Bill Holman

Willis Leonard Holman (May 21, 1927 – May 6, 2024) was an American composer, arranger, conductor, saxophonist, and songwriter working in jazz and traditional pop. His career spanned over seven decades, starting with the Charlie Barnet orchestra in 1950.

Early life Bill Holman was born in Olive, California, United States on May 21, 1927. His family moved to Orange, 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 and Duke Ellington while constantly listening to the radio. He was drafted at the later end of World War II and served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946. Through the Navy, he studied mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado and then studied at UCLA.

In the late 1940s, he started to concentrate on music instead of engineering. He enrolled at the Westlake College of Music, After working with the band as an instrumentalist, Holman submitted writing to Kenton for the group.

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?" and "I've Got You Under My Skin":

Zoot Sims 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.

Awards and honors Holman was the arranger and orchestrator on numerous albums that garnered Grammy nominations; he personally had 16 nominations in 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 Stan Kenton album Adventures In Jazz. Holman was a contributing arranger for the 1970 Grammy Record of the Year, The Age of Aquarius by The 5th Dimension. 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 was a recipient of the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers Golden Score Award in 2008. He later received an honorary doctorate from Elmhurst College in Illinois.

Grammy Awards

"I'm Gonna Go Fishin'", arranged by Holman

"Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)", arranged by Holman - instrumental "Windy", arranged by Holman - instrumental for backing vocal

"Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In", arranged by Holman Best Arrangement for Vocalist(s) or Instrumental(s)

"The Daily Dance", composed by Holman Best Instrumental Arrangement

"Take the "A" Train", arranged by Holman Best Arrangement on an Instrumental

Bill Holman Band Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band

"A View from the Side", composed by Holman Best Instrumental Composition A View from the Side

"Brilliant Corners" "Straight, No Chaser", arranged by Holman

"The Moon of Manakoora", arranged by Holman Further Adventures Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance

Bill Holman Band: Live

Hommage

"Without a Paddle", composed by Holman Best Instrumental Composition

Grammy Award-winning singles or albums contributed to as composer or arranger Year Grammy category (*won) Album or single Primary artist Label Role as composer or arranger Content composed or arranged 1963

1969

1992

"Avalon""Almost Like Being in Love""Thou Swell ""L-O-V-E""Don't Get Around Much Anymore""This Can't Be Love" 1994

1996

2008

2011

Grammy Award nominated singles or albums contributed to as composer or arranger Year Grammy category (*nominated) Album or single Primary artist Label Role as composer or arranger Content composed or arranged 1961

1964

1967

1967

1968

1969

1969

1982

1985

1991

2002

2009

"I'll Be Home for Christmas""My Favourite Things""Winter Wonderland""Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"

Academy Award nominated songs or soundtracks contributed to as composer or arranger Year Academy Award category (*nominated) song or soundtrack Film Performing artist Role as composer or arranger 1970

Discography As leader

Bill Holman (Capitol, 1954) Stan Kenton Presents Series West Coast Jazz in Hi-Fi with Richie Kamuca (HiFi, 1957) reissued as "Jazz Erotica" The Fabulous Bill Holman (Coral, 1958) In a Jazz Orbit (Andex, 1958) Jive for Five with Mel Lewis (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 Conte Candoli (Woofy, 1994) A View from the Side (JVC, 1995) Brilliant Corners: The Music of Thelonious Monk (JVC, 1997) Further Adventures with Netherlands Metropole Orchestra (Koch Jazz, 1998)

As sideman

With Terry Gibbs 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 Shorty Rogers Courts the Count (RCA Victor, 1954) The Big Shorty Rogers Express (RCA Victor, 1956) 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 (RCA Victor, 1959) The Wizard of Oz and Other Harold Arlen Songs (RCA Victor, 1959) The Swingin' Nutcracker (RCA Victor, 1960) Clickin' with Clax (Atlantic, 1978)

With others Manny Albam, The Jazz Greats of Our Time Vol. 2 (Coral, 1958) Chet Baker & Bud Shank, Theme Music from "The James Dean Story" (World Pacific, 1957) Elmer Bernstein, The Man with the Golden Arm (Decca, 1956) Buddy Bregman, Swingin' Standards (World Pacific, 1959) Ray Brown, Bass Hit! (Verve, 1957) Conte Candoli, 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 Fitzgerald, Ella Swings Lightly (Verve, 1958) Med Flory, Jazz Wave (Jubilee, 1958) Stan Kenton, New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm (Capitol, 1953) Bob Keene, Dancing On the Ceiling (Whippet, 1957) Mel Lewis, Mel Lewis Sextet (Mode, 1957) Johnny Mandel, I Want to Live (United Artists, 1958) Shelly Manne, The West Coast Sound (Contemporary, 1956) Shelly Manne, Concerto for Clarinet & Combo (Contemporary, 1957) Mark Murphy, Mark Murphy's Hip Parade (Capitol, 1960) Mark Murphy, Playing the Field (Capitol, 1960) Lennie Niehaus, Vol. 3: The Octet No. 2 (Contemporary, 1955) Dave Pell, 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, Something Else by Johnny Richards (Bethlehem, 1956) Howard Roberts, Good Pickin's (Verve, 1959) Howard Roberts, The Movin' Man (VSP, 1966) Jimmy Rowles, Weather in a Jazz Vane (Andex, 1959) The Sandpipers, Come Saturday Morning (A&M, 1970) Mel Torme, George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess (Bethlehem, 1956) Cy Touff & Richie Kamuca & Harry Edison, Havin' a Ball (World Pacific, 1958) Bobby Troup, Bobby Troup and His Stars of Jazz (RCA Victor, 1959) Randy VanWarmer, The Vital Spark (Alias, 1994) Stu Williamson, Stu Williamson (Bethlehem, 1956)

