The Kenny Clarke Francy Boland Big Band

  • The Kenny Clarke Francy Boland Big Band - Jazz Is Universal [Atlantic Records SD 1401] (1962)
  • Clarke-Boland Big Band - Handle With Care [Atlantic SD 1404] (1963)
  • The Kenny Clarke Francy Boland Big Band - Now Hear Our Meanin' [Columbia Records CS 9114] (1965)
  • The Kenny Clarke - Francy Boland Big Band - Sax No End [Pausa Records PR 7097] (1967)
  • The Kenny Clarke - Francy Boland Big Band - More Smiles [MPS Records MPS 15053] (1969)
  • The Kenny Clarke - Francy Boland Big Band - Faces (17 Men And Their Music) [MPS Records 15218 ST] (1969)

Biography

Jason Ankeny [allmusic.com]

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. After earning a reputation as a major live force, the Clarke-Boland Big Band finally made their recorded debut with the 1962 LP Jazz Is Universal; over a dozen more albums followed prior to the group's 1973 dissolution.