style="text-align:center;", , ''Bill Holman Band: Live'' , rowspan="2",

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album The Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album has been presented since 1961. From 1962 to 1971 and 1979 to 1991 the award title specified instrumental performances. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works ...

, , - , style="text-align:center;", , ''Hommage'' , , - , style="text-align:center;", , "Without a Paddle", composed by Holman ,

, , - Grammy Award-winning singles or albums contributed to as composer or arranger {, class="wikitable" , - ! Year ! Grammy category (*won) ! Album or single ! Primary artist ! Label ! Role as composer or arranger ! Content composed or arranged , - , 1963 , align="center", * Best Jazz Performance – Large Group (Instrumental) , align="center", ''

'' , align="center",

, align="center",

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

, align="center", arranger , align="center", " Limehouse Blues"
" Stairway to the Stars"
" Malagueña" , - , 1969 , align="center", *

Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...

, align="center", " Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" , align="center",

, align="center",

Soul City In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

, align="center", arranger
(for instrumental background) , align="center", " Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" , - , 1992 , align="center", * Album of the Year , align="center", '' Unforgettable... with Love'' , rowspan="2",

, rowspan="2", Elektra , rowspan="4", arranger
(for big band) , align="center", "

Avalon Avalon (; la, Insula Avallonis; cy, Ynys Afallon, Ynys Afallach; kw, Enys Avalow; literally meaning "the isle of fruit r appletrees"; also written ''Avallon'' or ''Avilion'' among various other spellings) is a mythical island featured in the ...

"
" Almost Like Being in Love"
" Thou Swell "
"

L-O-V-E "L-O-V-E" is a song written by Bert Kaempfert and Milt Gabler, recorded by Nat King Cole for his 1965 studio album '' L-O-V-E''. Composition and background The song was composed by Bert Kaempfert with lyrics by Milt Gabler, and produced by Lee ...

"
"

Don't Get Around Much Anymore "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" is a jazz standard written by composer Duke Ellington. The song was originally entitled "Never No Lament" and was first recorded by Duke Ellington and his orchestra on May 4, 1940. "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" ...

"
" This Can't Be Love" , - , 1994 , align="center", *

Best Jazz Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works (songs or albums) in the vocal jazz ...

, align="center", '' Take a Look'' , align="center", "Swingin' Shepherd Blues"
"

Undecided "Undecided" is a popular song written by Sid Robin and Charlie Shavers and published in 1938. Recordings *The first recording was made by John Kirby and The Onyx Club Boys on October 28, 1938, and released by Decca Records as catalog number 22 ...

"
"All About Love" , - , 1996 , align="center", *

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album is an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories are presented ...

, align="center", ''

Here's to the Ladies ''Here's to the Ladies'' is an album by Tony Bennett, released in 1995. The theme of the album was songs made famous by female singers. The album won Bennett the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance. It peaked at No. 1 on ''Bill ...

'' , align="center",

, align="center", Columbia , align="center", "

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

"
" Over the Rainbow"
" Down in the Depths"
"Tangerine" , - , 2008 , align="center", *

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album is an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories are presented ...

, align="center", '' Call Me Irresponsible'' , rowspan="2",

, rowspan="2",

Reprise In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repe ...

, align="center", " Call Me Irresponsible" , - , 2011 , align="center", *

, align="center", '' Crazy Love'' , align="center", orchestrator , align="center", "

All I Do Is Dream of You "All I Do Is Dream of You" is a popular song. The music was written by Nacio Herb Brown, the lyrics by Arthur Freed. The song was published in 1934. It was originally written for the Joan Crawford film ''Sadie McKee'' (1934) when it was played du ...

" , - Grammy Award nominated singles or albums contributed to as composer or arranger {, class="wikitable" , - ! Year ! Grammy category (*nominated) ! Album or single ! Primary artist ! Label ! Role as composer or arranger ! Content composed or arranged , - , 1961 , align="center", * Best Solo Vocal Performance - Female , align="center", ''

Basin Street East Proudly Presents Miss Peggy Lee ''Basin Street East Proudly Presents Miss Peggy Lee'' is a 1961 live album by Peggy Lee, arranged by Jack Marshall and Bill Holman, recorded at the Basin Street East nightclub in New York City. Reception The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awa ...

