Bill Perkins

William Reese Perkins ((1924-07-22)July 22, 1924 – (2003-08-10)August 10, 2003) was an American cool jazz saxophonist and flutist, popular on the West Coast jazz scene, known primarily as a tenor saxophonist. Born in San Francisco, California, United States, Perkins started performing in the big bands of Woody Herman and Jerry Wald. He worked for the Stan Kenton orchestra, which led to his entry into the cool jazz idiom. He began performing with Art Pepper and Bud Shank. He was also a member of The Tonight Show Band from 1970 to 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.

Birth and Death Data: Born July 22, 1924 (San Francisco), Died August 9, 2003 (Sherman Oaks)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1930 - 1957

Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, banjo, tenor saxophone

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
OKeh	W404411	10-in.	10/9/1930	Body and soul	Louis Armstrong ; Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	instrumentalist, banjo
OKeh	W404412	10-in.	10/16/1930	Memories of you	Louis Armstrong ; Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	instrumentalist, guitar
OKeh	W404413	10-in.	10/16/1930	You're lucky to me	Louis Armstrong ; Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra	Jazz/ dance band, with male vocal solo	instrumentalist, guitar
OKeh	W404417	10-in.	12/23/1930	Sweethearts on parade	Louis Armstrong ; Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and shouts	instrumentalist, guitar, banjo
OKeh	W404418	10-in.	12/23/1930	You're driving me crazy! (What did I do?)	Louis Armstrong ; Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with dialogue and male vocal solo	instrumentalist, banjo
OKeh	W404419	10-in.	12/23/1930	The peanut vendor	Louis Armstrong ; Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	instrumentalist, banjo
OKeh	W404420	10-in.	3/9/1931	Just a gigolo	Louis Armstrong ; Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	instrumentalist, guitar
OKeh	W404421	10-in.	3/9/1931	Shine	Louis Armstrong ; Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	instrumentalist, banjo, guitar
Decca	DLA 724	10-in.	2/26/1937	Body and soul	Art Tatum and his Swingsters		instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	DLA 725	10-in.	2/26/1937	With plenty of money and you	Art Tatum and his Swingsters		instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	DLA 726	10-in.	2/26/1937	What will I tell my heart?	Art Tatum and his Swingsters		instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	DLA 727	10-in.	2/26/1937	I've got my love to keep me warm	Art Tatum and his Swingsters		instrumentalist, guitar
Decca	L 9809		1/21/1957	Cluster	John Graas Sextet		instrumentalist, tenor saxophone
Decca	L 9810		1/21/1957	Canon frair-1	John Graas Sextet		instrumentalist, tenor saxophone
Decca	L 9811		1/21/1957	Mood-2	John Graas Sextet		instrumentalist, tenor saxophone
Decca	L 9812		1/21/1957	I'm confessin' that I love you	John Graas Sextet		instrumentalist, tenor saxophone

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Perkins, Bill," accessed November 5, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/207836.

Perkins, Bill. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 5, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/207836.

"Perkins, Bill." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 5 November 2024.