William Reese Perkins ( – ) was an American

cool jazz Cool jazz is a style of modern jazz music that arose in the United States after World War II. It is characterized by relaxed tempos and lighter tone, in contrast to the fast and complex bebop style. Cool jazz often employs formal arrangements an ...

saxophonist and flutist, popular on the

West Coast jazz West Coast jazz refers to styles of jazz that developed in Los Angeles and San Francisco during the 1950s. West Coast jazz is often seen as a subgenre of cool jazz, which consisted of a calmer style than bebop or hard bop. The music relied re ...

scene, known primarily as a tenor saxophonist. Born in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, United States, Perkins started performing in the big bands of

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his dea ...

and Jerry Wald. He worked for the

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...

orchestra, which led to his entry into the cool jazz idiom. He began performing with

Art Pepper Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American alto saxophonist and very occasional tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. Active in West Coast jazz, Pepper came to prominence in Stan Kenton's big band. He was know ...

and

Bud Shank Clifford Everett "Bud" Shank Jr. (May 27, 1926 – April 2, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist and flautist. He rose to prominence in the early 1950s playing lead alto and flute in Stan Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra and thro ...

. He was also a member of

The Tonight Show Band The Tonight Show Band is the house band that plays on the American television variety show '' The Tonight Show''. From 1962 until 1992, when the show was known as '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', the band was a 17-piece big band, and ...

from 1970–1992 and The Lighthouse All-Stars. In the 1960s, Perkins had a second career as a recording engineer. He died of cancer in his Sherman Oaks home at the age of 79.

Discography

* '' The Brothers!'' with

Al Cohn Al Cohn (November 24, 1925 – February 15, 1988) was an American jazz saxophonist, arranger and composer. He came to prominence in the band of clarinetist Woody Herman and was known for his longtime musical partnership with fellow saxophonist ...

and Richie Kamuca (RCA Victor, 1955) * ''On Stage'' (Pacific Jazz, 1956) * ''Tenors Head-On'' with Richie Kamuca (Liberty, 1957) * ''Just Friends'' with

, Richie Kamuca (Pacific Jazz, 1957) * ''Bossa Nova with Strings Attached'' (Liberty, 1963) * ''Quietly There'' (Riverside, 1966; released 1970) * ''West Coast Conference'' (A World of Jazz, 1974) * ''The Front Line'' with

Pepper Adams Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams III (October 8, 1930 – September 10, 1986) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 42 pieces, was the leader on eighteen albums spanning 28 years, and participated in 600 sessions as a ...

(Trio, 1978) * ''Confluence'' (Interplay, 1979) * ''

Serious Swingers ''Serious Swingers'' is an album by saxophonists Bud Shank and Bill Perkins recorded in 1986 and released on the Contemporary label.

'' with

(Contemporary, 1987) * ''Remembrance of Dino's'' (Interplay, 1989) * ''I Wish On the Moon'' (Candid, 1992) * ''Warm Moods'' with Frank Strazzeri (Fresh Sound, 1992) * ''Live at the Royal Palms Inn Vol. 5'' with Shorty Rogers (Woofy, 1994) * ''Live at the Royal Palms Inn Vol. 9'' with

Pete Candoli Pete Candoli (born Walter Joseph Candoli; June 28, 1923 – January 11, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played with the big bands of Woody Herman and Stan Kenton and worked in the studios of the recording and television industries. Ca ...

Carl Fontana Carl Charles Fontana (July 18, 1928 – October 9, 2003) was an American jazz trombonist. After working in the big bands of Woody Herman, Lionel Hampton, and Stan Kenton, he devoted most of his career to playing music in Las Vegas. Career Fon ...

(Woofy, 1994) * ''Perk Playz Pres'' (Fresh Sound, 1996) * ''Swing Spring'' (Candid, 1999) * ''Live at the Lighthouse 1964'' with

J. C. Heard James Charles Heard (August 10, 1917 – September 27, 1988) was an American swing, bop, and blues drummer. Biography Heard was born in Dayton, Ohio and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. As a young child, he performed as a tap dancer in a ...

(Fresh Sound, 2019)

As sideman

With

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

* '' Chet Baker Big Band'' (Pacific Jazz, 1956) * '' Pretty/Groovy'' (World Pacific, 1958) With

Louis Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer, ...

* '' Big Band Jazz from the Summit'' (Roulette, 1962) With

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

* ''

L-O-V-E "L-O-V-E" is a song written by Bert Kaempfert and Milt Gabler, recorded by Nat King Cole for his 1965 studio album '' L-O-V-E''. Composition and background The song was composed by Bert Kaempfert with lyrics by Milt Gabler, and produced by Lee ...

'' (Capitol, 1965) With

Clifford Coulter Clifford Coulter was an American blues, R&B and jazz guitarist and keyboardist. allmusic Biography/ref> Career He released three albums, 1970's ''East Side San Jose'' with Billy Ingram and Joe Provost on drums. (Impulse! Records), 1971's ''Do I ...

* ''

Do It Now! Do, DO or D.O. may refer to: Languages * The English verb, ''do'', which may serve as an auxiliary verb; see do-support * Do (kana), ''Do'' (kana), a mora symbol in Japanese writing * Ditto mark People * Đỗ, a Vietnamese surname * Do (surname) ...

'' (Impulse!, 1971) With

Clare Fischer Douglas Clare Fischer (October 22, 1928 – January 26, 2012) was an American keyboardist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. After graduating from Michigan State University (from which, five decades later, he would receive an honorary doctorat ...

