Ernest Brooks Wilkins Jr. (July 20, 1922 – June 5, 1999) was an American jazz saxophonist, conductor and arranger who spent several years with
Count Basie
William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...
. He also wrote for
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...
,
Harry James
Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized ...
, and
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...
. He was musical director for albums by
Cannonball Adderley
Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley (September 15, 1928August 8, 1975) was an American jazz alto saxophonist of the hard bop era of the 1950s and 1960s.
Adderley is perhaps best remembered for the 1966 soul jazz single "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", whi ...
,
Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...
,
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, ...
, and
Buddy Rich
Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time.
Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York ...
.
Early career
Wilkins was born in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
. In his early career he played in a military band, before joining
Earl Hines
Earl Kenneth Hines, also known as Earl "Fatha" Hines (December 28, 1903 – April 22, 1983), was an American jazz pianist and bandleader. He was one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz piano and, according to one source, " ...
'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
Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator.
He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948–51), Duke ...
, leading to a tour of Europe.
Final years in Denmark
Eventually Wilkins settled in
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
, 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
Kenneth Sidney "Kenny" Drew (August 28, 1928 – August 4, 1993) was an American-Danish jazz pianist.
Biography
Drew was born in New York City, United States, and received piano lessons from the age of five.Feather, Leonard, & Ira Gitler (2 ...
and
Ed Thigpen
Edmund Leonard Thigpen (December 28, 1930 – January 13, 2010) was an American jazz drummer, best known for his work with the Oscar Peterson trio from 1959 to 1965. Thigpen also performed with the Billy Taylor trio from 1956 to 1959.
Biograp ...
who joined the band along with Danish saxophonist
Jesper Thilo
Jesper Thilo (born 28 November 1941) is a Danish jazz musician, mainly known as a tenor saxophonist, alto saxophonist and clarinetist. He is considered to be one of the top European straight-ahead jazz musicians of the post-1970 period. Ben ...
. The band released four albums, but after 1991 he became too ill to do much with it.
Wilkins was responsible for orchestral arrangements on 1972's self-titled album by Alice Clark, on
Mainstream Records
Mainstream Records was an American record company and independent record label founded by producer Bob Shad in 1964.
Mainstream's early releases were reissues from Commodore Records. Its catalogue grew to include Bob Brookmeyer, Maynard Fergu ...
.
Ernie Wilkins died in Copenhagen on June 5, 1999 of a stroke.
He has a street named after him in southern Copenhagen, "Ernie Wilkins Vej" (Ernie Wilkins Street).
Awards and honors
* 1981
Ben Webster Prize The Ben Webster Prize is an annual jazz award set up by the Ben Webster Foundation to honour Danish and American jazz musicians as well as other professionals active in the promotion of jazz in those countries. The American jazz musician Ben Webst ...
Savoy
Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps.
Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south.
Savo ...
, 1955) with
Kenny Clarke
Kenneth Clarke Spearman (January 9, 1914January 26, 1985), nicknamed Klook, was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. A major innovator of the bebop style of drumming, he pioneered the use of the ride cymbal to keep time rather than the hi-ha ...
* ''
Flutes & Reeds
''Flutes & Reeds'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist/composer/arranger Ernie Wilkins and saxophonist/flautist Frank Wess featuring performances recorded in 1955 and first released on the Savoy label. The Shown cover art is from the 1970s Sa ...
'' (Savoy, 1955)
* ''
Top Brass
''Top Brass'' (subtitled ''Featuring 5 Trumpets'') is an album by American jazz composer and arranger Ernie Wilkins featuring performances recorded in 1955 and first released on the Savoy label.
The Drum Suite
''The Drum Suite'' (subtitled ''A Musical Portrait of Eight Arms from Six Angles'') is an album by American jazz composers and arrangers Manny Albam and Ernie Wilkins featuring performances recorded in 1956 and first released on the RCA Victor l ...
'' (
RCA Victor
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...
, 1956) with
Manny Albam
Manny Albam (June 24, 1922 – October 2, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, record producer, and educator.
Early life
A native of the Dominican Republic, Albam grew up in New York City. He was attracted to jazz at an ea ...
