Joe Holiday

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Joseph Befumo, better known as Joe Holiday (b. May 10, 1925) was an American jazz saxophonist born in Sicily.

His father played clarinet, and the family moved to New York City when he was less than one year old. He led his own ensembles starting in the mid-1940s, and first began recording for King Records at the end of the decade.

Holiday played hard bop early in his career, but he is best known for his adaptations of mambo style. Many of his sessions included members of Machito's ensemble, the Afro-Cubans. He had a hit with "This Is Happiness" in the U.S. in 1951, and recorded for Prestige Records with Max Roach and Billy Taylor. Sarah Vaughan recorded his composition "Serenada".

Holiday also did some abstract painting.