Gene Roland
Gene M. Roland(September 15, 1921 inDallas– August 11, 1982 inNew York City) was an Americanjazzcomposerandmusician.[1]He played many instruments during his career, but was most significant as an arranger/composer and for his association withStan Kenton.Roland was one of only two arrangers to write for Kenton, in all four decades of the band's existence, the other beingKen Hanna.
Life and work
[edit]Roland, who gained a degree in music from theUniversity of North Texas College of Music,first met Kenton in 1944, playing fifthtrumpetand contributing arrangements. He worked briefly withLionel HamptonandLucky Millinderand then rejoined Kenton in 1945, this time as atrombonistand writer (he arranged the hit "Tampico").[1]
Roland playedpianoand wrote for a group in 1946 that includedStan Getz,Zoot Sims,Jimmy GiuffreandHerbie Stewardand would lead toWoody Herman's Four Brothers Second Herd.[1]In the late 1940s, Roland played trombone withGeorgie Auld,trumpet withCount Basie,Charlie BarnetandLucky Millinderand contributed charts for the big bands ofClaude ThornhillandArtie Shaw.[1]After leading a giant rehearsal band in 1950 that includedDizzy GillespieandCharlie Parker,Roland wrote for Kenton in 1951,Dan Terryin 1954, and Woody Herman from 1956 to 1958, for whom he contributed 65 arrangements. Roland was a major force in Kenton'smellophoniumband of the early 1960s, not only writing for the ensemble but performing as one of themellophoniums;he also occasionally doubled on soprano sax with the orchestra.
Roland remained active as a writer in the 1960s and 1970s, working with the Radiohus Orchestra inCopenhagen(1967) and contributing charts to Kenton as well as Dan Terry'sD.T.B.B.B.album (Metronome Records, 1981); he also played trumpet, piano and tenor with his own groups.[1]In addition to writing an entire album for Kenton, Roland led his 1950 rehearsal band on aSpotliterelease (Parkeris one of his sidemen), led half of an album (recorded in 1957 and 1959) forDawn Recordsin which he plays trumpet, and arranged a 1963 octet record forBrunswick Records.
Discography
[edit]As leader
[edit]- Jazzville Vol. 4(Dawn, 1957)
As sideman
[edit]WithStan Kenton
- Stan Kenton Classics(Capitol, 1952)
- The Kenton Era(Capitol, 1955)
- A Merry Christmas!(Capitol, 1961)
- Kenton's West Side Story(Capitol, 1961)
- The Romantic Approach in the Ballad Style of Stan Kenton(Capitol, 1961)
- Sophisticated Approach(Capitol, 1962)
- Stan Kenton! Tex Ritter!(Capitol, 1962)
- Adventures in Blues(Capitol, 1963)
- The Uncollected Stan Kenton and His Orchestra 1944-1945 Vol. 4(Hindsight, 1979)
With others
- June Christy,June Time(Swing House, 1981)
- Stan Getz,Zoot Sims, Paul Quinichette, Wardell Grey,Tenors Anyone?(Dawn, 1958)
- Jimmy Knepper,A Swinging Introduction to Jimmy Knepper(Bethlehem 1957)
- Lucky Millinder,Cab Calloway,Awful Natural(RCA, 1977)
- Rita Reys,Sylvia Pierce & Peggy Serra,New Voices(Dawn, 1957)
- Tom Talbert,1946–1949(Sea Breeze, 1995)
References
[edit]- ^abcdeColin Larkin,ed. (2002).The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music(Third ed.).Virgin Books.p. 370.ISBN1-85227-937-0.