* ''Day In, Day Out'' (1960)
* ''The Big New Band of the '60s'' (
Fresh Sound
Fresh Sound, or Fresh Sound New Talent, is a jazz record label established in Barcelona, Spain, by Jordi Pujol. The label was initially founded as a reissue label.
The catalog includes work by musicians both major and minor that was recorded be ...
, 1960)
* ''Here Comes the Swingin' Mr. Wilkins'' (Everest, 1960)
* ''Ernie Wilkins & the Almost Big Band'' ( Storyville, 1980)
* ''Almost Big Band Live'' (Matrix Music Marketing, 1981)
* ''Live! At the Slukefter Jazz Club'' (Matrix Music Marketing, 1981)
* ''Montreux'' (
SteepleChase
Steeplechase may refer to:
* Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles
* Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...
Polygram
PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be a ...
, 1995)
* ''Hard Mother Blues'' (
P-Vine
P-Vine Records is an independent record label based in Tokyo, Japan.
History
It was started in 1976 by Blues Interactions, a firm founded in 1975 by Yasufumi Higurashi and Akira Kochi, as a record label focused on black music. The label name c ...
, 2007)
* ''Kinda Dukish'' (
Gazell
Gazell is a jazz record label founded by John Engelbrekt in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1949.
History
In 1949, John Engelbrekt created the label Gazell in Stockholm, Sweden, to distribute jazz albums. In September 1950, he founded a jazz club in Sto ...
, 2012)
As sideman/arranger
With
Count Basie
William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...
* ''
Dance Session
''Dance Session'' is an album by pianist/bandleader Count Basie recorded in 1953 and became Basie's first 12-inch LP when it was originally released on the Clef label.
'' (Clef, 1953)
* ''
Basie Jazz
''Basie Jazz'' is an album by pianist/bandleader Count Basie recorded in 1952 and released on the Clef label in 1954.The Count!
''The Count!'' is an album by pianist/bandleader Count Basie recorded in 1952 and released on the Clef label in 1955.Dance Session Album#2'' (Clef, 1954)
* '' Basie'' (Clef, 1954)
With
Louis Bellson
Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer, ...
* ''
Let's Call It Swing
''Let's Call It Swing'' is an album by American jazz drummer Louis Bellson featuring performances recorded in 1956 and 1957 for the Verve label.
'' (Verve, 1957)
* ''
Drummer's Holiday
''Drummer's Holiday'' is an album by American jazz drummer Louie Bellson featuring performances recorded in 1957 for the Verve label.
'' (Verve, 1958)
With
DR Big Band
The Danish Radio Big Band (aka: DR Big Band), often referred to as the Radioens Big Band is a radio ensemble and big band founded in Copenhagen in 1964 at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR).
Band history
Originally called the New Radio ...
* ''Suite for Jazz Band'' (Hep, 1992) – guest conductor, recorded in 1991
With Rob Franken
* ''Fender Rhodes'' (Sonic Scenery, 2009) – compilations recorded in 1973-76 & 2009
With
Maynard Ferguson
Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...
* ''
Maynard '63
''Maynard '63'' is an album released by Canadian jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson featuring tracks recorded in March 1962 and originally released on the Roulette label.Minn, MMaynard Ferguson discography accessed February 8, 2017
Reception
AllM ...
'' (Roulette, 1962)
With
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...
* ''
Jazz Recital
''Jazz Recital'' (also released as ''Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra'') is an album by the trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, recorded in 1954 and 1955 and released on the Norgran label. It consists of quintet, sextet and jazz orchestra tracks.
'' (Norgran, 1955)
* ''
World Statesman
''World Statesman'' is an album by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, recorded in 1956 and released on the Norgran label.Dizzy in Greece
''Dizzy in Greece'' is an album by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, recorded in 1956 and 1957 and released on the Verve label.
'' (Verve, 1957)
With
Al Grey
Al Grey (June 6, 1925 – March 24, 2000) was an American jazz trombonist who was a member of the Count Basie orchestra. He was known for his plunger mute technique and wrote an instructional book in 1987 called ''Plunger Techniques''.
Care ...
* ''
Struttin' and Shoutin'
''Struttin' and Shoutin is an album by trombonist Al Grey recorded in 1976 but not released on Columbia Records until 1983.