'' , align="center", Peggy Lee , align="center",

, align="center", composer and arranger , align="center", *Bows music*
Other arrangements , - , 1964 , align="center", * Best Instrumental Jazz Performance - Large Group or Soloist with Large Group , align="center", ''Woody Herman '64'' , align="center",

, align="center",

Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), commonly shortened to Philips, is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, it has been mostly headquartered in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarters i ...

, align="center", composer and arranger , align="center", " After You've Gone"
"Jazz Hoot" , - , 1967 , align="center", * Best Instrumental Jazz Performance - Large Group or Soloist with Large Group , align="center", ''Woody Live–East and West'' , align="center",

, align="center", Columbia , align="center", composer , align="center", "Waltz for a Hung-Up Ballet Mistress" , - , 1967 , align="center", * Best Instrumental Jazz Performance - Large Group or Soloist with Large Group , align="center", '' Big Swing Face'' , align="center",

, align="center",

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

, align="center", arranger , align="center", " Norwegian Wood"
" Monitor Theme"
" Wack Wack" , - , 1968 , align="center", * Best Instrumental Jazz Performance - Large Group or Soloist with Large Group , align="center", ''Concerto for Herd: Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival 1981'' , align="center",

, align="center",

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...

, align="center", composer , align="center", "Concerto for Herd"
"The Horn of the Fish" , - , 1969 , align="center", * Best Instrumental Jazz Performance - Large Group or Soloist with Large Group , align="center", '' Buddy & Soul'' , align="center",

, align="center",

, align="center", arranger , align="center", "Ruth"
"

Hello, I Love You "Hello, I Love You" is a song recorded by American rock band the Doors for their 1968 album '' Waiting for the Sun''. Elektra Records released it as a single that same year, which topped the charts in the U.S. and Canada. Although the Doors are ...

" , - , 1969 , align="center", * Album of the Year , align="center", '' The Age of Aquarius'' , align="center",

, align="center",

, align="center", arranger , align="center", *whole album , - , 1982 , align="center", * Best Instrumental Performance – Big Band , align="center", ''Live at the Concord Jazz Festival 1981'' , align="center",

, align="center",

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...

, align="center", composer , align="center", "Midnight Run" , - , 1985 , align="center", * Best Instrumental Performance – Big Band , align="center", ''Don't Stop Now!'' , align="center",

Louis Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer, ...

, align="center", Bosco , align="center", arranger , align="center", "

Lover Man "Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)" (often called simply "Lover Man") is a 1941 popular song written by Jimmy Davis, Roger ("Ram") Ramirez, and James Sherman. It is particularly associated with Billie Holiday, for whom it was written, and her ...

" , - , 1991 , align="center", * Best Traditional Pop Performance , align="center", ''Pure Schuur'' , align="center",

, align="center", GRP , align="center", arranger , align="center", " Deed I Do" , - , 2002 , align="center", * Best Large Ensemble Jazz Album , align="center", ''Can I Persuade You?'' , align="center",

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...

, align="center", Planet Arts , align="center", arranger , align="center", "

Just Friends ''Just Friends'' is a 2005 American Christmas comedy film directed by Roger Kumble, written by Adam 'Tex' Davis and starring Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris, Chris Klein and Christopher Marquette. The plot focuses on a formerly obese high ...

" , - , 2009 , align="center", * Best Traditional Pop Album , align="center", '' A Swingin' Christmas'' , align="center",

, align="center", Columbia , align="center", arranger , align="center", "

I'll Be Home for Christmas "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is a Christmas song written by the lyricist Kim Gannon and composer Walter Kent and recorded in 1943 by Bing Crosby, who scored a top ten hit with the song. Originally written to honor soldiers overseas who longe ...

"
" My Favourite Things"
"

Winter Wonderland "Winter Wonderland" is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. Due to its seasonal theme, it is often regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its original recording by Richard Himbe ...

"
"

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" is a Christmas song featuring Santa Claus written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie. The earliest known recorded version of the song was by banjoist Harry Reser and his band on October 24, 1934. It was then ...

