Red Holloway

James Wesley "Red" Holloway (May 31, 1927 – February 25, 2012) was an American jazz saxophonist.

Biography
Born in Helena, Arkansas, United States, Holloway started playing banjo and harmonica, switching to tenor saxophone when he was 12 years old. He graduated from DuSable High School, where he had played in the school big band with Johnny Griffin and Eugene Wright, and attended the Conservatory of Music, Chicago. He joined the Army when he was 19 and became bandmaster for the U.S. Fifth Army Band, and after completing his military service returned to Chicago and played with Yusef Lateef and Dexter Gordon, among others. In 1948, he joined blues vocalist Roosevelt Sykes, and later played with other rhythm & blues musicians such as Willie Dixon, Junior Parker, and Lloyd Price.

In the 1950s, he played in the Chicago area with Billie Holiday, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Ben Webster, Jimmy Rushing, Arthur Prysock, Dakota Staton, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Wardell Gray, Sonny Rollins, Red Rodney, Lester Young, Joe Williams, Redd Foxx, B.B. King, Bobby Bland, and Aretha Franklin. During this period, he also toured with Sonny Stitt, Memphis Slim and Lionel Hampton. He became a member of the house band for Chance Records in 1952. He subsequently appeared on many recording sessions for the Chicago-based independents Parrot, United and States, and Vee-Jay.

From 1963 to 1966, he was in organist "Brother" Jack McDuff's band, which also featured guitarist George Benson, who was then at the start of his career. In 1974, Holloway recorded The Latest Edition with John Mayall and toured Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. From 1977 to 1982, Holloway worked with Sonny Stitt, recording two albums together, and following Stitt's death, Holloway played and recorded with Clark Terry.

Red Holloway died in Morro Bay, California, aged 84 of a stroke and kidney failure on February 25, 2012, one month after Etta James, with whom he had worked extensively. His interment is at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles.

As leader/co-leader

 * The Burner (Prestige, 1963) with Big John Patton, Eric Gale
 * Cookin' Together (Prestige, 1964) with Jack McDuff, George Benson; reissued on CD as Brother Red in 1995.
 * Sax, Strings & Soul (Prestige, 1964)
 * Red Soul (Prestige, 1965) with Dr. Lonnie Smith, George Benson
 * Forecast: Sonny & Red (Catalyst, 1976) with Sonny Stitt
 * Partners (Catalyst, 1978) with Sonny Stitt
 * Hittin' the Road Again (JAM [Jazz America Marketing], 1984) with Shuggie Otis
 * Nica's Dream (Steeplechase, 1984) with Horace Parlan
 * Red Holloway & Company (Concord, 1987) with Cedar Walton
 * Locksmith Blues (Concord, 1989) with Clark Terry
 * Live at the 1995 Floating Jazz Festival (Chiaroscuro, 1995 [rel. 1997]) with Harry "Sweets" Edison
 * Grooveyard (JHM [JazzHausMusik, Germany] Records, 1996) with Matthias Bätzel Trio
 * Day Dream (Tonewheel, 1997) with T.C. Pfeiler
 * In the Red (HighNote, 1997) with Norman Simmons
 * A Night of Blues & Ballads (JHM [JazzHausMusik, Germany] Records, 1998) with Matthias Bätzel Trio
 * Standing Room Only (Chiaroscuro, 1998 [rel. 2000]) with Junior Mance, Phil Upchurch, O.C. Smith
 * Keep That Groove Going! (Milestone, 2001) with Plas Johnson
 * Coast to Coast (Milestone, 2003) with Dr. Lonnie Smith, Melvin Sparks
 * Something Old, Something New (R/H [Red Holloway] Recording Company, 2007) with Sacha Boutros
 * Go Red Go! (Delmark, 2008) with Henry Johnson, Chris Foreman, Greg Rockingham
 * September Songs (Organic Music, 2009) with Bernhard Pichi Trio

Compilations

 * The Best of Red Holloway & The Soul Organ Giants with Brother Jack McDuff & Lonnie Smith (Prestige, 1970) also with Big John Patton; contains two tracks from each album: The Burner (with Patton), Cookin' Together (with McDuff), Red Soul (with Smith).
 * Legends of Acid Jazz: Red Holloway (Prestige, 1998) (compilation of The Burner + Red Soul)

As sideman
With Gene Ammons With George Benson With Freddy Cole With Joe Dukes With Atle Hammer With Etta James With Etta James and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson With Junior Mance With Wade Marcus With John Mayall With Jack McDuff With Jimmy McGriff With Joe Williams With Carmen McRae With Knut Riisnæs With Clark Terry With Horace Silver With Clark Terry
 * Soul Summit Vol. 2 (Prestige, 1962) with Etta Jones
 * Late Hour Special (Prestige, 1961-62 [rel. 1964])
 * Velvet Soul (Prestige, 1961-62 [rel. 1964])
 * Free Again (Prestige, 1972)
 * The New Boss Guitar of George Benson (Prestige, 1964) with Jack McDuff, Joe Dukes
 * Live at Birdland West (LaserLight, 1992) with Jerry Byrd
 * The Soulful Drums of Joe Dukes (Prestige, 1964) with Jack McDuff, George Benson
 * Arizona Blues (Gemini Records, 1989)
 * 12 Songs of Christmas (Private Music, 1998)
 * Heart of a Woman (Private Music, 1999)
 * Blue Gardenia (Private Music, 2001)
 * Blues In The Night: The Early Show (Fantasy, 1986) with Jack McDuff, Shuggie Otis
 * The Late Show: Blues In The Night, Volume 2 (Fantasy, 1987) with Jack McDuff, Shuggie Otis
 * The Floating Jazz Festival Trio [live] (Chiaroscuro, 1997, [rel. 1999]) with Henry Johnson
 * Metamorphosis (Impulse!, 1976)
 * Ten Years Are Gone (Polydor, 1973)
 * The Latest Edition (Polydor, 1974)
 * Brother Jack McDuff Live! (Prestige, 1963)
 * Brother Jack at the Jazz Workshop Live! (Prestige, 1963)
 * Prelude (Prestige, 1963)
 * The Dynamic Jack McDuff (Prestige, 1964)
 * The Concert McDuff (Prestige, 1964)
 * Silk and Soul (Prestige, 1965)
 * Hot Barbeque (Prestige, 1965)
 * Walk On By (Prestige, 1966)
 * Hallelujah Time! (Prestige, 1963-66 [rel. 1967])
 * The Midnight Sun (Prestige, 1963-66 [rel. 1967])
 * Soul Circle (Prestige, 1964-66 [rel. 1968])
 * I Got a Woman (Prestige, 1964-66 [rel. 1969])
 * Steppin' Out (Prestige, 1961-66 [rel. 1969])
 * Tobacco Road (Atlantic, 1966)
 * Check This Out [live] (Cadet, 1972)
 * The Dream Team (Milestone, 1997)
 * Nothin' but the Blues (Delos, 1983) -with Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Jack McDuff, Phil Upchurch
 * Fine and Mellow: Live at Birdland West (Concord, 1987) with Jack McDuff, Phil Upchurch
 * Confessin' the Blues (Gemini Records, 1989 [rel. 1991])
 * The Gemini Twins (Gemini Records, 1992)
 * Squeeze Me (Chiaroscuro, 1989 [rel. 1991])
 * Top and Bottom: Live at the 1995 Floating Jazz Festival (Chiaroscuro, 1997)
 * It's Got to Be Funky (Columbia, 1993)
 * Pencil Packin' Papa (Columbia, 1994)
 * Squeeze Me! (Chiaroscuro, 1989)