Milt Holland

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Milt Holland (1917 - 2005) was a drummer, percussionist, ethnic musicologist, and writer in the Los Angeles music scene who pioneered the use of African, South American, and Indian percussion styles in jazz, pop and film music, traveling extensively on those continents to collect instruments and to learn the musical styles of playing them.

Milt was born Milton Olshansky in Chicago, IL, where he attended the Theodore Roosevelt High School (Chicago),his first instrument was violin. Milt moved into his passion of percussion, playing in clubs and shows as well as on CBS Radio in Chicago. In the early 1940's he toured and recorded with The Raymond Scott Orchestra.

He studied at UCLA and traveled through India with Tabla master Chatur Lal, and Ramnad Easwaran, then spending many years in Africa studying tribal rhythms. He was inspritational in introducing the exoctic instruments to western recording.

After moving to Los Angeles, he played on countless jazz and pop albums and films. Some artists he worked with include John Williams, Leonard Bernstein, Elmer Bernstein, "Hank" Mancini, Loggins and Messina, James Taylor, Ella Fitzgerald, Laurindo Almeida, and Joni Mitchell. He played bongos on Mitchell's hit Big Yellow Taxi.

Eventually he became the first choice for exotic percussion among Los Angeles free-lance session musicians.

In films, Milt can be heard playing bongos on soundtracks for West Side Story , timpani on Silent Running, to name only a tiny fraction of his output. He was featured along with seven illustrious percussionist on John Wayne's Hatari! (1962) which included Shelly Manne, Jack Sperling, Larry Bunker playing African instruments on The Sound's of Hatari and title track.

[edit] Discography

Joni Mitchell

  • Big Yellow Taxi (1970)
  • Ladies Of The Canyon (1970)
  • Court And Spark (1974)
  • Hits (1994)
  • Dreamland (2004)

Ry Cooder

  • Ry Cooder (1970)
  • Boomer's Story (1972)
  • Into The Purple Valley (1972)
  • Paradise And Lunch (1974)
  • Chicken Skin Music (1976)
  • Bop Till You Drop (1979)
  • Get Rhythm (1987)

Randy Newman

  • 12 Songs (1970)
  • Sail Away (1972)
  • Good Old Boys (1974)
  • Little Criminals (1977)
  • Guilty: 30 Years of Randy Newman

James Taylor

  • Gorilla (1975)
  • In The Pocket (1976)
  • Greatest Hits (1976)

Loggins & Messina

  • Loggins And Messina (1972)
  • Best of Friends (1976)
  • Sittin' In Again (2005)
  • Full Sail
  • Mother Lode

Doobie Brothers

  • What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits (1974)
  • Long Train Runnin' (1999)

Gregg Allman

  • Playin' Up a Storm (1977)

Kenny Loggins

  • Keep The Fire (1979)

Harry Nilsson

  • Aerial Ballet (1968)
  • Point! (1970)
  • Aerial Pandemonium Ballet (1971)
  • Son of Schmilsson

Gabby Pahinui

  • Best Of The Gabby Band (1971-1979)

Little Feat

  • Sailin' Shoes (1972)
  • Dixie Chicken (1973)

Poco

  • The Best of Poco (2000)

Bonnie Raitt

  • Takin' My Time (1973)
  • Bonnie Raitt Collection (1990)

Rita Coolidge

  • Fall Into Spring (1974)

Carly Simon

  • Another Passenger (1976)

Joan Baez

  • Gracias A La Vida (1974)

Joe Cocker

  • Joe Cocker (1969)
  • Best of Joe Cocker (2000)
  • Gold

Elvin Bishop

  • Rock My Soul (1972)

Elvis Costello

  • Into The Purple Valley (1972)

Captain Beefheart

  • Safe As Milk (1967)
  • The Spotlight Kid (1972)
  • Clear Spot (1972)

Roy Harte & Milt Holland

  • Perfect Percussion (1961)

Lalo Schifrin

  • Whole Lot Of Schifrin Goin' On (1968)