* ''

Thesaurus A thesaurus (plural ''thesauri'' or ''thesauruses'') or synonym dictionary is a reference work for finding synonyms and sometimes antonyms of words. They are often used by writers to help find the best word to express an idea: Synonym dictionar ...

'' (Atlantic, 1969) With Dizzy Gillespie * ''

The New Continent ''The New Continent'' is an album by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band featuring performances arranged and composed by Lalo Schifrin and conducted by Benny Carter recorded in 1962 and released on the Limelight label.Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...

* ''

Kenton Showcase ''Kenton Showcase'' refers to two 10-inch LPs by bandleader Stan Kenton recorded in early 1954 on Capitol, one each featuring compositions by Bill Holman and Bill Russo. These albums were combined as a 12-inch LP in 1955.Vosbein, PStan Kenton Dis ...

'' (Capitol, 1954) * ''

Contemporary Concepts ''Contemporary Concepts'' is an album by pianist and bandleader Stan Kenton with featuring performances of jazz standards recorded in 1955 and released on the Capitol label.Vosbein, PStan Kenton Discographyaccessed April 11, 2016 Reception The ...

'' (Capitol, 1955) * '' Kenton in Hi-Fi'' (Capitol, 1956) * ''

Kenton with Voices ''Kenton with Voices'' is an album by bandleader and pianist Stan Kenton featuring performances recorded in 1957 and released on the Capitol label.Vosbein, PStan Kenton Discographyaccessed April 16, 2016Rendezvous with Kenton'' (Capitol, 1957) * ''

Back to Balboa ''Back to Balboa'' is an album by bandleader and pianist Stan Kenton featuring performances recorded at the Rendezvous Ballroom in 1958 and released on the Capitol label.Vosbein, PStan Kenton Discographyaccessed April 16, 2016 The liner notes f ...

'' (Capitol, 1958) * '' The Ballad Style of Stan Kenton'' (Capitol, 1958) * ''

The Stage Door Swings ''The Stage Door Swings'' is an album by bandleader and pianist Stan Kenton featuring performances of Broadway musical tunes recorded in 1958 and released on the Capitol label.Vosbein, PStan Kenton Discographyaccessed April 21, 2016

'' (Capitol, 1958) * '' Kenton / Wagner'' (Capitol, 1964) * '' Stan Kenton Conducts the Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra'' (Capitol, 1965) With Barney Kessel * '' To Swing or Not to Swing'' (Contemporary, 1955) With

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

, * '' Grand Encounter'' (1956) With

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

* ''

Can't Hide Love "You Can't Hide Love" is a single by soul group Creative Source released in 1973 on Sussex Records. The song reached No. 48 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B Singles chart. Overview "You Can't Hide Love" was produced by Michael Stokes and composed b ...

'' (Blue Note, 1976) With

and

Conte Candoli Secondo "Conte" Candoli (July 12, 1927 – December 14, 2001) was an American jazz trumpeter based on the West Coast. He played in the big bands of Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, and Dizzy Gillespie, and in Doc Severinsen's NBC Orc ...

* '' Mucho Calor'' (Andex, 1957) With André Previn * ''The Subterraneans'' (Soundtrack) (MGM, 1960) With Shorty Rogers * '' Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers'' (RCA Victor, 1957) * '' Afro-Cuban Influence'' (RCA Victor, 1958) * '' Shorty Rogers Meets Tarzan'' (MGM, 1960) * ''

The Swingin' Nutcracker ''The Swingin' Nutcracker'' is a 1960 RCA Victor album by American jazz trumpeter and arranger Shorty Rogers performing compositions adapted from ''The Nutcracker'' by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.An Invisible Orchard'' (RCA Victor, 1961

997 Year 997 (Roman numerals, CMXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * 1 February: Empress Teishi gives birth to Princess Shushi - she is the first ...

* '' Jazz Waltz'' (Reprise, 1962) With

Pete Rugolo Pietro "Pete" Rugolo (December 25, 1915 – October 16, 2011) was an American jazz composer, arranger and record producer. Life and career Rugolo was born in San Piero Patti, Sicily. His family emigrated to the United States in 1920 and settle ...

* '' 10 Saxophones and 2 Basses'' (Mercury, 1961) With Lalo Schifrin * ''Bullitt'' (soundtrack) (Warner Bros., 1968) With

* '' Bud Shank - Shorty Rogers - Bill Perkins'' (Pacific Jazz, 1955) * '' Bud Shank & the Sax Section'' (Pacific Jazz, 1966) With

Gerald Wilson Gerald Stanley Wilson (September 4, 1918 – September 8, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. Born in Mississippi, he was based in Los Angeles from the early 1940s. In addition to being a ...

* ''

California Soul "California Soul" is a funk-soul tune written by Ashford & Simpson, issued originally as the B-side of the Messengers' single "Window Shopping" in 1967 under the Motown group of labels. Other recordings *Nick Ashford then released his own ve ...

'' (Pacific Jazz, 1968)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perkins, Bill 1924 births 2003 deaths Jazz musicians from San Francisco Cool jazz saxophonists Cool jazz flautists West Coast jazz saxophonists West Coast jazz flautists Post-bop saxophonists Hard bop saxophonists Post-bop flautists Hard bop flautists American jazz tenor saxophonists American male saxophonists Candid Records artists Blue Note Records artists Contemporary Records artists 20th-century American saxophonists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians The Tonight Show Band members 20th-century flautists