'' (Columbia, 1983) – recorded in 1975
With Joe Newman
* ''
All I Wanna Do Is Swing
''All I Wanna Do Is Swing'' (subtitled ''The Joe Newman Story'') is an album by jazz trumpeter Joe Newman's Octet recorded in 1955 for the RCA Victor label.Soft Swingin' Jazz
''Soft Swingin' Jazz'' is an album by trumpeter Joe Newman's Quartet with organist Shirley Scott recorded in early 1958 for the Coral label.
'' (Coral, 1958)
As composer/arranger
With
Ernestine Anderson
Ernestine Anderson (November 11, 1928 – March 10, 2016) was an American jazz and blues singer. In a career spanning more than six decades, she recorded over 30 albums. She was nominated four times for a Grammy Award. She sang at Carnegie Hall, ...
* '' My Kinda Swing'' (Mercury, 1960)
With Count Basie
* ''
Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings
''Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings'' is an album by pianist/bandleader Count Basie and vocalist Joe Williams recorded in 1955 and originally released on the Clef label.Joe Williams
* '' April in Paris'' (Verve, 1956)
* ''
Metronome All-Stars 1956
''Metronome All-Stars 1956'' was the final album by the Metronome All-Stars, a loose amalgamation of musicians representing winners of ''Metronome'' magazine's annual poll. This 1956 release contains four tracks documenting the first collaborati ...
'' (Clef, 1956) with
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
and Joe Williams
* ''
One O'Clock Jump
"One O'Clock Jump" is a jazz standard, a 12-bar blues instrumental, written by Count Basie in 1937.
Background
The melody derived from band members' riffs—Basie rarely wrote down musical ideas, so Eddie Durham and Buster Smith helped him cry ...
Kenny Clarke
Kenneth Clarke Spearman (January 9, 1914January 26, 1985), nicknamed Klook, was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. A major innovator of the bebop style of drumming, he pioneered the use of the ride cymbal to keep time rather than the hi-ha ...
*''
Telefunken Blues
''Telefunken Blues'' is an album led by jazz drummer Kenny Clarke recorded in late 1954 and early 1955 and first released on the Savoy label.
'' (Savoy, 1955)
With
Jimmy Cleveland
James Milton Cleveland (May 3, 1926 – August 23, 2008) was an American jazz trombonist born in Wartrace, Tennessee.
Al Cohn
Al Cohn (November 24, 1925 – February 15, 1988) was an American jazz saxophonist, arranger and composer. He came to prominence in the band of clarinetist Woody Herman and was known for his longtime musical partnership with fellow saxophonist Zo ...
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
Edward F. Davis (March 2, 1922 – November 3, 1986), known professionally as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
It is unclear how he acquired the moniker "Lockjaw" (later shortened in "Jaws"): it is either said that ...
Maynard Ferguson
Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...
* ''
Maynard '62
''Maynard '62'' is an album released by Canadian jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson featuring tracks recorded in late 1961 and originally released on the Roulette label.Minn, MMaynard Ferguson discography accessed May 31, 2016
Reception
AllMusic aw ...
'' (Roulette, 1962)
With
Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...
* ''
Birks' Works
''Birks' Works'' is an album by trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie recorded in 1957 and released on the Verve label.
'' (Verve, 1957)
With
Freddie Green
Frederick William Green (March 31, 1911 – March 1, 1987) was an American swing jazz guitarist who played rhythm guitar with the Count Basie Orchestra for almost fifty years.
Early life and education
Green was born in Charleston, South Ca ...
* ''
Mr. Rhythm
''Mr. Rhythm'' is the sole album led by jazz guitarist Freddie Green. The album was recorded in late 1955 for RCA Victor.Lafargue, P.Mr. Rhythm reissue liner notes accessed December 7, 2015
Reception
The Allmusic review by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr ...
'' (RCA Victor, 1955)
With
Milt Jackson
Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solo ...
* ''
Big Bags
''Big Bags'' is an album by vibraphonist Milt Jackson featuring big band performances arranged by Tadd Dameron and Ernie Wilkins recorded in 1962 and released on the Riverside label.
'' (Riverside, 1962)
With
Harry James
Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized ...
