Bill Holman Band Live CD

Grammy Award winning Arranger and Band Leader Bill Holman brings us his jazz big band recorded live in 2004. Bill Holman introduces many new and exciting compositions and arrangements with his star packed LA based jazz big band. The Bill Holman Band is considered one of the greatest working big bands in jazz today:"This is the first album since 1997 by The Bill Holman Band. Why there was so long an interregnum between recordings by an essential cultural institution requires a discussion of conditions in the music industry and the society at large. You will not find that discussion here. Let us simply shout hooray, and praise impresario Ken Poston for including the band in one of his periodic jazz events, and Graham Carter of Jazzed Media for capturing the performance.Typical of how a slightly older generation of arrangers regards Holman is something the late Ralph Burns told me about Willis's writing: "It's pure jazz, but he writes everything very classically. It's linear and simple and clear." From one younger arranger, Bill Kirchner: "His linear concepts are among the most important innovations ever used in a jazz orchestra," and another, Don Sebesky: "I hear nothing, past or present, that comes close to (his writing) because he combines the objective and subjective parts of music into a seamless whole." From a contemporary, Bob Brookmeyer: "Of all the other peoples' music I've played in my life, I'd rather play Bill Holman's. He makes it such a delight. It's so naturally well crafted that it speaks when you play it." Some of the members of the 2004 edition of the band are new since Holman's last recording, but the musicianship and camaraderie are on the same high plane. In the course of the concert recording, Willis introduces the band and identifies the soloists. To shanghai the nearest applicable cliché, the music speaks for itself."Doug Ramsey

Bill Holman: Bob Efford (reeds); Bob Summers, Pete DiSiena (trumpet); Joel Hamilton (double bass); Christian Jacob, Lanny Morgan, Andy Martin, Ron Stout, Ray Herrmann, Bob Enevoldsen, Jack Redmond, Craig Gosnell, Bruce Babad, Doug Webb, Kevin Kanner, Carl Saunders.
Personnel: Lanny Morgan, Ray Herrmann, Bruce Babad, Doug Webb (reeds); Ron Stout, Carl Saunders (trumpet); Andy Martin, Bob Enevoldsen, Jack Redmond, Craig Gosnell (trombone); Christian Jacob (piano); Kevin Kanner (drums).
Audio Mixer: Rod Nicas.
Liner Note Author: Doug Ramsey.
Recording information: LAZ Four Points Sheraton Hotel, Los Angeles, CA (09/30/2004).
Arranger: Bill Holman.
Although Bill Holman is one of the all-time great arrangers and the leader of a stirring big band in the Los Angeles area, this was his first recording as a leader in seven years. Performed at a Maynard Ferguson tribute convention/festival put on by Ken Poston, the music played by the Bill Holman Orchestra is a little more boppish than usual for a Holman set, particularly the romping "Zoot 'n' Al," a tribute to Zoot Sims and Al Cohn. However, Holman's arrangements are quite complex, full of surprises and full of excitement. Whether it be a major reworking of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" and Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee," or such originals as "Woodrow" (for Woody Herman) and "The Bebop Love Song," the music is full of surprising twists and turns. The solos are uniformly excellent from the impressive crew of Los Angeles-area players, but it is the Holman arrangements that are most unique. Highly recommended to fans of modern jazz big bands. ~ Scott Yanow