Major Holley
American jazz musician
Musical artist
Major "Mule" Holley Jr. (July 10, 1924 – October 25, 1990)[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] was an American jazz upright bassist .[ 4] [ 5]
Early life and education
Holley was born in Detroit , Michigan , United States.[ 3] He attended the prestigious Cass Technical High School in Detroit.[ 1] Holley played violin and tuba when young.[ 3]
Career
He started playing bass while serving in the Navy ,[ 3] playing in the Ships Company A Band at Camp Robert Smalls, which was led by Leonard Bowden and included Clark Terry, and several other musicians recruited from civilian dance bands.[ 6] [ 7] In the latter half of the 1940s, he played with Dexter Gordon , Charlie Parker , and Ella Fitzgerald ;[ 3] in 1950 he and Oscar Peterson recorded duets, and he also played with Peterson and Charlie Smith as a trio.[ 3] He was married to Minnie Walton (born Millicent Aitcheson).
In the mid-1950s, he moved to England and worked at the BBC .[ 3] Upon his return to America, he toured with Woody Herman in 1958 and with Al Cohn /Zoot Sims between 1959 and 1960.[ 3] A prolific studio musician, he played with Duke Ellington in 1964 and with the Kenny Burrell Trio, Coleman Hawkins , Lee Konitz , Roy Eldridge , Michel Legrand , Milt Buckner , Jay McShann and Quincy Jones in the 1960s and 1970s.[ 3] From 1967 to 1970, he taught at the Berklee College of Music .[ 3]
Holley was known for singing along with his arco (bowed) bass solos, a technique Slam Stewart also used.[ 3] Holley and Stewart recorded two albums together.
Death
Holley died of a heart attack in Maplewood, New Jersey , at the age of 66.[ 5]
Discography
As leader
Two Big Mice with Slam Stewart (Black and Blue, 1977)
Shut Yo' Mouth! with Slam Stewart (PM, 1987)
Major Step with Joe Van Enkhuizen (Timeless 1992)
Excuse Me Ludwig (Black and Blue, 1997)
Mighty Like a Rose with Rose Murphy (Black & Blue, 1998)
As sideman
With Peter Appleyard
Barbados Heat (Concord Jazz, 1990)
Barbados Cool (Concord Jazz, 1991)
With Kenny Burrell
With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
Light and Lovely (Black and Blue, 1979)
Midnight Slows Vol. 10 (Black and Blue, 1979)
With Coleman Hawkins
With Jo Jones
With Quincy Jones
With B.B. King
With Roland Kirk
With Buddy Tate
The Texas Twister (Master Jazz 1975)
Just Jazz (Uptown, 1984)
Just Friends (Muse, 1992)
With Clark Terry
Tread Ye Lightly (Cameo, 1964)
Having Fun (Delos, 1990)
With Joe Williams
Having the Blues Under European Sky (Denon, 1985)
With others
Totti Bergh , Major Blues (Gemini, 1991)
Milt Buckner , Block Chords Parade (Black & Blue, 1974)
Jaki Byard , Family Man (Muse, 1978)
Johnny Guarnieri , Johnny Guarnieri Originals (1979)
Bob James , Sign of the Times (1981)
Rufus Jones , Five on Eight (Cameo, 1964)
Dave McKenna , Dave McKenna Quartet with Zoot Sims (Chiaroscuro , 1974)
Jay McShann , Some Blues (Chiaroscuro , 1993)
Flip Phillips , The Claw (Chiaroscuro , 1986)
Richie Pratt , Olathe (Artists Recording Collective , 2007)
Hilton Ruiz , Crosscurrents (Stash, 1985)
Shirley Scott , The Soul Is Willing (Prestige, 1963)
Shirley Scott, Drag 'em Out (Prestige, 1963)
Frank Sinatra , L.A. Is My Lady (Qwest, 1984)
Stanley Turrentine , Never Let Me Go (1963)
Dicky Wells , Bones for the King (Felsted, 1958)
Dicky Wells, Trombone Four-in-Hand (Felsted, 1959)
Gerry Wiggins , Wig Is Here (Black & Blue, 1974)
Phil Woods , Directly from the Half Note (Philology, 1966)
References
Studio albums
Harlem Jazz, 1930
Ellingtonia, Vol. One
Ellingtonia, Vol. Two
Braggin' in Brass: The Immortal 1938 Year
The Blanton–Webster Band
Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band
Smoke Rings
Liberian Suite
Great Times!
Masterpieces by Ellington
Ellington Uptown
The Duke Plays Ellington
Ellington '55
Dance to the Duke!
Ellington Showcase
Historically Speaking
Duke Ellington Presents...
The Complete Porgy and Bess
A Drum Is a Woman
Studio Sessions, Chicago 1956
Such Sweet Thunder
Studio Sessions 1957 & 1962
Ellington Indigos
Black, Brown and Beige
Duke Ellington at the Bal Masque
The Cosmic Scene
Happy Reunion
Jazz Party
Anatomy of a Murder
Festival Session
Blues in Orbit
The Nutcracker Suite
Piano in the Background
Swinging Suites by Edward E. and Edward G.
Unknown Session
Piano in the Foreground
Paris Blues
Featuring Paul Gonsalves
Midnight in Paris
Studio Sessions, New York 1962
Afro-Bossa
The Symphonic Ellington
Duke Ellington's Jazz Violin Session
Studio Sessions New York 1963
My People
Ellington '65
Duke Ellington Plays Mary Poppins
Ellington '66
Concert in the Virgin Islands
The Popular Duke Ellington
Far East Suite
The Jaywalker
Studio Sessions, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1967, San Francisco, Chicago, New York
...And His Mother Called Him Bill
Second Sacred Concert
Studio Sessions New York, 1968
Latin American Suite
The Pianist
New Orleans Suite
Orchestral Works
The Suites, New York 1968 & 1970
The Intimacy of the Blues
The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse
Studio Sessions New York & Chicago, 1965, 1966 & 1971
The Intimate Ellington
The Ellington Suites
This One's for Blanton!
Up in Duke's Workshop
Duke's Big 4
Mood Ellington
Live albums Collaborations Compositions by Billy Strayhorn by Juan Tizol
Orchestra members Related
International National Artists People Other