Album Notes

Hollis Westley Gilmore was born on Dec. 22, 1933 in Magnolia Arkansas. Hollis began playing Alto Sax at the age of 12. The school that Hollis attended at that time didn't have music classes so a fellow classmate George Ray Williams taught Hollis the "C" scale, lines, spaces and from there he began playing in church. Influenced by the great Louis Jordan and Earl Bostic, Hollis moved to California in 1948.

He joined the Air Force in 1952 during which time he played with a band, however the leader also played Alto so Hollis switched to Tenor saxophone. Hollis bought a new tenor and started from scratch creating sounds of music that you could actually feel. Hollis idolizes the Tenor sounds of Dexter Gordon, Gene Ammons, Coleman Hawkins & Ben Webster.

Blessed with a gigantic tone, Hollis plays with a simplistic genius that grooves deeply within the hearts and minds of his audience awakening memories of a bygone era. Hollis has played with Percy Mayfield, Pee Wee Crayton, Ruth Brown, Lowell Fulson, Big Joe Turner, Jimmy McCracklin, Papa John Creach, Philip Walker, Tony Mathews, Harmonica Fats, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson among others. Listen and you will Love It! Let your feelings GO!!