 Moving to the US, he began arranging for Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman and Dizzy Gillespie, and set up an octet with drummer Kenny Clarke before returning to Europe and becoming Kurt Edelhagen's chief arranger.In 1961, building from a rhythm section featuring Clarke, Jimmy Woode and himself, he founded The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band, which rapidly became one of the most noted Big Bands assembled outside the United States.After it broke up in 1972 he concentrated on composing.