Charlie Holmes (January 27, 1910 near

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– September 19, 1985 in Stoughton, Massachusetts) was an American alto jazz saxophonist of the swing era. He also played clarinet and oboe for the Boston Civic Symphony Orchestra in 1926.

Career

Holmes began playing also saxophone at age 16 and emulated the style of his childhood friend,

Johnny Hodges Johnny Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophone, alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on sop ...

. He began playing professionally a week later. After moving to New York City he worked for a variety of groups, including

Luis Russell Luis Carl Russell (August 5, 1902 – December 11, 1963) was a pioneering Panamanian jazz pianist, orchestra leader, composer, and arranger. Career Luis Carl Russell was born on Careening Cay, near Bocas del Toro, Panama, in a family of African ...

in 1928. Between 1929 and 1930, he recorded with

Red Allen Henry James "Red" Allen Jr. (January 7, 1908 – April 17, 1967) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist whose playing has been described by Joachim-Ernst Berendt and others as the first to fully incorporate the innovations of Louis Armst ...

, and is best known for composing "Sugar Hill Function". He would work with Russell again a few times and in 1932 joined the Mills Blue Rhythm Band. He was in the John Kirby's Sextet,

Cootie Williams Charles Melvin "Cootie" Williams (July 10, 1911 – September 15, 1985) was an American jazz, jump blues, and rhythm and blues trumpeter. Biography Born in Mobile, Alabama, Williams began his professional career at the age of 14 with the Yo ...

' Orchestra, and

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

's band for much of the next two decades. He left music in 1951 and did not return for twenty years. He returned to work in Clyde Bernhardt's Harlem Blues & Jazz Band, and later played for the Swedish band Kustbandet. They made a recording together in 1975 (Kenneth Records KS 2039). Holmes was not fit to go to Stockholm so he played his solos on tape in a New York City studio and the material was transferred to the Swedish master tape. He never acted as a leader in any recording or group.

References

Bibliography

*Kernfield, Barry. "Holmes, Charlie harles William. ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music''.

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

External links

Allmusic BiographyCharlie Holmes recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database catalog of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The 78rpm era was the time period in which any flat disc records were being played at ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Holmes, Charlie 1910 births 1985 deaths American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists 20th-century American saxophonists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Harlem Blues and Jazz Band members Mills Blue Rhythm Band members