| Milt Holland | |
| Background: | non_vocal_instrumentalist |
| Birth Name: | Milton Olshansky |
| Birth Date: | 7 February 1917 |
| Birth Place: | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genre: | Jazz, rock, pop, R&B, funk, soul |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Instrument: | Drums, percussion |
Milton Holland (born Milton Olshansky; February 7, 1917 – November 4, 2005) was an American drummer, percussionist, ethnomusicologist and writer in the Los Angeles music scene. He pioneered the use of African, South American, and Indian percussion styles in jazz, pop and film music, traveling extensively in those regions to collect instruments and learn styles of playing them.
Holland was born Milton Olshansky in Chicago, Illinois where he attended Theodore Roosevelt High School. His first instrument was the violin which he quickly replaced with Drumset and Percussion. He pursued a passion for jazz drumming and percussion, playing in clubs and shows and on CBS Radio in Chicago. By the age of twelve, he was playing at speakeasies for the likes of Al Capone. He also spent many years on the road in Jazz bands including Raymond Scott.
In the early 1940s, Holland toured and recorded with The Raymond Scott Orchestra.
He studied tabla at University of California, Los Angeles and from 1963 through 1978, with tabla master Chatur Lalin India (to 1965), Ramnad Easwaran and others. He traveled through India extensively in the early 1960s and 1970s, then spent many years in Africa studying tribal rhythms. He was among the first to introduce the instruments to western recording.
After moving to Los Angeles in 1946, he played on countless jazz and pop albums, film and TV scores. A sampling of the artists he worked with includes Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan, John Williams, Leonard Bernstein, Elmer Bernstein, Ernest Gold, Quincy Jones, Bernard Herrmann, Nat King Cole, Henry Mancini, Loggins and Messina, James Taylor, Ella Fitzgerald, Laurindo Almeida, Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt, Seals and Crofts, Ray Manzarek, Michael Dinner, Gordon Lightfoot, Ringo Starr, Nelson Riddle, Kenny Loggins, Jim Messina, Poco, Captain Beefheart, David Blue, Rita Coolidge, Carly Simon, Paul Simon, Cal Tjader, John Cassavetes, the Doobie Brothers, Little Feat, Maria Muldaur, Randy Newman, and Joni Mitchell. He played pandeiro, congas and triangle on Mitchell's hit Big Yellow Taxi and congas and percussion on Light My Fire with José Feliciano.
As part of the so-called "Wrecking Crew," Holland won several gold and platinum records for his contributions. He was perhaps most proud of having helped desegregate the Los Angeles Musicians Union. Eventually, Holland became the first choice for exotic percussion among Los Angeles freelance session musicians.
In films, Holland played bongos on the soundtrack of West Side Story and timpani the soundtrack of Silent Running, to name only a tiny fraction of his output. He was one of seven illustrious percussionists, including Shelly Manne, Jack Sperling, and Larry Bunker, who contributed to the soundtrack of the John Wayne film Hatari!, playing African instruments on the soundtrack album, The Sounds of Hatari, and its title track. He played for the soundtrack of the TV miniseries Roots. He also played the musical accompaniment for Tinker Bell in the 1953 Disney cartoon film Peter Pan and for the nose tinkle in the TV series Bewitched.
Holland died in Los Angeles at the age of 88. He was survived by his wife Mildred Holland, his sons, Richard Holland and Robert Holland, his grandchildren, Damien and Chloe, and Richard's wife Seiko.[1]
His widow Mildred died on October 21, 2015.[2]
With Karen Alexander
With Gregg Allman Band
With Laurindo Almeida
With Hoyt Axton
With Burt Bacharach
With Joan Baez
With David Batteau
With Captain Beefheart
With Louis Bellson
With Elmer Bernstein
With Elvin Bishop
With David Blue
With Bonaroo
With Delaney Bramlett
With Brewer & Shipley
With Charlie Byrd
With Glen Campbell
With Buddy Childers
With Stanley Clarke
With Joe Cocker
With Ray Conniff
With Ry Cooder
With Rita Coolidge
With Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney
With Patti Dahlstrom
With Bobby Darin
With Ron Davies
With Jackie Davis
With Buddy DeFranco
With Doug Dillard
With The 5th Dimension
With The Doobie Brothers
With Don Everly
With Percy Faith
With Little Feat
With Victor Feldman
With José Feliciano
With Jerry Fielding
With Ella Fitzgerald
With The Free Movement
With Four Freshmen
With Art Garfunkel
With Jackie Gleason
With Arlo Guthrie
With John Hall
With Lani Hall
With Richard Harris
With Joni James
With Pete Jolly
With Quincy Jones
With Barbara Keith
With Stan Kenton
With Al Kooper
With Peggy Lee
With Claudia Lennear
With Ketty Lester
With Gordon Lightfoot
With Kenny Loggins
With Henry Mancini
With Johnny Mandel
With Herbie Mann
With Mark-Almond
With Dean Martin
With Melanie
With Jim Messina
With Loggins & Messina
With Joni Mitchell
With The Monkees
With Howdy Moon
With Chris Morris
With Johnny Nash
With Randy Newman
With Harry Nilsson
With Anita O'Day
With Gabby Pahinui
With Van Dyke Parks
With Linda Perhacs
With Oscar Peterson
With Ray Peterson
With Bill Plummer
With Poco
With Bonnie Raitt
With Helen Reddy
With Martha Reeves
With Johnny Rivers
With Shorty Rogers
With Rufus with Chaka Khan
With Pete Rugolo
With Sanford & Townsend
With Lalo Schifrin
With Seals and Crofts
With John Sebastian
With Neil Sedaka
With Bud Shank
With Ravi Shankar
With Carly Simon
With Frank Sinatra
With Tom Snow
With Phil Spector
With Ringo Starr
With Barbra Streisand
With James Taylor
With Bill Thomson
With Cal Tjader
With Various Artists
With Wendy Waldman
With Jennifer Warnes
With Nancy Wilson
With Paul Winter