The Bill Holman Band - Hommage (2007)

Tracklist

01. Raincheck
02. Sunshinola
03. Zamboni
04. Bemsha Swing
05. If You Could See Me Now
06. Woodchopper's Ball
07. A Man of Few Herds
08. Milwaukee Nights
09. The Chopper


Well-deserved accolades abound for Bill Holman. Known for his command of multi-themed linear writing, Holman continues to defy pigeonholing. Multi-reed band member Bob Efford says, 'You never know what is going to come out of him but it's always fresh without seeming to try to be, for want of a better word, modern'.

Bill Holman came to national attention as a tenor saxophone player and, shortly afterward, as a composer and arranger for Stan Kenton in March 1952. Although Bill's stint with Kenton's band was short (until November 1953), he continued to contribute compositions and arrangements. Many of these stayed in the Kenton book until the band's demise in 1979 proving why Bill was, is, and will be considered one of the major forces in the history of American Jazz from the early -1950s to the early 21st century. Listening to his music, from any era, is accessible and enjoyable on the surface level yet on repeated listening unveils layer upon layer of intricacies that keep his music timeless and fresh. Since 1987, with their first release The Bill Holman Band, the primary vehicle for Bill's compositions and arrangements has been his Band. With the exception of commissioned pieces, Bill thinks of his current band members as he writes

Because the dazzled crowd holds their applause until the end of Hommage, the listener might wonder if this is still a live recording. Bill Holman proclaims amen, 'Take a bow, fellas.'

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