" , - Academy Award nominated songs or soundtracks contributed to as composer or arranger {, class="wikitable" , - ! Year ! Academy Award category (*nominated) ! song or soundtrack ! Film ! Performing artist ! Role as composer or arranger , - , 1970 , align="center", *

Best Original Song This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

, align="center", " Come Saturday Morning" , align="center", ''

The Sterile Cuckoo ''The Sterile Cuckoo'' (released in the UK as ''Pookie'') is a 1969 American comedy-drama film by producer-director Alan J. Pakula that tells the story of an eccentric young couple whose relationship deepens despite their differences and inadeq ...

'' , align="center",

, align="center", arranger , -

Discography

As leader

* ''Bill Holman'' (Capitol, 1954) * ''Jazz Erotica'' with

Richie Kamuca Richie Kamuca (July 23, 1930 – July 22, 1977) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Musical career Kamuca was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and, like many players associated with West Coast jazz, grew up in the East befo ...

(HiFi, 1957) * ''The Fabulous Bill Holman'' (Coral, 1958) * ''In a Jazz Orbit'' (Andex, 1958) * ''Jive for Five'' with

(Andex, 1959) * ''Bill Holman's Great Big Band'' (Capitol, 1960) * ''The Bill Holman Band'' (JVC, 1987) * ''Live at the Royal Palms Inn Vol. 7'' with

(Woofy, 1994) * ''A View from the Side'' (JVC, 1995) * ''Brilliant Corners: The Music of Thelonious Monk'' (JVC, 1997) * ''Further Adventures'' with Netherlands

Metropole Orchestra The Metropole Orkest (Metropole Orchestra) is a jazz and pop orchestra based in the Netherlands, and is the largest full-time ensemble of its kind in the world. A hybrid orchestra, it is a combination of jazz, big band and symphony orchestra. Com ...

(Koch Jazz, 1998)

As sideman

With

* ''Launching a New Band'' (Mercury, 1959) * ''More Vibes On Velvet'' (Mercury, 1959) * ''Dream Band'' (Contemporary, 1986) * ''One More Time Vol. 6'' (Contemporary, 2002) With

* ''

Shorty Rogers Courts the Count ''Shorty Rogers Courts the Count'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter, composer and arranger Shorty Rogers, released on the RCA Victor label in 1954.Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers'' (RCA Victor, 1957) * '' Gigi in Jazz'' (RCA 1958) * ''Manteca'' (RCA Victor, 1958) * '' Portrait of Shorty'' (RCA Victor, 1958) * ''Shorty Rogers Meets Tarzan'' (MGM, 1959) * ''

Chances Are It Swings ''Chances Are It Swings'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter and arranger Shorty Rogers performing compositions by Robert Allen which was released on the RCA Victor label in 1959.The Wizard of Oz and Other Harold Arlen Songs ''The Wizard of Oz and Other Harold Arlen Songs'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter and arranger Shorty Rogers performing songs composed by Harold Arlen including several from '' The Wizard of Oz''. The album was issued by RCA Victor in 1959 ...

'' (RCA Victor, 1959) * ''

The Swingin' Nutcracker ''The Swingin' Nutcracker'' is a 1960 RCA Victor album by American jazz trumpeter and arranger Shorty Rogers performing compositions adapted from ''The Nutcracker'' by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.Manny Albam Manny Albam (June 24, 1922 – October 2, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, record producer, and educator. Early life A native of the Dominican Republic, Albam grew up in New York City. He was attracted to jazz at an ea ...

, ''The Jazz Greats of Our Time Vol. 2'' (Coral, 1958) * Chet Baker &

Bud Shank Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank Jr. (May 27, 1926 – April 2, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and thro ...

, '' Theme Music from "The James Dean Story"'' (World Pacific, 1957) * Elmer Bernstein, ''

The Man with the Golden Arm ''The Man with the Golden Arm'' is a 1955 American drama film with elements of film noir directed by Otto Preminger, based on the novel of the same name by Nelson Algren. Starring Frank Sinatra, Eleanor Parker, Kim Novak, Arnold Stang and ...

'' (

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...

, 1956) *

Buddy Bregman Louis Isidore "Buddy" Bregman (July 9, 1930 – January 8, 2017) was an American arranger and conductor. Biography Bregman was born in Chicago. His father was an executive in the steel industry. His uncle was songwriter Jule Styne. He spen ...