Capitol
A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity.
Specific capitols include:
* United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
* Numerous ...
T/ST-874, 1957)
*'' The New James'' (Capitol T/ST-1037, 1958)
*'' Harry's Choice!'' (Capitol T/ST-1093, 1958)
*''Harry James and His New Swingin' Band'' (
MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
E/SE-3778, 1959)
*''Harry James...Today!'' (MGM E/SE-3848, 1960)
*''The Spectacular Sound Of Harry James'' (MGM E/SE-3897, 1961)
*''The Solid Gold Trumpet Of Harry James'' (MGM E/SE-4058, 1962)
*''Harry James Twenty-fifth Anniversary Album'' (MGM E/SE-4214, 1964)
*''The King James Version'' (Sheffield Lab LAB 3, 1976)
*''Comin' From A Good Place'' (Sheffield Lab LAB 6, 1977)
With
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
Salute to Satch
''Salute to Satch'' is a tribute album to Louis Armstong by jazz trumpeter Joe Newman and His Orchestra recorded in 1956 for the RCA Victor label.Cohen, N.Benny Powell Discographyaccessed December 3, 2015
Reception
Allmusic awarded the album ...
'' (RCA Victor, 1956)
* ''
I Feel Like a Newman
''I Feel Like a Newman'' is an album by jazz trumpeter Joe Newman recorded in 1956 and originally released on the Storyville label.The Midgets
''The Midgets'' is an album by jazz trumpeter Joe Newman's Septet recorded in 1956 for the RCA Records subsidiary Vik label.The Happy Cats
''The Happy Cats'' is an album by trumpeter Joe Newman's Sextet recorded in early 1957 for the Coral label.Edwards, D., Eyries, P., Watts, R, Neely, T. & Callahan, M.Coral Album Discography accessed December 7, 2015
Reception
Allmusic gave the ...
Herb Pomeroy
Irving Herbert Pomeroy III (April 15, 1930 – August 11, 2007) was an American jazz trumpeter, teacher, and the founder of the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble.
Early life
Pomeroy was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, United States. He began playing ...
* ''
The Band and I
''The Band and I'' is an album by vocalist Irene Kral performing with Herb Pomeroy's Orchestra which was recorded in 1958 and originally released on the United Artists label.
'' (United Artists, 1958) with
Irene Kral
Irene Kral (January 18, 1932 – August 15, 1978) was an American jazz singer who was born to Czechoslovakian parents in Chicago, Illinois and settled in Los Angeles in the early 1960s. She died from breast cancer in Encino, California.
Kral's ol ...
With
Rex Stewart
Rex William Stewart Jr. (February 22, 1907 – September 7, 1967) was an American jazz cornetist who was a member of the Duke Ellington orchestra.
Career
As a boy he studied piano and violin; most of his career was spent on cornet. Stewart drop ...
and
Cootie Williams
Charles Melvin "Cootie" Williams (July 10, 1911 – September 15, 1985) was an American jazz, jump blues, and rhythm and blues trumpeter.
Biography
Born in Mobile, Alabama, Williams began his professional career at the age of 14 with the Yo ...
*''
The Big Challenge
''The Big Challenge'' is an album by trumpeter Cootie Williams and cornetist Rex Stewart, recorded in 1957 and released on the Jazztone label.
'' (Jazztone, 1957)
With
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer.
Nicknamed "Sassy" and "Jazz royalty, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine ...
and the
Count Basie Orchestra
The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 195 ...
Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (born Edward L. Vinson Jr.; December 18, 1917 – July 2, 1988) was an American jump blues, jazz, bebop and R&B alto saxophonist and blues shouter. He was nicknamed Cleanhead after an incident in which his hair was ...
*''
Clean Head's Back in Town
''Clean Head's Back in Town'', subtitled ''Eddie Vinson Sings'', is an album by the American saxophonist and vocalist Eddie Vinson, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson. Recorded in 1957, it was released by Bethlehem Records.Charles Williams
* ''
Stickball
Stickball is a street game similar to baseball, usually formed as a pick-up game played in large cities in the Northeastern United States, especially New York City and Philadelphia. The equipment consists of a broom handle and a rubber ball, ...