Bill Perkins was a tenor saxophonist and flutist who was a prominent figure in
the West Coast jazz scene from the 1950s onwards. He was born in San Francisco,
but grew up in Chile, where his father worked as a mining engineer, before
serving in the US Navy in WWII. After the war he gained a music degree in Santa
Barbara.
During the 1950s he played in the big bands of Jerry Wald, Woody Herman and Stan
Kenton. In the late 1950s he became a band leader himself. He recorded his
sessions with pianist John Lewis on the 'Grand Encounter' album in 1956. Other
notable sessions were w...