Wilson has not confined himself to the studio and stage. He has held teaching positions in several schools and Universities, as well as holding jazz clinics.
As a teenager, Wilson played in rhythm and blues (R&B) and funk bands. After a year accompanying singer Stephanie Mills, he attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond where he majored in music. In 1987 he moved to New York City, where he established himself as a sideman. He performed with the American Jazz Orchestra, the Mingus Big Band, and the Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra. In 1988 he toured Europe with Lionel Hampton. Early in his career he was a member of Out of the Blue, a group which featured young Blue Note Records artists.
Wilson was the subject of a 1996 New York Times profile, entitled "A Sideman's Life". That year he joined the Dave Holland Quintet. From 1998–2001 he was a member of Chick Corea's Origin sextet. He played and recorded on Japanese composer Yoko Kanno's debut album, Song to Fly and part of The Seatbelts' New York Musicians during that period.
In 1997 he formed the Steve Wilson Quartet with pianist Bruce Barth, double bassist Ed Howard, and drummer Adam Cruz. The group performed for over a decade and recorded two albums. He also headed a larger ensemble, Generations, which performed jazz and original compositions, and he has performed in a duo with drummer Lewis Nash.
In May 2007 he performed as a soloist for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip during the Jamestown, Virginia quadricentennial. Wilson is on the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music, City College of New York, State University of New York at Purchase, and Columbia University. He has been an artist-in-residence at the University of North Carolina, Hamilton College, Old Dominion University, and with the CITYFOLK arts program in Dayton, Ohio. A septet formed that year in honor of the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records. The group recorded an album in 2008, entitled Mosaic, which was released in 2009 on Blue Note/EMI, and toured the United States in promotion of the album from January until April 2009. The group plays the music of Blue Note Records from various artists, with arrangements by members of the band and Renee Rosnes.
In 2010, Wilson celebrated his 50th birthday at Jazz Standard in New York City. He led six bands in six nights, with jazz musicians that included Karrin Allyson, Bruce Barth, Adam Cruz, Carla Cook, Ed Howard, Lewis Nash, Ugonna Okegwo, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Freddie Hendrix, Christian McBride, Mulgrew Miller, Linda Oh, Geoffrey Keezer, and John Wikan. One special feature was the inclusion of a string section to play music from Bird with Strings. It was composed of Diane Monroe, Nardo Poy, Joyce Hammann, Chern Hwei, and Troy Stuart. The Wall Street Journal wrote a full-length feature article.
In 2017 Wilson released a vinyl lp titled Sit Back, Relax & Unwind which was recorded, mixed and mastered exclusively with analog technology. The band on the album was Ray Angry, Ben Williams and Willie Jones III and it was released by JMI Recordings.
New York Summit (Criss Cross Jazz, 1991) with Mulgrew Miller, James Genus
Step Lively (Criss Cross, 1993) with Cyrus Chestnut, Freddie Bryant, Dennis Irwin
Generations (Stretch, 1998) with Mulgrew Miller, Ray Drummond
Passages (Stretch, 1999) with Nicolas Payton, Bruce Barth, Ed Howard, Adam Cruz
Soulful Song (Maxjazz, 2003) with Rene Marie, Carla Cook, Bruce Barth, Ed Howard, Adam Cruz
Home (We Always Swing, 2010) Co-leader with Bruce Barth, Recorded Live in Columbia, MO
Sit Back, Relax & Unwind (JMI Recordings 2017)
Carl Allen/Rodney Whitaker, Get Ready (Mack Avenue)
Karrin Allyson, In Blue (Concord)
Karrin Allyson, Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane (Concord)
DMP Big Band, Tribute to Duke Ellington (DMP)
DMP Big Band, Carved in Stone (DMP)
Rob Bargad, Better Times(Criss Cross)
Kenny Barron, The Traveler (Sunnyside, 2008)
Bruce Barth, Morning Call (Enja)
Bruce Barth, In Focus (Enja)
Bruce Barth, Hope Springs Eternal (Double Time)
Bruce Barth, East and West (Maxjazz)
Noah Baerman, Soul Force (Lemel)
Louie Bellson, Live from NYC (Telarc)
David Berkman, Handmade (Palmetto)
David Berkman, Communication Theory (Palmetto)
Chris Berger, Conversations (KSJazz)
Paul Bollenback, Soul Grooves (Challenge Records)
Jimmy Bosch, Singing Trombone (Ryko)
Don Braden, After Dark (Criss Cross)
Michael Brecker, Wide Angles (Verve)
Donald Brown, Car Tunes (Muse)
Donald Brown, Send One Our Love (Muse)
