The Fabulous Bill Holman

The Fabulous Bill Holman
Coral Records
Cover photo by Garrett-Howard
CRL 57188
1958

Audio files are available from online vendors so I will not be posting a sample. Presented here to share the back cover information.

Fine big band jazz set featuring one 17 minute Holman penned track on side 2, The Big Street.

Personnel:

Bill Holman, Arranger-Conductor-tenor saxophone and Leader

Trumpets - Al Porcino, Roy Linn, Conte Condoli, Stu Williamson (also plays valve trombone)

Trombones - Bob Fitzpatrick, Ray Simms, Lew McCreay*

Saxes: Charlie Mariano, Herb Gellar, altos; Charlie Kennedy, Richie Kamuca, tenors; Steve Perlow, baritone. Rhythm: Mel Lewis, drums; Max Bennett, bass; Lou Levy, piano.

*Replaced by Harry Betts and Bright Eyes, Evil Eyes and You And I.

Solo Annotation:

Airegin - Bill Holman, tenor; Conte Condoli, trumpet; Mel Lewis, drums**; Max Bennett, bass.

Evil Eyes - Lou Levy, piano; Holman, tenor; Lewis (breaks leading to coda).

Bright Eyes - Levy, piano; Williamson, trumpet; Holman, tenor; Bennett, bass.

Come Rain Come Shine - Holman, tenor; Roy Sims, trombone; Holman, tenor

The Big Street

Part I - Lewis, drums; Condoli, trumpet; Holman, tenor; (16 bars). Charlie Kennedy, tenor; (16 bars), Holman, tenor; (8 bars). Charlie Kennedy, tenor (8 bars). Levy, piano, Lewis (on assemblage of breaks in closing portion and final break into Part II).

Part II- Holman, tenor; Sims, trombone; Geller, alto, Holman, tenor.

Part III - Mel Lewis, drums; Williamson, trumpet; Bennett, bass; Richie Kamuca, tenor; (16 bars) Holman, tenor; (16 bars) one chorus of four bar exchanges between Holman and Kamuca, with Kamuca leading off... Lewis (a group of breaks shortly before close)

**only key drum solos, breaks noted

From the back cover: Bill Holman, a 30 year old native Californian, first manifested interest in music as a teenager, started playing clarinet at 13, going on to tenor at 15. After spending two years in the Navy, studying engineering at the University of Colorado and UCLA, he decided to go into music full-time in 1948.

In order to pursue this course, Holman attended the Westlake College of Music (1948-50) and studied counterpoint with Russ Garcia... First playing with local bands around Los Angeles, then with Ike Carpenter. Holman joined Charlie Barnet (1951). Stan Kenton (1952-53), attaining national recognition for his playing and writing with Kenton, remaining on the Kenton arranging staff until the early part of 1956.

Since then, he has contributed to the Kenton Library on occasion, written for recordings, played with Conte Candoli, the Lighthouse All Stars, the Shelly Mann unit, and Shorty Rodgers' Giants....

Currently Holman resides in "a typical Los Angeles suburb" with his wife and two young sons.

Airegin - Sonny Rollins
Evil Eyes - Bill Holman
You And I - Meredith Wilson
Bright Eyes - Bill Holman
Come Rain Or Come Shine - Johnny Mercer & Harold Arlen
The Big Street - Bill Holman