Gene Roland

Gene M. Roland (September 15, 1921 in Dallas – August 11, 1982 in New York City) was an American jazz composer and musician.^[1] He played many instruments during his career, but was most significant as an arranger/composer and for his association with Stan Kenton. Roland was one of only two arrangers to write for Kenton, in all four decades of the band's existence, the other being Ken Hanna.

Life and work

Roland, who gained a degree in music from the

Roland remained active as a writer in the 1960s and 1970s, working with the Radiohus Orchestra in Copenhagen (1967) and contributing charts to Kenton as well as Dan Terry's D.T.B.B.B. album (Metronome Records, 1981); he also played trumpet, piano and tenor with his own groups.^[1] In addition to writing an entire album for Kenton, Roland led his 1950 rehearsal band on a Spotlite release (Parker is one of his sidemen), led half of an album (recorded in 1957 and 1959) for Dawn Records in which he plays trumpet, and arranged a 1963 octet record for Brunswick Records.

Discography

As leader

• Jazzville Vol. 4 (Dawn, 1957)

As sideman

With Stan Kenton

• Stan Kenton Classics (Capitol, 1952)
• The Kenton Era (Capitol, 1955)
• A Merry Christmas! (Capitol, 1961)
• Kenton's West Side Story (Capitol, 1961)
• The Romantic Approach in the Ballad Style of Stan Kenton (Capitol, 1961)
• Sophisticated Approach (Capitol, 1962)
• Stan Kenton! Tex Ritter! (Capitol, 1962)
• Adventures in Blues (Capitol, 1963)
• The Uncollected Stan Kenton and His Orchestra 1944-1945 Vol. 4 (Hindsight, 1979)

With others

• June Christy, June Time (Swing House, 1981)
• Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Paul Quinichette, Wardell Grey, Tenors Anyone? (Dawn, 1958)
• Jimmy Knepper, A Swinging Introduction to Jimmy Knepper (Bethlehem 1957)
• Lucky Millinder, Cab Calloway, Awful Natural (RCA, 1977)
• Rita Reys, Sylvia Pierce & Peggy Serra, New Voices (Dawn, 1957)
• Tom Talbert, 1946–1949 (Sea Breeze, 1995)

References

• Gene Roland A Composer/Arranger For All The Right Reasons and Seasons
• Stan Kenton: Progressive Concepts in Jazz
• Stan Kenton's Mellophonium Band
• Biography in Handbook of Texas