Don Wilkerson

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Donald A. "Don" Wilkerson (born July 6, 1932 in Mareauville , Louisiana , † July 18, 1986 in Houston , Texas ) was an American R&B and jazz musician .

He received his formal musical training in Shreveport , Louisiana and Houston, Texas. He began playing the alto saxophone in high school and made his professional debut in Daytona, Texas. In 1948 he played with Amos Milburn , Milt Larkin and T-Bone Walker , worked from 1948 to 49 in Los Angeles with Charles Brown and jammed with Dexter Gordon , Wardell Gray and Sonny Clark, among others . In the summer of 1954, he was hired as a tenor saxophonist with Ray Charles and had notable solo appearances in I Got A Woman , Come Back Baby, This Little Girl Of Mine and Hallelujah . In 1982 the musician, who was active in the southwest of the USA for the last few decades, traveled to New York to play on BB King's album BB King in Blues 'n' Jazz .

He played a total of four albums under his own name, first in May 1960 Don Wilkerson on Riverside RLP 332 (with Nat Adderley , Barry Harris , Leroy Vinnegar , Billy Higgins ). Between May 1962 and July 1963 he recorded three notable albums for Blue Note Records .

As musicians who influenced him, he named the tenor saxophonists Illinois Jacquet , Arnett Cobb , Gene Ammons , Paul Gonsalves and Sonny Rollins as well as the alto players Charlie Parker and Johnny Hodges , but especially Sonny Stitt and Ike Quebec (who also made him the record label Blue Note Records recommended). Due to his deep roots in blues and soul , Don Wilkerson can be classified under the so-called "Texas tenors".

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personal data
SURNAME Wilkerson, Don
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wilkerson, Donald A. (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH July 6, 1932
PLACE OF BIRTH Mareauville , Louisiana
DATE OF DEATH July 18, 1986
Place of death Houston , Texas