As composer and arranger

With Count Basie I Told You So (Pablo, 1976)

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

With Charlie Barnet Cherokee (Everest, 1958) More (Everest, 1959) Big Band 1967 (Creative World, 1967)

With Louie Bellson The Louis Bellson Explosion (Pablo, 1975) Sunshine Swing (Pablo, 1978) Don't Stop Now (Bosco, 1984) The Art of the Chart (Concord, 1998)

With Tony Bennett Here's to the Ladies (Columbia, 1995) A Swingin' Christmas (Columbia, 2008)

With Michael Bublé Come Fly with Me (Reprise, 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 (Capitol, 1962)

With Natalie Cole Unforgettable... with Love (Elektra, 1991) Take a Look (Elektra, 1993) Still Unforgettable (DMI/Atco, 2008)

With Maynard Ferguson Dimensions (EmArcy, 1955) Maynard Ferguson Octet (EmArcy, 1955) 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 Terry Gibbs Launching a New Band, aka Launching a New Sound in Music (Mercury, 1959) Dream Band (Contemporary, 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) (Verve, 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! (Capitol, 1964)

With Woody Herman The 3 Herds (Columbia, 1954) Woody Herman:1964 (Philips, 1964) My Kind of Broadway (Columbia, 1965) The Jazz Swinger (Columbia, 1966) Concerto for Herd – At the Monterey Jazz Festival (Atlantic, 1968) Woody Herman Live at the Concord Jazz Festival (Concord, 1981)

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

With Harry James The New James (Capitol, 1958)

With Bob Keane Dancing on the Ceiling (Whippet, 1952)

With Stan Kenton New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm (Capitol, 1953) Kenton Showcase (Capitol, 1954) The Kenton Era (Capitol, 1955) Contemporary Concepts (Capitol, 1955) Back to Balboa (Capitol, 1958) Road Show (Capitol, 1960) Two Much! (Capitol, 1960) Adventures in Jazz (Capitol, 1962) Stan Kenton / Jean Turner (Capitol, 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 (Creative World/GNP Crescendo, 1976)

With Peggy Lee Basin Street East Proudly Presents Miss 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 Carmen McRae IN SESSION: SARAH & CARMEN (T.V Program, 1977) Blue Note Meets The L.A. Philharmonic (Blue Note, 1978)

With Gerry Mulligan The Gerry Mulligan Songbook (World Pacific, 1957) The Concert Jazz Band (Verve, 1960) The Concert Jazz Band At Newport (Solar, 1960) The Concert Jazz Band – December 1960 (Musidisc, 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 (Verve, 1960 [rel. 1962])

With Mark Murphy This Could Be The Start Of Something (Capitol, 1958) Mark Murphy's Hip Parade (Capitol, 1960) Playing the Field (Capitol, 1960)

With Anita O'Day Incomparable! (Verve, 1961)

With Art Pepper Winter Moon (Galaxy, 1980)

With Art Pepper and Conte Candoli Mucho Calor (Andex, 1957)

With Buddy Rich Swingin' New Big Band (Pacific Jazz, 1966) Big Swing Face (Pacific Jazz, 1967) The New One! (Pacific Jazz, 1968) Buddy & Soul (Pacific Jazz, 1969) Keep The Customer Satisfied (Pacific Jazz, 1970) Rich In London (Live At Ronnie Scott's) (RCA, 1971) Winning the West (United Artists, 1972) Mr. Drums (Mobile Fidelity, 1985)

With Ann Richards The Many Moods of Ann Richards (Capitol, 1960) Two Much! (Capitol, 1960) - with Stan Kenton

With Frank Rosolino Kenton Presents (Capitol, 1954) Kenton Presents: Frankly Speaking (Capitol, 1955) The Legend Of Frank Rosolino (Interlude, 1959)

With Diane Schuur Pure Schuur (GRP, 1991)

With Charlie Shoemake Collaboration (Pausa, 1985) Strollin (Chase, 1991)With Zoot SimsHawthorne Nights (Pablo, 1977)With The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen (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 (Mercury, 1965)With Jiggs Whigham 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 life and death Holman's marriage to jazz singer and pianist Jeri Southern ended in divorce. They had one daughter. He died in Los Angeles on May 6, 2024, at the age of 96.