, ''Swingin' Standards'' (World Pacific, 1959) * Ray Brown, ''Bass Hit!'' (Verve, 1957) *

, ''Conte Candoli'' (Bethlehem, 1955) * Conte Candoli, '' West Coast Wailers'' (Atlantic, 1955) * Peggy Connelly, ''Peggy Connelly'' (Bethlehem, 1956) * Maynard Ferguson, ''Around the Horn with Maynard Ferguson'' (Emarcy, 1956) * Maynard Ferguson, ''Stratospheric'' (Mercury, 1976) *

, ''Ella Swings Lightly'' (Verve, 1958) *

Med Flory Meredith Irwin Flory, known professionally as Med Flory (August 27, 1926 – March 12, 2014), was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and actor. Early years Flory was born in Logansport, Indiana, United States. His mother was an organist a ...

, ''Jazz Wave'' (Jubilee, 1958) *

, ''New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm'' (Capitol, 1953) * Bob Keene, ''Dancing On the Ceiling'' (Whippet, 1957) *

, ''Mel Lewis Sextet'' (Mode, 1957) *

Johnny Mandel John Alfred Mandel (November 23, 1925June 29, 2020) was an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. The musicians he worked with include Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, Tony Benn ...

, '' I Want to Live'' (United Artists, 1958) *

, '' The West Coast Sound'' (Contemporary, 1956) * Shelly Manne, ''

Concerto for Clarinet & Combo ''Concerto for Clarinet & Combo'' (full title ''Premiere Recording of Concerto for Clarinet & Combo by Bill Smith, with the Composer on Clarinet, & Bags' Groove, Sophisticated Rabbit, My Old Flame'') is an album by drummer Shelly Manne's group She ...

'' (Contemporary, 1957) * Mark Murphy, ''Mark Murphy's Hip Parade'' (Capitol, 1960) * Mark Murphy, ''Playing the Field'' (Capitol, 1960) *

, ''Vol. 3: The Octet No. 2'' (Contemporary, 1955) *

, ''I Had the Craziest Dream'' (Capitol, 1957) * Art Pepper, ''The Artistry of Pepper'' (Pacific Jazz, 1962) * Art Pepper, ''Art Pepper Plays Shorty Rogers & Others'' (Pacific Jazz, 1978) *

Johnny Richards Johnny Richards (born Juan Manuel Cascales, November 2, 1911 – October 7, 1968) was an American jazz arranger and composer. He was a pivotal arranger for some of the more adventurous performances by Stan Kenton's big band in the 1950s and e ...

, ''Something Else by Johnny Richards'' (Bethlehem, 1956) *

, ''Good Pickin's'' (Verve, 1959) * Howard Roberts, ''The Movin' Man'' (VSP, 1966) *

Jimmy Rowles James George Hunter (August 19, 1918 – May 28, 1996), known professionally as Jimmy Rowles (sometimes spelled Jimmie Rowles), was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, and composer. As a bandleader and accompanist, he explored multiple styles in ...

, ''Weather in a Jazz Vane'' (Andex, 1959) *

, ''Come Saturday Morning'' (A&M, 1970) *

, ''George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess'' (Bethlehem, 1956) *

Cy Touff Cyril James Touff (March 4, 1927 in Chicago – January 24, 2003 in Evanston, Illinois) was a jazz bass trumpeter. He was one of the few jazz musicians known as a bass trumpeter. He was also associated with West coast jazz although he spent most o ...

& Richie Kamuca & Harry Edison, ''Havin' a Ball'' (World Pacific, 1958) *

Bobby Troup Robert William Troup Jr. (October 18, 1918 – February 7, 1999) was an American actor, jazz pianist, singer, and songwriter. He wrote the song " Route 66" and acted in the role of Dr. Joe Early with his wife Julie London in the television prog ...

, ''Bobby Troup and His Stars of Jazz'' (RCA Victor, 1959) *

, ''The Vital Spark'' (Alias, 1994) *

Stu Williamson Stu Williamson (May 14, 1933 – October 1, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter and valve trombonist. Born in Brattleboro, Vermont, Williamson was the younger brother of jazz pianist Claude Williamson. In 1949, he moved to Los Angeles, wh ...

