Bill Holman - Mel Lewis Quintet: OUT OF THIS

Published on Aug 25, 2016

Lee Katzman, trumpet,
Bill Holman, tenor saxophone,
Jimmy Rowles, piano,
Wilford Middlebrook, bass,
Mel Lewis, drums,
performing Bill's arrangement of "Out Of This World."

Bill Holman - Plays Monk

Published on Nov 2, 2015
Bill Holman's big band arrangement of Monk and Denzil Best's composition "Bemsha Swing" with solos by Christian Jacob, piano, Ron Stout, trumpet, Bob Leatherbarrow, drums and Bill Perkins, alto saxophone.

The Hidden Bill Holman

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

Yesterday I posted on three little known powerhouse albums with arrangements by Bill Holman (above). Today, I'm turning you on to a superb album from 2012 that even Tom Lord's Jazz Discography wasn't aware featured Bill's fine scoring: The Pete Christlieb & Linda Small 11-Piece Band's Tall & Small: High on You (Bosco).

Christlieb (above) is a West Coast saxophonist who has played with bands big and small since 1965, when he recorded with Si Zentner. That's his tenor sax solo on Steely Dan's Deacon Blues in 1977. Linda Small is Pete's wife. She plays trombone and studied at the New England Conservatory among other institutions. She has played with the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Boston Ballet, the Detroit Symphony and other ensembles. On the jazz side, she has worked with Emil Richards, Supersax, Don Menza, Buddy Childers and others.

Tall & Small: High on You is a tremendous album that features Bill's arrangements and originals. The scores are difficult but still sustain Bill's engaging touch. The material captures the full range of Bill's approaches, including swingers (including the title track, Bosco Sez and Pent-Up House), mid-tempo tunes (Open Country and Minuet) and ballads (Meaning of the Blues, A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing).

Here's a probable personnel: Bob Summers, Tony Bonsera (tp) Linda Small (tb/ldr) Pete Christlieb (ts/ldr) plus three reeds out of: Terry Harrington, Kevin Guerin, Rob Heart and Gene Cipriano (reeds), Joe Bagg (p), Jim Hughart (b) Steve Schaeffer (d) and Bill Holman (arr).

Here's a video of the band, with Bill Holman directing...

JazzWax tracks: You'll find the Pete Christlieb & Linda Small 11-Piece Band's Tall & Small: High on You here. 

JazzWax clip: Here's Bill Holman's amazing arrangement of the title track, High on You...

High on You

A special JazzWax thanks to David Langner.

Used with permission by Marc Myers

Arrangements by Bill Holman

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

As a kid, I spent way too much time in New York record stores like Sam Goody, King Karol, Footlight, Dayton and Record Mart running my fingers through their bins. In the days before computers, I was always on the prowl for covers of jazz albums I had missed with solid guys listed in the personnel on the back. I discovered dozens of artists and LPs this way. It was always about the hunt and the promise of coming across something amazing. [Photo above of Bill Holman in the 1950s]

Not much has changed, I'm afraid. What I love doing now, when I have the time, is going through the discographies of artists I dig the most, looking for albums everyone has overlooked. Then I tell you about them. See how devoted I am to my readers?

Yesterday I zoomed in on Bill Holman. I've been on a Bill jag lately after catching up with him by email a few weeks ago. Bill's arrangements always have an off-to-the-races feel but with modernity and heart. Most have several nifty twists. Bill never cares to arrange songs straight, preferring instead to turn them a little inside out to hold your attention without ever losing the swing. So I ran through three years of Bill's sessions at Tom Lord's Jazz Discography, which meant covering 1956, '57 and '58. I figured I knew all of Bill's arranging dates during this period, but I was wrong.

Three little-known albums jumped out and all are out of this world:

Tommy Alexander—Alexander the Great (Liberty).This album recorded in September 1956 features mostly studio guys brought together for a one-shot in Hollywood: Ed Bordenhaven, Bob Clark, Clyde Reasinger, Bobby Styles (tp) Frank Strong, Lewis McGreery, Jim Hill (tb) Dave Wells (b-tp,tb) Dick Paladino (as) Lanny Morgan (as,bar) John Bambridge, Bill Trujillo (ts) Lennie Mitchell (bar) Arnold Ross (p) Tommy Tedesco (g) Harry Babasin (b) Sal La Perche (d) Bill Holman (arr). There's a killer I Hadn't Anyone Til You, Midnight Sun, Old Devil Moon and The Song Is You here. Who was Tommy Alexander? Bill says, "A young guy with his own idea for a band, which principally had to do with using two baritone saxophones." Go here.

