Co-chaired by legendary bop drummer Kenny Clarke and Belgian-born pianist/composer Francy Boland, the Clarke-Boland Big Band ranked among the top European orchestras of the '60s and early '70s. The group formed in 1960 following Clarke's relocation to Paris; originally, he and Boland -- fresh off a stint as an arranger for Kurt Edelhagen's German-based orchestra -- teamed in a sextet setting, quickly followed by an octet; the roster continued to grow, however, and soon a big band comprised of other American expatriates and top European players was in place.

Read more about The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band on Last.fm.


User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.