Francy Boland

Francois Boland (born November 6, 1929 in Namur Belgium; died August 12, 2005 in Geneva) was a classically trained Belgian jazz composer and pianist.

He first gained notice in 1949 and worked with Belgian jazz greats like Bobby Jaspar. Later he worked with multi-national jazz bands like Kurt Edelhagen's and in 1961 he helped found a multi-national Big-Band with drummer Kenny Clarke. Their Clarke-Boland Big Band is among the most noted Big Bands to have been assembled outside the United States. After it broke up in 1972 he became primarily a composer. He lived in Europe, primarily Switzerland, since 1976 and did musical arrangements for Sarah Vaughan among others. He was also part of One World, One Peace, an effort involving Pope John Paul II. He died in 2005.

'Wikipedia lib.'