So what happened to Alexander after this recording? Who knows. I can't find much on him. He may be the same Tommy Alexander who recorded on trumpet with Charles Mingus in Hollywood in 1949, when the bassist was billed as Baron Mingus and His Rhythm (Say It Isn't So with Helen Carr on vocal and Boppin' in Boston). Billboard says MGM signed Alexander in 1955, and his orchestra recorded two singles—Don't Be That Way backed by Was That the Human Thing to Do and Trees backed by Mine.

After the album with Bill's arrangements came out in September 1956, Alexander turns up in 1958 with an album (in mono and stereo) for Everest called Tommy Alexander and His Golden Trombones, with swinging arrangements and vocals by Bob Manning (go here). I'm not sure who's on it or who arranged, since the album doesn't turn up in the Jazz Discography. And that's it. Tommy Alexander just disappears.

Charlie Barnet—Lonely Street (Verve). Bill arranged two songs on this album, Blue Rose and Lemon Twist. Both are first-rate, especially the latter. Another Hollywood band from November 1956: Maynard Ferguson, Ralph Mullins, Carleton McBeath, Oliver Mitchell (tp) Leroy Anderson, Dave Wells, Bob Burgess, Richard Nash (tb) Charlie Barnet (sax,ldr) Willie Smith, Dick Paladino (as) Bill Holman (ts,arr) William Trujillo (ts) Bob Dawes (bar) Norman Pockrandt (p) Barney Kessel (g) Red Wootten (b) Alvin Stoller (d). The session's other arrangers were Billy May and Buddy Childers. Go here.

Charlie Barnet—More Charlie Barnet (Everest).Recorded in September 1958 in New York, this Barnet album was completely arranged by Bill. Further proof that Barnet's bands in the 12-inch LP era were solid swingers. Just dig the cats on this session! John Bello, Doc Severinsen, Dick Sherman, Charlie Shavers (tp) Billy Byers, Frank Rehak, Chauncey Welsh (tb) Charlie Barnet (sax,ldr) Phil Woods (as) Dick Meldonian (as,bar) Dick Hafer, Kurt Bloom (ts) Danny Bank (bar) Nat Pierce (p) Barry Galbraith (g) Milt Hinton (b) Don Lamond (d) Bill Holman (arr).Go here or here.

Used with permission by Marc Myers

Bill Holman - Mel Lewis Quintet 1958 ~ Jive For Five

Recorded: Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California June 6, 1958

Personnel: 
Bill Holman - Tenor Sax
Lee Katzman - Trumpet 
Jimmy Rowles - Piano
Wilford Middlebrook - Bass
Mel Lewis - Drums

Bill Holman: Jive for Five

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

In the 1950s, Bill Holman was largely a mighty big band saxophonist and arranger. But occasionally, he broke away and led sensitive small-group recording sessions. In May and June of 1958, Bill recorded with a quintet for Hollywood's Andex Records, a Keen subsidiary founded by John and Alex Siamas in 1957. John Siamas had made his money in the aerospace industry and started a series of short-lived labels as a business hobby. The labels didn't last long.

The small-group album was Jive for Five and featured Lee Katzman (tp), Bill Holman (ts, bar), Jimmy Rowles (p), Wilfred Middlebrooks (b) and Mel Lewis (d). What makes this album special are the tasteful and subtle instrumental personalities of each player and the fact that we can hear them all distinctly. Here, Bill is out in the open and his sound and solos are delightfully exposed. You get to fully appreciate Bill's big, confident, smokey tone and how artfully he navigates his solos.

Katzman [above] isn't especially well known by East Coast jazz fans but he was a huge, tangy presence in Stan Kenton's orchestra of the 1950s. On this quintet date, he blows a soft-sizzling horn. Katzman, who wound up a member of the Baja Marimba Band in the '60s, died last August. Rowles, Middlebrooks and Lewis add luster and lushness to the tracks. Middlebrooks is also little known—he appeared on only 54 career sessions from 1950 to 1992, but mostly with Ella Fitzgerald in the '50s and pianist Paul Smith and drummer Frank Capp on Smith's leadership dates in the '60s and beyond. He died in 2008 at age 74.

On each of the six tracks, Bill's conversational cool and Katzman's delicate heat, supported by the breezy rhythm section, capture your ear as though all were seated around a dinner table swapping terrific stories. Bill not only knew what to say, he also knew whom to invite to the party. To this day, Jive for Five remains a perfect album.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find the impossibly beautiful Jive for Five for $5.94 here.

JazzWax clips: Here's Bill and the group on Jive for Five...

