The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band

The Kenny Clarke–Francy Boland Big Band was one of the most noteworthy jazz big bands formed outside the United States.

It was formed in 1961, when, with the help of producer Gigi Campi, the US drummer Kenny Clarke and Belgian pianist and composer Francy Boland and ex-Ellington bassist Jimmy Woode brought together several jazz musicians of note. Although based in Europe, the band was truly multinational, also having several US musicians in the line-up.

It was disbanded in 1972, after having recorded more than 15 albums. They released many of their albums on the German jazz record label MPS Records.

Members
Members of the band included Johnny Griffin, Muvaffak "Maffy" Falay, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Ronnie Scott, Carl Drewo, Tony Coe, Derek Humble, Nat Peck, Ake Persson, Dusko Goykovich, Stan Sulzmann, Ack van Rooyen, John Surman, Jimmy Deuchar, Manfred Schoof, Albert Mangelsdorff, Erik van Lier, Ron Mathewson, Fats Sadi, Kenny Clare, Benny Bailey, Jimmy Woode, Art Farmer, Sahib Shihab, Shake Keane, Idrees Sulieman, Herb Geller, and collaborated on occasions with Phil Woods, Zoot Sims, Stan Getz, John Bodwin and many others.

Discography
post-Clarke:
 * Jazz is Universal (1962) Atlantic Records
 * Handle With Care (1963) Atlantic
 * Now Hear Our Meanin' (1965) Columbia Records
 * Swing, Waltz, Swing, Carl Drewo und die Clarke–Boland Big Band (1966) Philips Records
 * Jazz Convention Vol. I (1967) KPM – also re-issued as Open Door (Muse)
 * Jazz Convention Vol. II: Contemporary Jazz Moods... (1967) KPM
 * Sax No End (1967) MPS Records, Pausa – aka Fire, Soul, Heat & Guts (Prestige Records)
 * Out of the Folk Bag (1967) Columbia
 * 17 Men and Their Music (1967) Campi
 * Latin Kaleidoscope (1968) MPS, Prestige
 * All Smiles (1968) MPS – aka Let's Face the Music (Prestige)
 * Faces (1968) MPS
 * More (1968) Campi – aka More Jazz in the Movies (CAM)
 * Jazz Convention Vol. III (1968) KPM
 * My Kind of World, Gitte & The Band (1968) Hör Zu – aka Gitte Hænning meets the Francy Boland-Kenny Clarke Big Band aka Gitte Sings Jazz
 * Fellini 712 (1969) MPS
 * Volcano,...Live At Ronnie's (1969) Polydor Records
 * Rue Chaptal,...Live At Ronnie's (1969) Polydor
 * More Smiles (1969) MPS
 * All Blues (1969) MPS
 * At Her Majesty's Pleasure… (1969) Black Lion Records
 * Clarke-Boland Big Band En Concert Avec Europe 1 (1969) RTÉ – aka TNP: Oct. 29th, 1969 (Delta Music), aka Paris Concert (Laserlight)
 * Off Limits (1970) Polydor
 * November Girl, Carmen McRae / The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band (1970) Black Lion
 * Changes of Scenes, Stan Getz and the Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band (1971) Verve Records
 * Francy Boland – The Orchestra 1: Blue Flame (1976) MPS
 * Francy Boland – The Orchestra 2: Red Hot (1976) MPS
 * Francy Boland – The Orchestra 3: White Heat (1976) MPS

Video performances

 * Live in Prague 1967 (DVD - 2008) Impro Jazz

Compilations and combination re-issues

 * (Ebulient Roaring Screaming Big Band Sound of) Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland, Special Guest Artist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (1972) MPS – selected tracks from More Smiles and Sax No End
 * The Best of the Clarke-Boland Big Band (1974) MPS – selected tracks from All Smiles, More Smiles and Sax No End
 * Smiles (1976) MPS – Encore Vol. 7: The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band – All Smiles (complete) + More Smiles (complete)
 * Live at Ronnie Scott's (1976) MPS – Encore Vol. 9: The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band - Volcano (complete) + Rue Chaptal (complete)
 * Historically Speaking (1993) Emanon – selected tracks from 6 previously released albums plus some unissued tracks
 * Blowing the Cobwebs Out (1994) Emanon – Volcano (complete) + Rue Chaptal (complete) + At Her Majesty's Pleasure (complete) + Off Limits (almost complete)
 * Two Originals (1994) MPS – All Blues (complete) + Sax No End (Complete)
 * Three Latin Adventures (1995) MPS – Latin Kaleidoscope (complete) + Fellini 712 (complete)
 * Our Kinda Strauss (1998) Rearwind – Swing, Waltz, Swing (almost complete) plus several bonus tracks
 * Blue Flame / Red Hot / White Heat (2008) MPS – Francy Boland - The Orchestra: Blue Flame (complete) + ...Red Hot (complete) + ...White Heat (complete)
 * Now Hear Our Meanin' – The Complete 1963 Recordings (2009) Jazz lips – Now Hear Our Meanin' (complete) + Handle with Care (complete) + 4 tracks from Swing, Waltz, Swing