Search - Bill Holman :: The Bill Holman Band Live

Youth is without question....

Robert O. Smithjr | Vashon, wa. | 04/27/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...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

John Herrmann | Montana USA | 02/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Clever and fun as always

Aaron I. Strang | Midwest Wisconsin | 11/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."