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Milt Holland
Birth nameMilton Olshansky
Born(1917-02-07)February 7, 1917
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedNovember 4, 2005(2005-11-04) (aged 88)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
GenresJazz, rock, pop, R&B, funk, soul
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Drums, percussion

Milton Holland (born Milton Olshansky; February 7, 1917 – November 4, 2005) was an American drummer, percussionist, ethnomusicologist, and writer in the Los Angeles music scene. He pioneered the use of African, South American, and Indian percussion styles in jazz, pop and film music, traveling extensively in those regions to collect instruments and learn styles of playing them.

Early life

Holland was born Milton Olshansky in Chicago, Illinois, where he attended Theodore Roosevelt High School. His first instrument was the violin. He pursued a passion for percussion, playing in clubs and shows and on CBS Radio in Chicago. By the age of twelve, he was playing at speakeasies for the likes of Al Capone.

Career

In the early 1940s, Holland toured and recorded with The Raymond Scott Orchestra.

He studied tabla at University of California, Los Angeles and from 1963 through 1978 with tabla master Chatur Lal, Ramnad Easwaran and others. He traveled through India extensively in the early 1960s and 1970s, then spent many years in Africa studying tribal rhythms. He was among the first to introduce the instruments to western recording.

After moving to Los Angeles in 1946, he played on countless jazz and pop albums, film and TV scores. A sampling of the artists he worked with includes Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan, John Williams, Leonard Bernstein, Elmer Bernstein, Quincy Jones, Nat King Cole, Henry Mancini, Loggins and Messina, James Taylor, Ella Fitzgerald, Laurindo Almeida, Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt, Seals and Crofts, Ray Manzarek, Michael Dinner, Gordon Lightfoot, Ringo Starr, Kenny Loggins, Jim Messina, Poco, Captain Beefheart, David Blue, Rita Coolidge, Carly Simon, Cal Tjader, the Doobie Brothers, Little Feat, Maria Muldaur, Randy Newman, and Joni Mitchell. He played pandeiro, congas and triangle on Mitchell's hit Big Yellow Taxi and congas and percussion on Light My Fire with José Feliciano.

As part of the so-called "Wrecking Crew," Holland won several gold and platinum records for his contributions. He was perhaps most proud of having helped desegregate the Los Angeles Musicians Union. Eventually, Holland became the first choice for exotic percussion among Los Angeles freelance session musicians.

In films, Holland played bongos on the soundtrack of West Side Story and timpani the soundtrack of Silent Running, to name only a tiny fraction of his output. He was one of seven illustrious percussionists, including Shelly Manne, Jack Sperling, and Larry Bunker, who contributed to the soundtrack of the John Wayne film Hatari!, playing African instruments on the soundtrack album, The Sounds of Hatari, and its title track. He played for the soundtrack of the TV miniseries Roots. He also played the musical accompaniment for Tinker Bell in the 1953 Disney cartoon film Peter Pan and for the nose tinkle in the TV series Bewitched.

Death and personal life

Holland died in Los Angeles at the age of 88. He was survived by his wife Mildred Holland, his sons, Richard Holland and Robert Holland, his grandchildren, Damien and Chloe, and Richard's wife Seiko.[1]

His widow Mildred died on October 21, 2015.[2]

Discography

As leader

As sideman

With Karen Alexander

With Gregg Allman Band

With Laurindo Almeida

With Hoyt Axton

With Burt Bacharach

With Joan Baez

With David Batteau

With Captain Beefheart

With Louis Bellson

With Elmer Bernstein

With Elvin Bishop

With David Blue

With Bonaroo

With Delaney Bramlett

With Brewer & Shipley

With Charlie Byrd

With Glen Campbell

With Buddy Childers

With Stanley Clarke

With Joe Cocker

With Ray Conniff

With Ry Cooder

With Rita Coolidge

With Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney

With Patti Dahlstrom

With Bobby Darin

With Ron Davies

With Jackie Davis

With Buddy DeFranco

With Doug Dillard

With The 5th Dimension

With The Doobie Brothers

With Don Everly

With Percy Faith

With Little Feat

With Victor Feldman

With José Feliciano

With Jerry Fielding

With Ella Fitzgerald

With The Free Movement

With Four Freshmen

With Art Garfunkel

With Jackie Gleason

With Graham Central Station

With Arlo Guthrie

With John Hall

With Lani Hall

With Richard Harris

With Joni James

With Pete Jolly

With Quincy Jones

With Barbara Keith

With Stan Kenton

With Al Kooper

With Peggy Lee

With Claudia Lennear

With Ketty Lester

With Gordon Lightfoot

With Kenny Loggins

With Henry Mancini

With Johnny Mandel

With Herbie Mann

With Mark-Almond

With Dean Martin

With Melanie

With Jim Messina

With Loggins & Messina

With Joni Mitchell

With The Monkees

With Howdy Moon

With Chris Morris

With Johnny Nash

With Randy Newman

With Harry Nilsson

With Anita O'Day

With Gabby Pahinui

With Van Dyke Parks

With Linda Perhacs

With Oscar Peterson

With Ray Peterson

With Bill Plummer

With Poco

With Bonnie Raitt

With Helen Reddy

With Martha Reeves

With Johnny Rivers

With Shorty Rogers

With Rufus with Chaka Khan

With Pete Rugolo

With Sanford & Townsend

With Lalo Schifrin

With Seals and Crofts

With John Sebastian

With Neil Sedaka

With Bud Shank

With Ravi Shankar

With Carly Simon

With Frank Sinatra

With Tom Snow

With Phil Spector

With Ringo Starr

With Barbra Streisand

With James Taylor

With Bill Thomson

With Cal Tjader

With Various Artists

With Wendy Waldman

With Jennifer Warnes

With Nancy Wilson

With Paul Winter

Soundtracks

References

  1. ^ "Milt Holland Biography". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
  2. ^ "Hearthstone Arts on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on 2022-04-30.[user-generated source]

External links

The Wrecking Crew
Authority control databases
Categories