Henry Mancini

  • The Latin Sound Of Henry Mancini (1965)
  • Mancini '67 (1966)
  • Mancini Salutes Sousa (1972)

Burt Bacharach

  • Blue Note Plays Burt Bacharach (1968)

Cal Tjader

  • Westside Story
  • Plays Contemporary Music Of Mexico And Brazil (1962)

Laurindo Almeida

  • Ole! Bossa Nova (1962)
  • Brazil & Beyond (1981)
  • Brazillian Soul (1981)
  • Acapulco '22

Buddy Childers

  • Sam Songs (1955)

Oscar Peterson

  • Oscar Peterson and Friends (1952)

Stan Kenton

  • Retrospective

Percy Faith

  • Black Magic Woman (1971)

Ray Conniff

  • Friendly Persuasion (1965)

Ella Fitzgerald

  • Beale Street Blues (1957)
  • St. Louis Blues (1957)
  • Manhattan (1957)
  • Everytime We Say Goodbye (1957)
  • A-Tisket A-Tasket (1957)
  • Goody Goody (1957)
  • Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love) (1957)
  • Get Happy (1957)
  • Hello Love (1960)
  • Dearly Beloved (2007)
  • Very Best Of The Rodgers And Hart Song Book (2004)

Jose Feliciano

  • Feliciano! (1968)
  • Souled (1968)

Ringo Starr

  • Ringo (1973)

Arlo Guthrie

  • Running Down the Road (1969)
  • Amigo (1976)

Rufus

  • Ask Rufus (1977)

Graham Central Station

  • Graham Central Station (1975)

The Monkees

  • Instant Replay (1969)
  • The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees
  • Greatest Hits (1976)

John Sebastian

  • Tarzana Kid

Anita O'Day

  • Complete Signature & London Recordings (1942)
  • Anita Sings the Most (1957)

Bing Crosby

  • Fancy Meeting You Here (1958)

Rosemary Clooney

  • Come on-a My House
  • The Very Best of Rosemary Clooney (2006)

Dean Martin

  • Young Dino

Ray Peterson

  • 'Tell Laura I Love Her


Nancy Wilson

  • Today, Tomorrow, Forever (1964)

Joni James

  • Like Three O'Clock In The Morning (1963)
  • After Hours (1963)

Barbra Streisand

  • Stoney End (1974)

Phil Spector

  • Back To Mono (1958-1969)

The 5th Dimension

  • Age of Aquarius (1969)
  • Individually & Collectively (1972)
  • Living Together Growing Together (1972)

Paul Winter

  • Icarus (1972)

Four Freshmen

  • Voices In Latin (1958)
  • The Freshman Year (1958)

Richard Harris

  • Webb Sessions (1968)
  • The Yard Went On Forever... (1968)

Jackie Gleason

  • The Now Sound For Today's Lovers

Stanley Clarke

  • School Days (1976)

Bud Shank / Clare Fischer / Joe Pass

  • Brasamba! (1963)

Charlie Byrd

  • Best Of The Concord Years (2000)

Pete Jolly

  • Seasons (2007)

Herbie Mann

  • Sound Of Mann
  • Verve Jazz Masters 56 (1996)

Van Dyke Parks

  • Discover America (1972)

Victor Feldman

  • Secret Of The Andes (1982)

Hoyt Axton

  • Less Than The Song (2007)
  • Life Machine (2007)

Doug Dillard

  • Banjo Album (1969)

Buddy DeFranco

  • I Hear Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw
  • Wholly Cats

Bonaroo

  • Bonaroo (Wounded Bird)

Melanie

  • Photograph (Double Exposure)

Dirk Hamilton

  • You Can Sing on the Left or Bark on the Right

Sanford & Townsend

  • Duo-Glide

Seals & Crofts

  • Summer Breeze (1972)

Various Artists

  • Samba do AviĆ£o
  • A Jazz Tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim

[edit] Soundtracks


[edit] External links