Ernie Wilkins
Savoy 1519 big maybelle with ernie wilkins orc jimErnest Brooks Wilkins Jr. (July 20, 1922 – June 5, 1999) was an American jazz saxophonist, conductor and arranger who spent several years with Count Basie. He also wrote for Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, and Dizzy Gillespie. He was musical director for albums by Cannonball Adderley, Dinah Washington, Oscar Peterson, and Buddy Rich. Contents
Dinah washington tain t nobody s business if i do feat ernie wilkins and his orchestraEarly careerWilkins was born in St. Louis, Missouri. In his early career he played in a military band, before joining Earl Hines's last big band. He worked with Count Basie from 1951 to 1955, eventually leaving to work free-lance as a jazz arranger and songwriter. His success declined in the 1960s, but revived after work with Clark Terry, leading to a tour of Europe. Final years in DenmarkEventually Wilkins settled in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he would live for the rest of his life. There he formed the Almost Big Band so he could write for a band of his own formation. The idea was partly inspired by his wife Jenny. Copenhagen had a thriving jazz scene with several promising jazz musicians as well as a well-established community of expatriate American jazz musicians which had formed in the 1950s and now included representatives like Kenny Drew and Ed Thigpen who joined the band along with Danish saxophonist Jesper Thilo. The band released four albums, but after 1991 he became too ill to do much with it. He died in Copenhagen. Wilkins was responsible for orchestral arrangements on 1972's self-titled album by Alice Clark, on Mainstream Records, a highly sought-after collectible today. Ernie Wilkins died on June 5, 1999 of a stroke. Awards and honorsWilkins has a street named after him in southern Copenhagen, "Ernie Wilkins Vej" (eng. Ernie Wilkins Street). DiscographyAs sideman/arrangerWith Count Basie With Louis Bellson With Maynard Ferguson With Dizzy Gillespie With Al Grey With Joe Newman As composer/arrangerWith Ernestine Anderson With Count Basie With Ray Brown With Jimmy Cleveland With Al Cohn With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis With Maynard Ferguson With Dizzy Gillespie With Freddie Green With Milt Jackson With Harry James With Quincy Jones With Sam Jones With Charles McPherson With Joe Newman With Herb Pomeroy With Sarah Vaughan and the Count Basie Orchestra With Dinah Washington With Charles Williams Savoy 1519 big maybelle with ernie wilkins orc jimDinah washington tain t nobody s business if i do feat ernie wilkins and his orchestraDizzy gillespie and ernie wilkins almost big band from 1983 in the tivoli gardensErnie wilkins top brass and trumpets all outErnie wilkins top brass and trumpets all outClark terry ernie wilkins live at montmartre full albumClark terry ernie wilkins live at montmartre full albumSavoy 1519 big maybelle with ernie wilkins orc jimDinah washington tain t nobody s business if i do feat ernie wilkins and his orchestraSavoy 1519 big maybelle with ernie wilkins orc jimDinah washington tain t nobody s business if i do feat ernie wilkins and his orchestraDizzy gillespie and ernie wilkins almost big band from 1983 in the tivoli gardensErnie wilkins top brass and trumpets all outErnie wilkins top brass and trumpets all outClark terry ernie wilkins live at montmartre full albumClark terry ernie wilkins live at montmartre full albumReferencesErnie Wilkins WikipediaSimilar Topics Frank Wess Manny Albam Marshal Royal | ||||||||||||
