Bill Perkins

Bill Perkins (July 22, 1924 – August 9, 2003) was a cool jazz saxophonist and flutist popular on the West Coast jazz scene, known primarily as a tenor saxophonist. Born in San Francisco, California, Perkins started out performing in the big bands of Woody Herman and Jerry Wald. He also worked for the Stan Kenton orchestra, which subsequently led to his entry into the cool jazz idiom. He began performing with musicians like Art Pepper and Bud Shank, to name just a few. He was also a member of The Tonight Show Band from 1970–1992. He is probably most remembered, however, for playing tenor for The Lighthouse All-Stars. When gigs became scarce in the 1960s, Perkins had a parallel career as a recording engineer.

Discography

 * The Bill Perkins Octet on Stage with Carl Fontana, Russ Freeman, Mel Lewis, Red Mitchell, Gerry Mulligan, Jack Nimitz, Art Pepper, Shorty Rogers, Bud Shank, Stu Williamson, 1956
 * 2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West with John Lewis, Jim Hall, Percy Heath, Chico Hamilton, 1956
 * Tenors Head-On with Hampton Hawes, Pete Jolly, Richie Kamuca, Stan Levey, Mel Lewis, Red Mitchell, 1956
 * Just Friends with Art Pepper, Richie Kamuca, 1956
 * Bossa Nova with Strings Attached, 1963
 * Quietly There with Larry Bunker, Victor Feldman, Red Mitchell, John Pisano, 1966
 * Confluence, 1978
 * Front Line with Pepper Adams, Gordon Goodwin, Lou Levy, Bob Magnusson, Carl Burnette, 1978
 * Many Ways to Go with Gordon Goodwin, Clare Fischer, Bob Magnusson, Vince Lateano, 1980
 * The Other Bill, 1981
 * Journey to the East with Frank Strazzeri, Joel DiBartolo, Peter Donald, 1984
 * Remembrance of Dino’s with Alan Broadbent, Gene Cherico, Putter Smith, John Tirabasso, 1986
 * Right Chemistry with James Clay, Joel DiBartolo, Billy Mintz, Frank Strazzeri, 1987
 * I Wished on the Moon with dem Metropole Orkest, 1989–90
 * Two as One with Frank Strazzeri, 1990
 * Our Man Woody with Rick Baptist, Wayne Bergeron, Richard Bullock, Bob Cooper, Joseph Davis, Clay Jenkins, Paul Kreibich, Charles Loper, Andy Martin, Jack Nimitz, Brian Scanlon, Dave Stone, Frank Strazzeri, Bob Summers, [Arrangements By: Jim Knight, John LaBarbera, Frank Strazzeri, Mark Taylor] 1991
 * Frame of Mind with Bill Berg, Ken Filiano, Clay Jenkins, Bob Leatherbarrow, Frank Strazzeri, Tom Warrington, 1993
 * Perk Plays Prez with Dave Carpenter, Paul Kreibich, Jan Lundgren, Jack Sheldon, 1995
 * Live at Cappozzoli’s with Steve Huffsteter, 2000
 * Bill Perkins Danny Pucillo Quartet Plays Charles Mingus Like Nobody Else with Jinshi Ozaki, Chris Colangelo, Danny Pucillo, 2003

As sideman
With Clifford Coulter With Clare Fischer With Dizzy Gillespie With Lalo Schifrin
 * Do It Now! (Impulse!, 1971)
 * Thesaurus (Atlantic, 1969)
 * The New Continent (Limelight, 1962)
 * Bullitt (soundtrack) (Warner Bros., 1968)