- See more at: http://www.jazzwax.com/2014/03/bill-holman-jive-for-five.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Jazzwax+%28JazzWax%29#sthash.g5xgQoWU.dpuf

Used with permission by Marc Myers

Study Arranging & Composing at Jazz Port Townsend With NEA Jazz Master Bill Holman

We’re very excited to offer a track for arrangers and composers for the first time as part of Centrum’s Jazz Port Townsend, and we can think of no one better qualified to lead it than eminent composer/arranger Bill Holman. Bill’s music has been performed by for decades by bands led by jazz luminaries such as Count Basie, Woody Herman, Louie Bellson, Doc Severinson, Buddy Rich and many others.

In 2010 Bill was named an NEA Jazz Master, this country’s highest honor in the field of Jazz. Now you will have the opportunity to learn from this legendary composer and arranger.

You’ll work directly with Bill in studying his music and learning first hand how it’s put together. You’ll also have the chance to learn from other faculty in special topics and master classes, as well as the opportunity to play with other musicians. Here's how your schedule will look Monday - Thursday:

• 9 - 10:30am. small group (8 – 10) session with Bill and other arrangers. The focus will be an in-depth study of Bill’s charts, with comments on your scores as time permits.
• 10:45 - 11:45am. Theory and special topics classes by various faculty, open to all in the workshop. In addition to theory classes, faculty talk about their approach to improvising, the psychology of playing, practicing, their careers, and more.
• 1:15 - 2:45pm. Instrumental/vocal master classes by various faculty on all instruments. This is the time to dig into specific questions about playing your instrument. You're welcome to attend any you choose.
• 3 – 4pm. Arranger's combo rehearsal. This is your chance for all of you in the Arranging track to play together. You can try out new charts, and experiment with different voicings, etc. Instrumentation will depend on who signs up.
• 4:15 – 6pm. Faculty Presents concerts. Faculty play for workshop participants in an intimate, informal atmosphere. Some amazing music is made here. These are not to be missed!
• Evenings. On 2 or 3 evenings Bill will lead sessions talking about and explaining his music, open to all workshop participants.
• Also in the evening, selected arrangers will have the opportunity to have their music read by one of two big bands at the workshop. Afterwards you can join in any of the numerous jam sessions that spring up around the campus.

Complete on  >>  http://www.centrum.org/jazz/2011/01/study-arranging-composing-at-jazz-port-townsend-with-nea-jazz-master-bill-holman.html

Bill Holman....

Born Willis Leonard Holman on May 21, 1927 in Olive, CA, near Santa Ana, Bill Holman took up clarinet in junior high school and tenor saxophone in high school by which time he was leading his own band. After serving in the Navy and studying engineering, he decided in the late '40s that he wanted to write big band music and studied for a while at the Westlake College of Music in Los Angeles with Dave Robertson and Dr. Alfred Sendrey. He also studied composition privately with Russ Garcia and saxaphone with Lloyd Reese.

In 1949 he played with the Ike Carpenter Band, in 1951, he was writing for Charlie Barnet, and in 1952 he began his association with Stan Kenton, for whom he wrote and played for many years. During the '50s, he was also active in the West Coast jazz movement, playing in small bands led by Shorty Rogers and Shelly Manne, and co-leading a quintet with Mel Lewis in 1958.

In the 60s, he widened his writing associations, and eventually contributed pieces to libraries and recordings of bands led by Louie Bellson, Count Basie, Terry Gibbs, Woody Herman, Bob Brookmeyer, Buddy Rich, Gerry Mulligan, Doc Severinsen and others. He has also written for such singers as Natalie Cole (her Grammy winning "Unforgettable" album, among others,) Tony Bennett, Carmen MacRae, Mel Torme, Woody Herman, Anita O'Day, Sarah Vaughn, June Christy and the Fifth Dimension. His arrangement of "Take The 'A" Train" for Severinsen's "Tonight Show Orchestra" earned Holman a Best Instrumental Grammy in 1987.

Holman started The Bill Holman Band in 1975. The band has made three albums, all for JVC: 1988's "The Bill Holman Band", 1995's "A View From The Side", for which Holman won a Best Instrumental Composition Grammy for the title track; and 1997's "Brilliant Corners: The Music of Thelonious Monk." This recording, certainly one of Holman's finest, celebrates both Monk and Holman and will no doubt renew excitement in fans about the possibilities to be found in the big band genre.

Since 1980, Holman has been increasingly active in Europe, writing, conducting and playing lengthy works for the West German Radio Orchestra in Cologne, Germany, and the Metropole Orchestra in Holland, that feature such soloists as Phil Woods, Sal Nistico and Lee Konitz.

LA Jazz Inst. Bill Holman Kingfish