Robert Christopher Hollyday (born February 3, 1970) is an American jazz alto saxophonist.
Biography Hollyday was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on February 3, 1970. He began playing the saxophone at the age of nine.Jarvey, Paul (June 21, 1990) "Hollyday Races onto Jazz Stage at Early Age". Telegram & Gazette. p. D1. He grew up in a musical family, and his father listened to a lot of bebop. He has an older brother, Richard; together, they had gigs locally in Worcester, Massachusetts in their teens.Landsdowne, Peter (April 5, 1991) "Christopher Hollyday Forging His Own Jazz Sound". Telegram & Gazette. p. A10. He was strongly influenced by Charlie Parker. He released albums on his own label, Jazzbeat – Treaty in 1985 and Oh, Brother! the following year.
In 1988 Hollyday led a band at the Village Vanguard.Yanow, Scott "Christopher Hollyday". AllMusic. Retrieved December 11, 2016. He was listed among the 'young lions' of jazz, including Roy Hargrove, Wynton Marsalis and Marcus Roberts, who were playing earlier styles of jazz and receiving a lot of media attention.Turner, Douglas (June 1, 1993) "Music Notes: The Young Lions". American Visions 8.3. p. 44.Himes, Geoffrey (September 28, 1990) "Inventive Watson's Good-Humored Jazz". The Washington Post. p. 14. Hollyday played in Maynard Ferguson's big band in 1989. His first recording as leader was Christopher Hollyday in 1989, for RCA / Novus.Crockett, Walter (April 2, 1991) "City Needs an OOPSter for the Arts". Telegram & Gazette. p. D4. In the same year, he played in the UK.Fordham, John (December 9, 1989) "Sheppard Sets the Night Alight". The Guardian. p. 21. For On Course, Hollyday wrote eight of the 10 tracks."Christopher Hollyday: 'On Course'" (May 6, 1990). The Washington Post. p. G7.
His playing was praised for its technical facility, but criticized for its lack of expression.Pareles, Jon (July 29, 1990) "Two Young Saxophonists With a Taste for the 60's". The New York Times. p. 51.Watrous, Peter (July 18, 1988) "A Precocious Saxophonist". The New York Times. p. C15. After four albums for RCA/Novus, Hollyday "was starting to develop his own voice when he was dropped from the label."
Hollyday moved to San Diego in 1996, "and became the band director at Valley Center High School". He shifted more to private tuition around 2013, which also gave him more time for his own playing again. He released a new album, Telepathy, in 2018, and another, Dialogue, two years later.
Discography An asterisk (*) after the year indicates that it is the year of release.
As leader Year recordedTitleLabelNotes1988ReverenceRBIQuartet, with Cedar Walton (piano), Ron Carter (bass), Billy Higgins (drums)1989*Christopher HollydayRCA / NovusQuintet, with Wallace Roney (trumpet), Cedar Walton (piano), David Williams (bass), Billy Higgins (drums)1990*On CourseRCA / NovusQuartet, with Larry Goldings (piano), John Lockwood (bass), Ron Savage (drums)1991The Natural MomentRCA / NovusQuartet, with Brad Mehldau (piano), John Webber (bass), Ron Savage (drums)1992*And I'll Sing Once MoreRCA / NovusWith Scott Robinson (tenor sax, baritone sax, flute, clarinet), Earl Gardner (trumpet, flugelhorn), John Mosca, Ed Neumeister (trombone), Douglas Purviance (bass trombone), John Clark (French horn), Mark Feldman (violin), Kenny Werner (piano), Scott Colley (bass), Ron Savage (drums), Janey Haddad (talking drum, caxixi, Indian bells, frame drum), Eric Charry (tanpura)2018*TelepathyChristopher HollydayQuintet, with Gilbert Castellanos (trumpet), Joshua White (piano), Rob Thorsen (bass), Tyler Kreutel (drums)2020*DialogueChristopher HollydayQuintet, with Gilbert Castellanos (trumpet), Joshua White (piano), Rob Thorsen (bass), Tyler Kreutel (drums)
References