Joe Holiday

Who is Joe Holiday?

Joseph Befumo, better known as Joe Holiday, is an American jazz saxophonist born in Sicily.

His father played clarinet, and the family moved to New York City when he was less than one year old. Based in Newark, NJ, Joe led his own ensembles starting in the mid-1940s, and first began recording for King Records at the end of the decade.

Holiday played hard bop early in his career, but he is best known for his adaptations of mambo style. Many of his sessions included members of Machito's ensemble, the Afro-Cubans. He had a hit with "This Is Happiness" in the U.S. in 1951, and recorded for Prestige Records with Max Roach and Billy Taylor. Sarah Vaughan recorded his composition "Serenada". His album "Holiday for Jazz" still sells in Europe and England.

Holiday also does abstract painting. Joe and his wife, Kelly Holiday are president and vice-president, respectively, of the St. Lucie Professional Arts League based in Port St. Lucie, FL, where he has presented annual "Art & All That Jazz" events, which have included Linda Cole, Jazz singing daughter of Nat King Cole; Miami musicians Ira Sullivan, violinist Nicola Yearling and pianist Lenore Raphael.