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
- Big Yellow Taxi (1970)
- Ladies Of The Canyon (1970)
- Court And Spark (1974)
- Hits (1994)
- Dreamland (2004)
- 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)
- 12 Songs (1970)
- Sail Away (1972)
- Good Old Boys (1974)
- Little Criminals (1977)
- Guilty: 30 Years of Randy Newman
- Gorilla (1975)
- In The Pocket (1976)
- Greatest Hits (1976)
- Loggins And Messina (1972)
- Best of Friends (1976)
- Sittin' In Again (2005)
- Full Sail
- Mother Lode
- What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits (1974)
- Long Train Runnin' (1999)
- Playin' Up a Storm (1977)
- Keep The Fire (1979)
- Aerial Ballet (1968)
- Point! (1970)
- Aerial Pandemonium Ballet (1971)
- Son of Schmilsson
- Best Of The Gabby Band (1971-1979)
- Sailin' Shoes (1972)
- Dixie Chicken (1973)
- The Best of Poco (2000)
- Takin' My Time (1973)
- Bonnie Raitt Collection (1990)
- Fall Into Spring (1974)
- Another Passenger (1976)
- Gracias A La Vida (1974)
- Joe Cocker (1969)
- Best of Joe Cocker (2000)
- Gold
- Rock My Soul (1972)
- Into The Purple Valley (1972)
- Safe As Milk (1967)
- The Spotlight Kid (1972)
- Clear Spot (1972)
Roy Harte & Milt Holland
- Perfect Percussion (1961)
- Whole Lot Of Schifrin Goin' On (1968)
- The Latin Sound Of Henry Mancini (1965)
- Mancini '67 (1966)
- Mancini Salutes Sousa (1972)
- Blue Note Plays Burt Bacharach (1968)
- Westside Story
- Plays Contemporary Music Of Mexico And Brazil (1962)
- Ole! Bossa Nova (1962)
- Brazil & Beyond (1981)
- Brazillian Soul (1981)
- Acapulco '22
- Sam Songs (1955)
- Oscar Peterson and Friends (1952)
- Retrospective
- Black Magic Woman (1971)
- Friendly Persuasion (1965)
- 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)
- Feliciano! (1968)
- Souled (1968)
- Ringo (1973)
- Running Down the Road (1969)
- Amigo (1976)
- Ask Rufus (1977)
- Graham Central Station (1975)
- Instant Replay (1969)
- The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees
- Greatest Hits (1976)
- Tarzana Kid
- Complete Signature & London Recordings (1942)
- Anita Sings the Most (1957)
- Fancy Meeting You Here (1958)
- Come on-a My House
- The Very Best of Rosemary Clooney (2006)
- Young Dino
- 'Tell Laura I Love Her
- Today, Tomorrow, Forever (1964)
- Like Three O'Clock In The Morning (1963)
- After Hours (1963)
- Stoney End (1974)
- Back To Mono (1958-1969)
- Age of Aquarius (1969)
- Individually & Collectively (1972)
- Living Together Growing Together (1972)
- Icarus (1972)
- Voices In Latin (1958)
- The Freshman Year (1958)
- Webb Sessions (1968)
- The Yard Went On Forever... (1968)
- The Now Sound For Today's Lovers
- School Days (1976)
Bud Shank / Clare Fischer / Joe Pass
- Brasamba! (1963)
- Best Of The Concord Years (2000)
- Seasons (2007)
- Sound Of Mann
- Verve Jazz Masters 56 (1996)
- Discover America (1972)
- Secret Of The Andes (1982)
- Less Than The Song (2007)
- Life Machine (2007)
Doug Dillard
- Banjo Album (1969)
- I Hear Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw
- Wholly Cats
- Bonaroo (Wounded Bird)
- Photograph (Double Exposure)
Dirk Hamilton
- You Can Sing on the Left or Bark on the Right
- Duo-Glide
- Summer Breeze (1972)
Various Artists
- Samba do AviĆ£o
- A Jazz Tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim
[edit] Soundtracks
- Peter Pan (1953) (Tinker Bell's Twinkle)
- Man With The Golden Arm (1955)
- Around The World In 80 Days (1956)
- The King And I (1956)
- Hot Rod Girls (1956)
- I Want To Live (1958)
- Johnny Staccato (1959)
- Westside Story (1961) (Bongo soloist)
- Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
- To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
- Hatari! (1962) (Featured African Drum Ensemble)
- Bonanza (1962)
- Bewitched (1964) (Samatha's Nose Twitch)
- Party (1968)
- Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966)
- Mission Impossible (1968)
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964)
- HELP! (1965)
- Charly (1968)
- Performance (1970)
- Dollars (1972)
- Hot Rock (1972)
- Roots (1977)
- The Long Riders (1980)
- Southern Comfort (1981)
- Blue Collar (1995)
- Kissing Jessica Stein (2002)
- Honey West (2005)
- CBS Studio Orchastra (1941-1946)
[edit] External links
- 2001 video of Milt at home showing his instrument collection to Peter Langston and Dave Yost (posted 2007-09-27)
- Verve Records bio page
- Rhythm Section Session Players listing by Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews (partial list of recordings)
- Disogs.com discography (partial list of recordings)
- Internet Movie Database entry