, ''Stu Williamson'' (Bethlehem, 1956)

As composer and arranger

With

* '' I Told You So'' (

Pablo Pablo is a Spanish form of the name Paul. People *Pablo Alborán, Spanish singer *Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer * Pablo Armero, Colombian footballer * Pablo Bartholomew, Indian photojournalist * Pablo Brandán, Argentine footballer * Pablo Br ...

, 1976) With

Gabe Baltazar Gabriel Ruiz Hiroshi Baltazar Jr. (November 1, 1929 – June 12, 2022) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and woodwind doubler. Background and early years His mother, born Chiyoko Haraga on a Hawaii sugarcane plantation, was the daughter of ...

* '' Stan Kenton Presents Gabe Baltazar'' (Creative World, 1979) With

* ''Cherokee'' (

Everest Mount Everest (; Tibetic languages, Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is List of highest mountains on Earth, Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border ru ...

, 1958) * ''More'' (Everest, 1959) * ''Big Band 1967'' (Creative World, 1967) With Louie Bellson * ''

The Louis Bellson Explosion ''The Louis Bellson Explosion'' is an album by drummer Louis Bellson recorded in 1975 and released by the Pablo label.

'' (

, 1975) * ''Sunshine Swing'' (

, 1978) * ''Don't Stop Now'' (Bosco, 1984) * ''The Art of the Chart'' (

, 1998) With

* ''

'' ( Columbia, 1995) * '' A Swingin' Christmas'' ( Columbia, 2008) With

* '' Come Fly with Me'' (

, 2004) * '' It's Time'' (Reprise, 2005) * '' Caught in the Act'' (Reprise, 2005) * '' Crazy Love'' (Reprise, 2009) * ''Special Delivery'' (Reprise, 2010) With June Christy * '' Big Band Specials'' (

, 1962) With

* '' Unforgettable... with Love'' ( Elektra, 1991) * '' Take a Look'' (Elektra, 1993) * '' Still Unforgettable'' (DMI/Atco, 2008) With Maynard Ferguson * ''

Dimensions In physics and mathematics, the dimension of a mathematical space (or object) is informally defined as the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify any point within it. Thus, a line has a dimension of one (1D) because only one coordin ...

'' ( EmArcy, 1955) * ''

Maynard Ferguson Octet ''Maynard Ferguson Octet'' is an album by Canadian jazz trumpeter/trombonist Maynard Ferguson featuring tracks recorded in 1955 and released on the EmArcy label.Around the Horn with Maynard Ferguson'' (EmArcy, 1956) * ''Birdland Dream Band Volume 2'' (Vik, 1956) * ''Boy With Lots of Brass'' (EmArcy, 1957) * '' Swingin' My Way Through College'' ( Roulette, 1959) * '' Come Blow Your Horn'' ( Cameo, 1963) * '' Trumpet Rhapsody'' ( MPS, 1968) With Jerry Fielding And His Orchestra * ''Near East Brass'' (Command, 1967) With

* ''Launching a New Band'', aka ''Launching a New Sound in Music'' ( Mercury, 1959) * ''Dream Band'' (

Contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

, 1959) * ''The Dream Band, Vol. 2: The Sundown Sessions'' (Contemporary, 1959) * ''Dream Band, Vol. 3: Flying Home'' (Contemporary, 1959) * ''Dream Band, Vol. 6: One More Time'' (Contemporary, 1959) * ''Swing Is Here!'' (second original Dream Band release) (

, 1960) * ''The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band'' (Verve, 1961) – reissued as ''Dream Band, Vol. 4: Main Stem'' * ''Explosion!'' (Mercury, 1961) – reissued as ''Dream Band, Vol. 5: The Big Cat'' With Benny Goodman * ''Hello Benny!'' (

, 1964) With

* ''The 3 Herds'' ( Columbia, 1954) * ''Woody Herman:1964'' (

, 1964) * ''My Kind of Broadway'' (Columbia, 1965) * ''The Jazz Swinger'' (Columbia, 1966) * ''Concerto for Herd – At the Monterey Jazz Festival'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

, 1968) * ''Woody Herman Live at the Concord Jazz Festival'' (

, 1981) With

Jackie and Roy Jackie and Roy was an American jazz vocal team consisting of husband and wife singer Jackie Cain (1928-2014) and singer/pianist Roy Kral (1921-2002). They sang together for 56 years and made almost 40 albums. Kral's 2002 obituary in ''The New Y ...

