BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRICAN AMERICAN " CHRISTOPHER HOLLYDAY " AN ALTO-SAXOPHONIST WHO WAS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY CHARLIE PRAKER- ACTIVE DURING THE 1989-1992 ERA : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

                                    BLACK                 SOCIAL                   HISTORY                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        One of the "Young Lions" of the late '80s, altoist Christopher Hollyday created a big stir when he appeared on the scene, but maintained a surprisingly low profile after the early '90s. He started playing alto when he was nine, developed quickly, and was playing in clubs when he was 14, the year when he recorded his first album on his own Jazzbeat label. Back then, he was heavily influenced by Charlie Parker, but a few years later Hollyday almost sounded like a clone of Jackie McLean. In 1988, he took a group into the Village Vanguard, and the following year he toured with Maynard Ferguson's big band. During 1989-1992, Hollyday recorded four CDs for Novus, and was starting to develop his own voice when he was dropped from the label.


In-depth Biography
One of the "Young Lions" of the late '80s, altoist Christopher Hollyday created a big stir when he appeared on the scene, but maintained a surprisingly low profile after the early '90s. He started playing alto when he was nine, developed quickly, and was playing in clubs when he was 14, the year when he recorded his first album on his own Jazzbeat label. Back then, he was heavily influenced by Charlie Parker, but a few years later Hollyday almost sounded like a clone of Jackie McLean. In 1988, he took a group into the Village Vanguard, and the following year he toured with Maynard Ferguson's big band. During 1989-1992, Hollyday recorded four CDs for Novus, and was starting to develop his own voice when he was dropped from the label. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi

Christopher Hollyday (* 3. January 1970 in New Haven (Connecticut)) ist ein US-amerikanischer Jazz-Alto-saxophonist und Lehrer..

Christopher Hollyday begann mit 14 Jahren in Clubs aufzutreten und nahm in frühen Jahren ein Album auf seinem eigenen Jazzbeat-Label auf; stilistisch orientierte er sich zunächst an Charlie Parker, später an Jackie McLean. 1988 trat er mit einer eigenen Formation im New Yorker Village Vanguard auf, 1989 ging er mit der Maynard Ferguson Big Band auf Tournee.

Er wird von Allmusic als einer der „Young Lions“ der ausgehenden 1980er Jahre bezeichnet; er wurde bekannt durch vier Alben, die er zwischen 1989 und 1992 für das Label RCA Nov use in spielte. Auf seinem Debütalbum wurde er von Wallace Roney, Cedar Walton, David Williams und Billy Higgins begleitet; auf den späteren Alben spielten u.a John Lockwood, Larry Goldingsund Brad Mehldau. Im Januar 1992 entstand das formal stark an Miles Ahead erinnernde Big Band-Album And I'll Sing Once More, bei dem u.a John Clark, Mark Feldman, Scott Colley, Kenny Werner, Scott Robinson und Douglas Purviance mitwirkten. Danach wurde seine Karriere abrupt unterbrochen, als sein Plattenkontrakt bei RCA Novus nicht verlängert wurde. Holly day begann daraufhin als Lehrer zu arbeiten, zunächst 1997 an der Orange Glen High School in Escondido (Kalifornien. 1998 wechselte er an die Valley Center High School (in Valley Center (Kalifornien), wo er seitdem unterrichtet und mit Jazz-Ensemble Klassen und der Schulband arbeitet. Holly day erwarb 2004/2005 seinen Master-Abschluss an der San Diego State University.