The Bill Holman Band Live [Live]

About the Artist
Bill Holman is recognized as one of the greatest arrangers and composers in the history of jazz.

Formed in 1975, the Bill Holman Band performs in clubs, concerts, and festivals around the world. The band has three previous CD releases, and all three had Grammy nominations!

Product Description
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 the greatest working big band in jazz today.

Tracks:

Introduction (no music)
Woodrow
A Day In The Life
Bary Me Not
Band Introductions (no music)
Donna Lee
Blue Daniel
Press One
The Bebop Love Song
Zoot 'n' Al

Product Description

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 the greatest working big band in jazz today.

Customer Reviews:

Holman -- Fresh and Swinging.......2007-01-27

Not only is this CD Bill Holman live, it could have been entitled "Fresh and Swinging." Holman, from his compositions and arrangements with the Kenton and Herman bands in the 1950s, has evolved himself as THE MAN who captures the essence of a big band. Lush, fresh and swinging, at every turn. Individual tunes aside, the whole performance is not "then" but "now." Any big band fan will more than enjoy this CD more than once.

Tony Agostinelli

Clever and fun as always.......2006-11-11

Yet again Holman comes through with a unique set of compositions and arrangements that are fresh, but have his stamp right on them. My three favorites are Donna Lee, Blue Daniel and Press One. I went so far as to order the arrangements from his publisher Sierra Music to study the scores.

Donna Lee has Mr. Holman's classic counterpoint and motifs that seem to flow right from the bebop melody itself. And he makes the melody unique with the subtlest of touches in doubling it at odd intervals off and on. And the ending leaves the listener saying 'Wow, what just happened?!'

In Blue Daniel, Holman's ability to keep the integrity of a song while making it his own shines forth. The counterlines and development are simple and subtle, just like the tune itself. From the rim shot kicking off the immediate statement of the melody, to the straight forward ending (with an added major seven on the last note to add that Holman 'quirk') this tune just flows.

Press One seems to me to capture the humor and joy in Homan's music that I absolutely love. It invokes the mechanical impersonal nature of automated call service from the dialing of the touch tones to the swaying lounge music you hear when you're put on hold. Just a great Holman original.

The solo performances are superb as they always are from his band. One of my favorites aspects of this cd is that you get Holman himself giving intros to each of the numbers.

It's a must for any jazz fan.

The Bill Holman Band Live.......2006-08-01

This Band is one of the best I have heard of late! I remember Bill Holman working in the 90's with the WDR Big Band (the Radio Big Band of Cologne/Germany). Musicians and audience were raving about his scores.
My favorite is 'Donna Lee', but also 'Zoot 'n' Al' sure is a great tune. Altogether a must CD with great players and music.
Bill Holman did an album with another German Big Band, the SWR Big Band/Germany in 2001: 'Jazz In Concert (Live)'.

Youth is without question...........2006-04-27

...wasted on the young. I love this Bill Holman guy. I've been listening to him for many years, like 50, without even knowing who he was. He's the guy behind the best of all big band arrangements. He's like the Duke. Now that I'm getting up there too it's hard to express how fortunate my indebtedness is to such a marvelous and great talent. Hey I've been saving this up so give me a little room to praise the best of the best. No pandering here, I don't even know him but I got his picture on the cd cover and he looks like an old fart like me. Thanks Bill. The album is tight, fit and smart with virtuoso talent. A day in the life. bob smith vashon,wa.

Bill Holman's band, live.......2006-02-28

Exciting charts from Bill Holman -- all original, and done with the brilliance of his band, made up of the best jazz/studio musicians in southern California. The charts are near impossible to just read... like many of the big band arrangements by Gil Evans for Miles Davis. Holman and Evans are thousands of miles ahead of any other big band writers.

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