* ''Bits and Pieces'' (ABC-Paramount, 1957) * ''Free And Easy!'' (ABC-Paramount, 1958) With

*'' The New James'' (Capitol, 1958) With

* ''Dancing on the Ceiling'' (Whippet, 1952) With

* ''

'' (

, 1953) * ''

'' (

, 1954) * ''

The Kenton Era ''The Kenton Era'' is a compilation album by pianist and bandleader Stan Kenton featuring recordings from 1940 to 1954 which was originally released in two limited edition box sets, as fifteen 7 inch 45 rpm discs and four 12 inch LPs, on Capitol i ...

'' (

, 1955) * ''

'' (

, 1955) * ''

Back to Balboa ''Back to Balboa'' is an album by bandleader and pianist Stan Kenton featuring performances recorded at the Rendezvous Ballroom in 1958 and released on the Capitol label.Vosbein, PStan Kenton Discographyaccessed April 16, 2016 The liner notes f ...

'' (

, 1958) * '' Road Show'' (

, 1960) * '' Two Much!'' (

, 1960) * ''

'' (

, 1962) * '' Stan Kenton / Jean Turner'' (

, 1963) * '' Live at Redlands University'' ( Creative World/GNP Crescendo, 1970) * ''Live At Brigham Young University'' ( Creative World/GNP Crescendo, 1971) * ''Birthday in Britain'' ( Creative World/GNP Crescendo, 1973) * ''

Kenton '76 ''Kenton '76'' is one of the last two studio albums by American jazz musician Stan Kenton and his orchestra, released in 1976, by Creative World Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in Chicago on December 3–5, 1975. The album ...

'' ( Creative World/GNP Crescendo, 1976) With Peggy Lee * ''

'' (Capitol, 1961) * '' In Love Again!'' (Capitol, 1964) * '' Big $pender'' (Capitol, 1966) * '' Extra Special!'' (Capitol, 1967) * '' 2 Shows Nightly'' (Capitol, 1968) - also 2009 compilation with unissued material With

* ''IN SESSION: SARAH & CARMEN'' (T.V Program, 1977) * ''Blue Note Meets The L.A. Philharmonic'' (

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical c ...

, 1978) With

* '' The Gerry Mulligan Songbook'' (

World Pacific Pacific Jazz Records was a Los Angeles-based record company and label best known for cool jazz or West coast jazz. It was founded in 1952 by producer Richard Bock (1927–1988) and drummer Roy Harte (1924–2003). Harte, in 1954, also co-founded ...

, 1957) * ''

The Concert Jazz Band ''The Concert Jazz Band'' is an album recorded by American jazz saxophonist Gerry Mulligan featuring performances recorded in 1960 which were released on the Verve label.

'' (Verve, 1960) * ''The Concert Jazz Band At Newport'' (Solar, 1960) * ''The Concert Jazz Band – December 1960'' (

Musidisc Musidisc is a French record label that provides music and home video distribution. It was founded in 1927, and purchased by Universal Music Group in 1999. History Musidisc is known for having produced a rare recording of Jeanne Calment, who has ...

, 1960) * ''Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band – Zurich 1960'' (TCB, 1960) * ''Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band – Olympia, 19 Novembre, 1960'' (Europe 1, 1960) * ''

Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band on Tour ''Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band on Tour'' (subtitled ''Guest Soloist: Zoot Sims'') is a live album recorded by American jazz saxophonist and bandleader Gerry Mulligan featuring performances recorded in California, Berlin and Milan 1960 ...

'' (Verve, 1960

el. 1962 EL, El or el may refer to: Religion * El (deity), a Semitic word for "God" People * EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer * El DeBarge, music artist * El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American p ...

With Mark Murphy * ''This Could Be The Start Of Something'' (Capitol, 1959) *''Mark Murphy's Hip Parade'' (Capitol, 1960) *''Playing the Field'' (Capitol, 1960) With

* ''Incomparable!'' (Verve, 1961) With Art Pepper *''Winter Moon'' (Galaxy, 1980) With Art Pepper and

* '' Mucho Calor'' (Andex, 1957) With

* '' Swingin' New Big Band'' (

Pacific Jazz Pacific Jazz Records was a Los Angeles-based record company and label best known for cool jazz or West coast jazz. It was founded in 1952 by producer Richard Bock (1927–1988) and drummer Roy Harte (1924–2003). Harte, in 1954, also co-founded ...

