Major "Mule" Holley Jr. (July 10, 1924 – October 25, 1990) was an American

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 ...

upright bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar ...

ist.

Biography

Holley was born in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

, United States. He attended the prestigious

Cass Technical High School Cass Technical High School (simply referred to as Cass Tech) is a public high school in Midtown Detroit, Michigan, United States.

in Detroit. Holley played violin and tuba when young. He started playing bass while serving in the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

, playing in the Ships Company A Band at Camp Robert Smalls, which was led by Leonard Bowden and included Clark Terry, and several other musicians recruited from civilian dance bands.Floyd, Samuel A. “An Oral History: The Great Lakes Experience,” in ''The Black Experience in Music'' 11.1: (Spring 1983): pp. 41-61. In the latter half of the 1940s, he played with

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

, and

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 ...

; in 1950 he and

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, ...

recorded duets, and he also played with Peterson and Charlie Smith as a trio. He was married to Minnie Walton (born Millicent Aitcheson). In the mid-1950s, he moved to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

and worked at the BBC. Upon his return to America, he toured with

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 ...

in 1958 and with

Al Cohn Al Cohn (November 24, 1925 – February 15, 1988) was an American jazz saxophonist, arranger and composer. He came to prominence in the band of clarinetist Woody Herman and was known for his longtime musical partnership with fellow saxophonist ...

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 ...

between 1959 and 1960. A prolific studio musician, he played with

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was bas ...

in 1964 and with the

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 ...

Trio,

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first p ...

Lee Konitz Leon Konitz (October 13, 1927 – April 15, 2020) was an American composer and alto saxophonist. He performed successfully in a wide range of jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Konitz's association with the cool j ...

Roy Eldridge David Roy Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), nicknamed "Little Jazz", was an American jazz trumpeter. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos exhibiting a departure from ...

, Michel Legrand, Milt Buckner,

Jay McShann James Columbus "Jay" McShann (January 12, 1916 – December 7, 2006) was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader. He led bands in Kansas City, Missouri, that included Charlie Parker, Bernard Anderson, Walter Brown, and B ...

and

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

in the 1960s and 1970s. From 1967 to 1970, he taught at the

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

. Holley was known for singing along with his arco (bowed) bass solos, a technique Slam Stewart also used. Holley and Stewart recorded two albums together. Holley died of a heart attack in

Maplewood, New Jersey Maplewood is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is an inner-ring suburban bedroom community of New York City in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's populat ...

, at the age of 66.

Discography

As leader

* ''Two Big Mice'' with Slam Stewart (Black and Blue, 1977) * '' Shut Yo' Mouth!'' with Slam Stewart (PM, 1987) * ''Major Step'' with Joe Van Enkhuizen (Timeless 1992) * ''Excuse Me Ludwig'' (Black and Blue, 1997) * ''Mighty Like a Rose'' with

Rose Murphy Rose Murphy (April 28, 1913 – November 16, 1989) was an American jazz pianist and singer, famous for the song "Busy Line" and her unique vocal style.Brethour, Ross, sleevenotes to ''Busy Line'', a Rose Murphy best of compilation, Body and Soul, ...

(Black & Blue, 1998)

As sideman

With Peter Appleyard * ''Barbados Heat'' (Concord Jazz, 1990) * ''Barbados Cool'' (Concord Jazz, 1991) With

* '' Midnight Blue'' (Blue Note, 1963) * ''

Bluesy Burrell ''Bluesy Burrell'' (also released as ''Out of This World'') is an album by guitarist Kenny Burrell with saxophonist Coleman Hawkins recorded in 1962 and originally released on the Moodsville label. Reception AllMusic awarded the album 3 stars ...

'' (Moodsville, 1963) * '' Bluesin' Around'' (Columbia, 1983) With

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Edward F. Davis (March 2, 1922 – November 3, 1986), known professionally as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. It is unclear how he acquired the moniker "Lockjaw" (later shortened in "Jaws"): it is either said that ...

* ''Light and Lovely'' (Black and Blue, 1979) * ''Midnight Slows Vol. 10'' (Black and Blue, 1979) With

* '' Good Old Broadway'' (Moodsville, 1962) * '' Today and Now'' (Impulse!, 1962) * '' The Jazz Version of No Strings'' (Moodsville, 1962) * ''

Hawkins! Eldridge! Hodges! Alive! At the Village Gate! ''Hawkins! Eldridge! Hodges! Alive! At the Village Gate!'' is a live album by saxophonists Coleman Hawkins and Johnny Hodges with trumpeter Roy Eldridge which was recorded at the Village Gate in 1962 and released on the Verve label.

'' (Verve, 1962) * '' Hawkins! Alive! At the Village Gate'' (Verve, 1963) * '' Coleman Hawkins Plays Make Someone Happy from Do Re Mi'' (Moodsville, 1963) * '' Desafinado'' (Impulse!, 1963) * ''

Back in Bean's Bag ''Back in Bean's Bag'' is an album by saxophonist Coleman Hawkins with trumpeter Clark Terry which was recorded in late 1962 and released on the Columbia Records, Columbia label.Lord, T.Clark Terry Discography Retrieved July 10, 2017 Reception S ...

'' (Columbia, 1963) With

Jo Jones Jonathan David Samuel Jones (October 7, 1911 – September 3, 1985) was an American jazz drummer. A band leader and pioneer in jazz percussion, Jones anchored the Count Basie Orchestra rhythm section from 1934 to 1948. He was sometimes ...

