William Reese Perkins ((1924-07-22)July 22, 1924 – (2003-08-09)August 9, 2003) ^[1] was an American cool jazz saxophonist and flutist, popular on the West Coast jazz scene, known primarily as a tenor saxophonist. ^[1]

Born in San Francisco, California, United States, Perkins started performing in the big bands of Woody Herman and Jerry Wald. ^[2] He worked for the Stan Kenton orchestra, which led to his entry into the cool jazz idiom. ^[2] He began performing with Art Pepper and Bud Shank. ^[2] 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. ^[3]

He died of cancer in his Sherman Oaks home at the age of 79. ^[1]

Discography

• The Brothers! with Al Cohn and Richie Kamuca (RCA Victor, 1955)
• On Stage (Pacific Jazz, 1956)
• Tenors Head-On with Richie Kamuca (Liberty, 1957)
• Just Friends with Art Pepper, Richie Kamuca (Pacific Jazz, 1957)
• Bossa Nova with Strings Attached (Liberty, 1963)
• Quietly There (Riverside, 1966; released 1970)
• West Coast Conference (A World of Jazz, 1974)
• The Front Line with Pepper Adams (Trio, 1978)
• Confluence (Interplay, 1979)
• Serious Swingers with Bud Shank (Contemporary, 1987)
• Remembrance of Dino's (Interplay, 1989)
• I Wish On the Moon (Candid, 1992)
• Warm Moods with Frank Strazzeri (Fresh Sound, 1992)
• Live at the Royal Palms Inn Vol. 5 with Shorty Rogers (Woofy, 1994)
• Live at the Royal Palms Inn Vol. 9 with Pete Candoli, Carl Fontana (Woofy, 1994)
• Perk Playz Pres (Fresh Sound, 1996)
• Swing Spring (Candid, 1999)
• Live at the Lighthouse 1964 with J. C. Heard (Fresh Sound, 2019)

As sideman

With Chet Baker

• Chet Baker Big Band (Pacific Jazz, 1956)
• Pretty/Groovy (World Pacific, 1958)

With Louis Bellson

• Big Band Jazz from the Summit (Roulette, 1962)

With Nat King Cole

• L-O-V-E (Capitol, 1965)

With Clifford Coulter

• Do It Now! (Impulse!, 1971)

With Clare Fischer

• Thesaurus (Atlantic, 1969)

With Dizzy Gillespie

• The New Continent (Limelight, 1962)

With Stan Kenton

• Kenton Showcase (Capitol, 1954)
• Contemporary Concepts (Capitol, 1955)
• Kenton in Hi-Fi (Capitol, 1956)
• Kenton with Voices (Capitol, 1957)
• Rendezvous with Kenton (Capitol, 1957)
• Back to Balboa (Capitol, 1958)
• The Ballad Style of Stan Kenton (Capitol, 1958)
• The Stage Door Swings (Capitol, 1958)
• Kenton / Wagner (Capitol, 1964)
• Stan Kenton Conducts the Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra (Capitol, 1965)

With Barney Kessel

• To Swing or Not to Swing (Contemporary, 1955)

With John Lewis,

• Grand Encounter (1956)

With Carmen McRae

• Can't Hide Love (Blue Note, 1976)

With Art Pepper and Conte Candoli

• Mucho Calor (Andex, 1957)

With André Previn

• The Subterraneans (Soundtrack) (MGM, 1960)

With Shorty Rogers

• Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers (RCA Victor, 1957)
• Afro-Cuban Influence (RCA Victor, 1958)
• Shorty Rogers Meets Tarzan (MGM, 1960)
• The Swingin' Nutcracker (RCA Victor, 1960)
• An Invisible Orchard (RCA Victor, 1961 [1997])
• Jazz Waltz (Reprise, 1962)

With Pete Rugolo

• 10 Saxophones and 2 Basses (Mercury, 1961)

With Lalo Schifrin

• Bullitt (soundtrack) (Warner Bros., 1968)

With Bud Shank

• Bud Shank - Shorty Rogers - Bill Perkins (Pacific Jazz, 1955)
• Bud Shank & the Sax Section (Pacific Jazz, 1966)

With Gerald Wilson

• California Soul (Pacific Jazz, 1968)

References