, 1966) * '' Big Swing Face'' (

, 1967) * '' The New One!'' (

, 1968) * '' Buddy & Soul'' (

, 1969) * '' Keep The Customer Satisfied'' (

, 1970) * '' Rich In London (Live At Ronnie Scott's)'' (

, 1971) * ''Winning the West'' (

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stud ...

, 1972) * '' Mr. Drums'' (Mobile Fidelity, 1985) With

* '' The Many Moods of Ann Richards'' (

, 1960) *'' Two Much!'' (

, 1960) - with

With

Frank Rosolino Frank Rosolino (August 20, 1926 – November 26, 1978) was an American jazz trombonist. Biography Rosolino was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States, He performed with the big bands of Bob Chester, Glen Gray, Tony Pastor, Herbie Fields, Ge ...

*''Kenton Presents'' (

, 1954) *''Kenton Presents: Frankly Speaking'' (

, 1955) *''The Legend Of Frank Rosolino'' (Interlude, 1959) With

* ''Pure Schuur'' ( GRP, 1991) With

* ''Collaboration'' ( Pausa, 1985) * ''Strollin (Chase, 1991) With

*'' Hawthorne Nights'' (Pablo, 1977) With

with Doc Severinsen * ''

The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen ''The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen'' is an album that won the Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance in 1986. The album consists of big band songs arranged by Tommy Newsom, Bill Holman, and Dick Lieb performed by members ...

'' (Amherst, 1986) * ''The Tonight Show Band • Vol. II with Doc Severinsen'' (Amherst, 1987) * ''Once More... With Feeling!'' (Amherst, 1991) With Sarah Vaughan * ''

Sarah Vaughan Sings the Mancini Songbook ''Sarah Vaughan Sings the Mancini Songbook'' is a 1965 album by Sarah Vaughan, of music composed by Henry Mancini. Track listing # "How Soon" (Al Stillman) – 2:41 # " Days of Wine and Roses" (Johnny Mercer) – 2:38 # " Dear Heart" (Ray Evans, ...

'' ( Mercury, 1965) With

Jiggs Whigham Jiggs Whigham (born Oliver Haydn Whigham III; August 20, 1943) is an American jazz trombonist. Biography Born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, he began his professional career at the age of 17, joining the Glenn Miller/Ray McKinley orchestra ...

and the WDR Big Band * ''The Third Stone'' (Koala, 1989) With Si Zentner * ''From Russia With Love'' (Liberty, 1964) * ''Plays The Big Band-Hits'' (Liberty, 1964)

Personal

Holman's marriage to jazz singer and pianist

Jeri Southern Jeri Southern (born Genevieve Lillian Hering, August 5, 1926 – August 4, 1991) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Early years Born Genevieve Lillian Hering in Royal, Nebraska, United States, Southern was the granddaughter of a German pi ...

ended in divorce. They had one daughter.

References

Bibliography

*Arganian, Lillian. ''Stan Kenton: the Man and his Music'' Artistry Press, 1989 *Clarke, Donald. ''The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' Penguin Books, 1998 *Holman, Bill/Dobbins, Bill. ''Conversations With Bill Holman: Thoughts and Recollections of a Jazz Master''. Advance Music, 2017, *Kernfeld, Barry Dean Kernfeld. ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'' Macmillan, 2002 *Sparke, Michael. ''Stan Kenton: This Is an Orchestra''. University of North Texas Press. 2010

External links

* * *
Bill Holman at BBC MusicBill Holman at Allaboutjazz
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holman, Bill 1927 births Living people Jazz musicians from California Musicians from California 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American musicians American conductors (music) American jazz bandleaders American jazz educators American male conductors (music) American music arrangers Big band bandleaders Big bands Capitol Records artists Cool jazz musicians Grammy Award winners Jazz arrangers American male jazz musicians Progressive big band bandleaders Taurus Records artists

Early life

The Stan Kenton Orchestra

Big band writing

West Coast work

Bill Holman Big Band

Work with European musicians

Awards and honors

Grammy Awards

Discography

As leader

As sideman

As composer and arranger

Personal

See also

References

Bibliography

External links