In the late 1950s, Boland formed a group with Clarke, who had moved to Europe after helping to invent bebop in the 1940s. Their group—first an octet, then a big band—became Europe's leading jazz ensemble, producing more than 30 albums through 1973.
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Belgian Jazz Pianist Francy Boland Dies
Francy Boland, a Belgian-born pianist, composer, and arranger who played with drummer Kenny Clarke, died on August 12, the Washington Post reports. He was 75.
A classically trained musician, Boland became interested in jazz when he heard it over the radio during World War II. He moved to Paris after the war and played with some of Europe's leading jazz musicians; in 1955, trumpeter Chet Baker came to the city and Boland joined his "cool jazz" group.
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