* ''Papa Jo and His Friends'' (Denon, 1978) * '' Our Man, Papa Jo!'' (Denon, 1978) With

* '' Quincy Jones Plays Hip Hits'' (Mercury, 1963) * ''

Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini ''Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini'' is an album by Quincy Jones that contains music composed by Henry Mancini. Track listing All music composed by Henry Mancini, lyricists indicated # "Baby Elephant Walk" – 2:49 # " Charade" ...

'' (Mercury, 1964) * ''

Gula Matari ''Gula Matari'' is a 1970 studio album by Quincy Jones. Track listing # " Bridge Over Troubled Water" (Paul Simon) – 5:09 # "Gula Matari" (Quincy Jones) – 13:02 # "Walkin'" (Richard Carpenter) – 8:02 # "Hummin'" (Nat Adderley) – 8:08 Pe ...

'' (A&M, 1970) * '' I Heard That!!'' (A&M, 1976) With B.B. King * '' Blues 'N' Jazz'' (MCA, 1983) With Roland Kirk * '' Here Comes the Whistleman'' (Atlantic, 1967) * '' A Meeting of the Times'' (Atlantic, 1972) With

Buddy Tate George Holmes "Buddy" Tate (February 22, 1913 – February 10, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. Biography Tate was born in Sherman, Texas, United States, and first played the alto saxophone. According to the website All A ...

* ''The Texas Twister'' (Master Jazz 1975) * ''Just Jazz'' (Uptown, 1984) * '' Just Friends'' (Muse, 1992) With

Clark Terry Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator. He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948–51), Duk ...

* ''Tread Ye Lightly'' (Cameo, 1964) * ''Having Fun'' (Delos, 1990) With Joe Williams * ''Having the Blues Under European Sky'' (Denon, 1985) With others *

Totti Bergh Theodor Christian Frølich Bergh known as Totti Bergh (5 December 1935 in Oslo – 4 January 2012 in Oslo) was a Norwegian jazz musician (saxophone), the younger brother of the jazz journalist Johannes (Johs.) Bergh (1932–2001). He was marrie ...

, ''Major Blues'' (Gemini, 1991) * Milt Buckner, ''Block Chords Parade'' (Black & Blue, 1974) *

Jaki Byard John Arthur "Jaki" Byard (; June 15, 1922 – February 11, 1999) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger. Mainly a pianist, he also played tenor and alto saxophones, among several other instruments. He was known for hi ...

, '' Family Man'' (Muse, 1978) *

Johnny Guarnieri John Albert Guarnieri (March 23, 1917 – January 7, 1985) was an American jazz and stride pianist, born in New York City. Career Guarnieri joined the George Hall orchestra in 1937. He is possibly best known for his big band stints with Ben ...

, ''Johnny Guarnieri Originals'' (1979) * Bob James, ''Sign of the Times'' (1981) * Rufus Jones, '' Five on Eight'' (Cameo, 1964) * Dave McKenna, ''Dave McKenna Quartet with Zoot Sims'' (

Chiaroscuro Chiaroscuro ( , ; ), in art, is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achi ...

, 1974) *

, ''

Some Blues ''Some Blues'' is an album by jazz pianist Jay McShann recorded in 1990 and 1992 and released on the Chiaroscuro label in 1993.Chiaroscuro Chiaroscuro ( , ; ), in art, is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achi ...

, 1993) * Flip Phillips, ''The Claw'' (

, 1986) * Richie Pratt, Olathe ( Artists Recording Collective, 2007) *

Hilton Ruiz Hilton Ruiz (May 29, 1952 – June 6, 2006) was an American jazz pianist in the Afro-Cuban jazz mold, but was also a talented bebop player. He was of Puerto Rican descent. Biography Born in New York City, Ruiz began playing piano at the age of ...

, ''Crosscurrents'' (Stash, 1985) * Shirley Scott, '' The Soul Is Willing'' (Prestige, 1963) * Shirley Scott, '' Drag 'em Out'' (Prestige, 1963) *

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

, '' L.A. Is My Lady'' (Qwest, 1984) *

Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touched on jazz fusion ...

, '' Never Let Me Go'' (1963) *

Dicky Wells William Wells (June 10, 1907 – November 12, 1985), known professionally as Dicky Wells (sometimes Dickie Wells), was an American jazz trombonist. Career Dickie Wells is believed to have been born on June 10, 1907 in Centerville, Tennessee, Un ...

, ''

Bones for the King ''Bones for the King'' is an album by trombonist Dicky Wells which was recorded in 1958 and released on the Felsted label.Trombone Four-in-Hand ''Trombone Four-in-Hand'' is an album by trombonist Dicky Wells which was recorded in 1959 and released on the Felsted label.

'' (Felsted, 1959) *

Gerry Wiggins Gerald Foster Wiggins (May 12, 1922 – July 13, 2008) was an American jazz pianist and organist. Early life Wiggins was born in New York City on May 12, 1922.Vacher, Pete"Wiggins, Gerry" ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'' (2nd edition). G ...

, ''Wig Is Here'' (Black & Blue, 1974) *

Phil Woods Philip Wells Woods (November 2, 1931 – September 29, 2015) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and composer. Biography Woods was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. After inheriting a saxophone at age 12, he began ...

, ''Directly from the Half Note'' (Philology, 1966)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holley, Major 1924 births 1991 deaths American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists Cass Technical High School alumni Jazz musicians from Michigan People from Maplewood, New Jersey Duke Ellington Orchestra members 20th-century American musicians 20th-century double-bassists American male jazz musicians Black & Blue Records artists 20th-century American male musicians United States Navy personnel of World War II