Bill Perkins (saxophonist)
William Reese Perkins (July 22, 1924 – August 9, 2003)[1] was an American cool jazz saxophonist and flutist, popular on the West Coast jazz scene, known primarily as a tenor saxophonist.[1]
Bill Perkins | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Reese Perkins |
| Born | July 22, 1924 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Died | August 9, 2003 (aged 79) Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Saxophone |
| Years active | 1944–2003 |
| Labels | Pacific Jazz |
Born in San Francisco, California, United States, Perkins started performing in the big bands of Woody Herman and Jerry Wald.[2] He worked for the Stan Kenton orchestra, which led to his entry into the cool jazz idiom.[2] He began performing with Art Pepper and Bud Shank.[2] He was also a member of The Tonight Show Band from 1970 to 1992 and The Lighthouse All-Stars. In the 1960s, Perkins had a second career as a recording engineer.[3]
He died of cancer in his Sherman Oaks home at the age of 79.[1]
Discography edit
- The Brothers! with Al Cohn and Richie Kamuca (RCA Victor, 1955)
- On Stage (Pacific Jazz, 1956)
- Tenors Head-On with Richie Kamuca (Liberty, 1957)
- Just Friends with Art Pepper, Richie Kamuca (Pacific Jazz, 1957)
- Bossa Nova with Strings Attached (Liberty, 1963)
- Quietly There (Riverside, 1966; released 1970)
- West Coast Conference (A World of Jazz, 1974)
- The Front Line with Pepper Adams (Trio, 1978)
- Confluence (Interplay, 1979)
- Serious Swingers with Bud Shank (Contemporary, 1987)
- Remembrance of Dino's (Interplay, 1989)
- I Wish On the Moon (Candid, 1992)
- Warm Moods with Frank Strazzeri (Fresh Sound, 1992)
- Live at the Royal Palms Inn Vol. 5 with Shorty Rogers (Woofy, 1994)
- Live at the Royal Palms Inn Vol. 9 with Pete Candoli, Carl Fontana (Woofy, 1994)
- Perk Playz Pres (Fresh Sound, 1996)
- Swing Spring (Candid, 1999)
- Live at the Lighthouse 1964 with J. C. Heard (Fresh Sound, 2019)
As sideman edit
With Chet Baker
- Chet Baker Big Band (Pacific Jazz, 1956)
- Pretty/Groovy (World Pacific, 1958)
With Louis Bellson
- Big Band Jazz from the Summit (Roulette, 1962)
With Nat King Cole
- L-O-V-E (Capitol, 1965)
With Clifford Coulter
- Do It Now! (Impulse!, 1971)
With Clare Fischer
- Thesaurus (Atlantic, 1969)
With Dizzy Gillespie
- The New Continent (Limelight, 1962)
With Stan Kenton
- Kenton Showcase (Capitol, 1954)
- Contemporary Concepts (Capitol, 1955)
- Kenton in Hi-Fi (Capitol, 1956)
- Kenton with Voices (Capitol, 1957)
- Rendezvous with Kenton (Capitol, 1957)
- Back to Balboa (Capitol, 1958)
- The Ballad Style of Stan Kenton (Capitol, 1958)
- The Stage Door Swings (Capitol, 1958)
- Kenton / Wagner (Capitol, 1964)
- Stan Kenton Conducts the Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra (Capitol, 1965)
With Barney Kessel
- To Swing or Not to Swing (Contemporary, 1955)
With John Lewis,
- Grand Encounter (1956)
With Carmen McRae
- Can't Hide Love (Blue Note, 1976)
With Art Pepper and Conte Candoli
- Mucho Calor (Andex, 1957)
With André Previn
- The Subterraneans (Soundtrack) (MGM, 1960)
With Shorty Rogers
- Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers (RCA Victor, 1957)
- Afro-Cuban Influence (RCA Victor, 1958)
- Shorty Rogers Meets Tarzan (MGM, 1960)
- The Swingin' Nutcracker (RCA Victor, 1960)
- An Invisible Orchard (RCA Victor, 1961 [1997])
- Jazz Waltz (Reprise, 1962)
With Pete Rugolo
- 10 Saxophones and 2 Basses (Mercury, 1961)
With Lalo Schifrin
- Bullitt (soundtrack) (Warner Bros., 1968)
With Bud Shank
- Bud Shank - Shorty Rogers - Bill Perkins (Pacific Jazz, 1955)
- Bud Shank & the Sax Section (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
With Gerald Wilson
- California Soul (Pacific Jazz, 1968)
References edit
- ^ a b c Thurber, Jon (12 August 2003). "Bill Perkins, 79; Saxophonist Who Played With Kenton, Herman Bands Was Key Figure in Jazz". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 318/9. ISBN 0-85112-580-8.
- ^ Yanow, Scott. "Bill Perkins". AllMusic. Retrieved March 21, 2020.