Bill Bruford, Earthworks Underground Orchestra (Summerfold)
Freddie Bryant, Take your Dance into Battle (Jazz City/Spirit)
Freddie Bryant, Boogaloo Brasiliero, (Fresh Sound)
Freddie Bryant, Kaleidoscope, (Fresh Sound)
Laverne Butler, A Foolish Thing To Do (Maxjazz)
Charlie Byrd, Louis, (Concord)
Don Byron, Bug Music, (Nonesuch)
Ron Carter, Great Big Band, (EMI)
Billy Childs, Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro (Sony Masterworks)
Billy Childs, The Child Within, (Shanachie/Cachet)
Avishai Cohen, Adama, (Stretch)
Chick Corea, Corea Concerto, (Sony/Stretch) (Grammy Winner)
Chick Corea, Rendezvous in New York, (Stretch)
Chick Corea, Elektric Band: To The Stars, (Stretch)
Chick Corea & Origin, Live at the Blue Note, (Stretch)
Chick Corea & Origin, A Week at the Blue Note, (Stretch)
Chick Corea & Origin, Change, (Stretch)
Chick Corea & Origin, Originations, (Stretch)
Roz Corral, Telling Tales, (Blu Jazz)
Steve Davis, Portrait in Sound, (Stretch)
Dena DeRose, Introducing Dena DeRose, (Amosaya)
Dena DeRose, Another World, (Sharp Nine)
Kenny Drew, Jr., Follow the Spirit, (Sirocco)
George Duke, Duke, (BPM)
Billy Drummond, Native Colors, (Criss Cross)
Greg Gisbert, On Second Thought, (Criss Cross)
Darrell Grant, Truth and Reconciliation, (Origin)
Edsel Gomez, Cubist Music, (Zoho Music)
Kevin Bruce Harris, Folk Songs/Folk Tales, (Enja)
Stefon Harris, A Cloud of Red Dust, (Blue Note)
Kevin Hays, El Matador, (Jazz City)
David Hazeltine, How It Is, (Criss Cross)
Joe Henderson, Big Band, Verve (Grammy Winner)
Dave Holland, Points of View, ECM (Grammy Winner)
Chie Imaizumi, A Time of New Beginnings, Capri Records
Ingrid Jensen & Project O, Now As Then, Jig Records
Ingrid Jensen, Vernal Fields, Enja
Kelley Johnson, Make Someone Happy, Sapphire
Ronnie Jordan, A Brighter Day, Blue Note/Angel
Yoko Kanno, Song To Fly, Victor Entertainment
Geoffrey Keezer, Falling Up, Maxjazz
Jonny King, Meltdown, Enja
Steve Kroon, El Mas Alla (Beyond, Kroonatune)
Mike LeDonne, Tribute to Milt Jackson, Double-Time
Victor Lewis, 3 Way Conversation, Red Records
Dave Liebman, Classique, Owl
Gunnar Mossblad, The Seasons Reflected Soul Note/CAM
Didier Lockwood, Storyboard, Dreyfus
Kevin Mahogany, Songs & Moments, Enja
Pete Malinverni, Make A Joyful Noise, ArtistShare
Christian McBride, Kind of Brown, Mack Avenue
Mulgrew Miller, The Sequel, Maxjazz
Allison Miller, 5AM, Stroll
Foxhaven, Bill Mobley New Light Space Time
Stephanie Mills Tantalizingly Hot 20th Century Fox
Gunnar Mossblad Convergence Mossblad Music
Gunnar Mossblad & The Manhattan Sax Ensemble, The Dogwalk, GPC Recordings
Shunzo Ohno Maya Three Blind Mice
Junko Onishi Junko Onishi Nippon Crown
Leon Parker Belief Sony
Leon Parker Awakening Sony
Clarence Penn Saomaye Verve Japan
Ken Peplowski A Good Reed Concord
Ralph Peterson Art of Blakey Blue Note
Ralph Peterson Reclamation Project Evidence
Ralph Peterson The Fo'tet Plays Monk Evidence
Ralph Peterson V Blue Note
Ralph Peterson Volition Blue Note
Leslie Pintchik Quartets Ambient Records
Mika Pohjola Northern Sunrise Blue Music Group
Dianne Reeves, The Calling: A Tribute to Sarah Vaughn, Blue Note (Grammy Winner)
Dianne Reeves, Christmas Time Is Here, Blue Note
Renee Rosnes For The Moment, Blue Note
Michele Rosewoman Qunitessence/Harvest Enja
Michele Rosewoman Quintessence / Guardians of the Light Enja
Maria Schneider Sky Blue Artist Share
Loren Schoenberg Manhattan Work Song Jazz Heritage
Loren Schoenberg Out of this World TCB Music
David Schumacher Another Life Amosaya
Jae Sinnett The Sinnett ngs J-Net Records
Jae Sinnett House and Sinnett PositiveMusic
Neal Smith Live at Smalls Smalls Live
Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra Big Band Treasure-Live Smithsonian
Terell Stafford New Beginnings Maxjazz
Terell Stafford Time to Let Go Candid
Bill Stewart Telepathy Blue Note
Joan Stiles Hurly-Burly Oo-Bla-Dee
Sunny Sumter Getting to Know You J. Jordan Music
Tom Varner Swimming Omnitone Records
Melissa Walker Invitation to Love Enja
Michael Weiss Soul Journey Sintra Records
Scott Wendholt From Now On Criss Cross
Buster Williams Joined at the Hip TCB
James Williams Jazz Dialogues, Vol. 1, Will Power Finas Music
James Williams Jazz Dialogues, Vol. 4, Music For A While Finas Music
James Williams & ICU Truth, Justice & the Blues Evidence
James Williams & ICU We've Got What You Need Evidence
James Williams Quintet Live at Mills Hall La Dome
Gerald Wilson Monterey Moods (Mack Avenue, 2007)
Gerald Wilson In My Time (Mack Avenue, 2005)
Geral Wilson Detroit (Mack Avenue, 2009)
Michael Wolff Joe's Strut Wrong Records
Anthony Wonsey Exodus Alfa Jazz
Yosuke Yamashita Field of Grooves Verve