Gerald Wilson

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
G. Wilson (2005)

Gerald Stanley Wilson (born September 4, 1918 in Shelby , Mississippi , † September 8, 2014 in Los Angeles ) was an American jazz musician (trumpeter, arranger and band leader).

Live and act

Wilson lived in Detroit from 1932 ; he started out playing the piano and studied trumpet in college . After first appearances in a local club, he joined Jimmy Lunceford's band between 1939 and 1942 , where he also arranged. He then settled in Los Angeles, where he worked with Benny Carter , Les Hite and Phil Moore ; In 1946 several 78s were made for Black & White Records , u. a. a version of " One O'Clock Jump ". After his military service he founded his own big band , which was active with interruptions until the 1990s and which included many important musicians from the West Coast (e.g. Bud Shank , Horace Tapscott , Eric Dolphy , Roy Ayers , Bobby Bradford , Joe Pass and Frank Morgan ) belonged to. With his band he made numerous records, especially for Pacific Jazz Records . He had a hit in 1963 with the title Viva Tirado . In 1947 he freelance wrote arrangements for Duke Ellington , later for Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie , with whom he can also be heard on recordings as a trumpeter. He later worked as musical director for Al Hirt and Nancy Wilson , but also performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival . In the mid-1970s, he ran a radio show. He taught (with Kenny Burrell ) the history of jazz at the University of California in Los Angeles .

After Wilson had reported back on the jazz scene with a big band album in 1995 , a production was created in 1997 for the 40th anniversary of the Monterey Jazz Festival ; he wrote a "Theme for Monterey" which was performed for the 1998 anniversary of the festival. For his fiftieth anniversary he was also given a composition commission for which he was in the recording studio with an all-star cast (CD “Monterey Moods”, 2007). He has also appeared as a guest conductor, for example with the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band (now Jon Faddis Jazz Orchestra of New York ) and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble ; in February 2006 he performed his compositions and arrangements with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra .

Awards

Wilson's productions have received regular Grammy nominations. For his work as a university lecturer, he was named "Teacher of the Year". In 1990 he was awarded the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for his life's work by the American Cultural Foundation . In March 2007 he was honored by the Kennedy Center as a "Living Legend of Jazz". "His impressive legacy will continue to inspire us," wrote the organizers of the Grammys in a tribute.

Selection discography

collection

literature

Web links

Commons : Gerald Wilson  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Don Heckman : Gerald Wilson dies at 96; multifaceted jazz musician. In: Los Angeles Times . September 8, 2014 (obituary), accessed September 9, 2014.
  2. ↑ American jazz musician Gerald Wilson has died , Der Standard from September 10, 2014, accessed October 22, 2014
personal data
SURNAME Wilson, Gerald
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wilson, Gerald Stanley (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz musician (trumpeter, arranger and band leader)
DATE OF BIRTH September 4, 1918
PLACE OF BIRTH Shelby , Mississippi
DATE OF DEATH September 8, 2014
Place of death los Angeles