Bill Perkins (saxophonist)
American jazz saxophonist and flutist / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Reese Perkins ((1924-07-22)July 22, 1924 – (2003-08-09)August 9, 2003)[1] was an American cool jazz saxophonist and flutist, popular on the West Coast jazz scene, known primarily as a tenor saxophonist.[1]
Quick Facts Birth name, Born ...
Bill Perkins | |
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Birth name | William Reese Perkins |
Born | (1924-07-22)July 22, 1924 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
Died | August 9, 2003(2003-08-09) (aged 79) Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California |
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | Saxophone |
Years active | 1944–2003 |
Labels | Pacific Jazz |
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Born in San Francisco, California, United States, Perkins started performing in the big bands of Woody Herman and Jerry Wald.[2] He worked for the Stan Kenton orchestra, which led to his entry into the cool jazz idiom.[2] He began performing with Art Pepper and Bud Shank.[2] He was also a member of The Tonight Show Band from 1970 to 1992 and The Lighthouse All-Stars. In the 1960s, Perkins had a second career as a recording engineer.[3]
He died of cancer in his Sherman Oaks home at the age of 79.[1]