Jack Rivers Lewis (born June 4, 1944), known professionally as Jack Wilkins, is a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

guitarist.

Career

A native of New York City, Wilkins grew up listening to his parents' music, such as

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 ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

, and

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop si ...

. He started playing guitar when he was thirteen. He had an older cousin who played albums for him by

Charlie Christian Charles Henry Christian (July 29, 1916 – March 2, 1942) was an American swing and jazz guitarist. Christian was an important early performer on the electric guitar and a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz. He gained nati ...

Tal Farlow Talmage Holt Farlow (June 7, 1921 – July 25, 1998) was an American jazz guitarist. He was nicknamed "Octopus" because of how his large, quick hands spread over the fretboard. As Steve Rochinski notes, "Of all the guitarists to emerge in th ...

Django Reinhardt Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known by his Romani nickname Django ( or ), was a Romani-French jazz guitarist and composer. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe and has been hailed as one of its most ...

, and

Johnny Smith Johnny Henry Smith II (June 25, 1922 – June 11, 2013) was an American cool jazz and mainstream jazz guitarist. He wrote "Walk, Don't Run" in 1954. In 1984, Smith was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Early life During the Great Dep ...

. He cites Smith's ''Designed for You'' as one of the albums that meant the most to him, in addition to '' Sounds of Synanon'' by

Joe Pass Joe Pass (born Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalaqua; January 13, 1929 – May 23, 1994) was an American jazz guitarist. Pass is well known for his work stemming from numerous collaborations with pianist Oscar Peterson and vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, an ...

, ''Poll Winners'' by

Barney Kessel Barney Kessel (October 17, 1923 – May 6, 2004) was an American jazz guitarist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Known in particular for his knowledge of chords and inversions and chord-based melodies, he was a member of many prominent jazz groups a ...

, ''

The Swinging Guitar of Tal Farlow ''The Swinging Guitar of Tal Farlow'' is an album by American jazz guitarist Tal Farlow, released in 1957. Allmusic entry for ''The Swinging Guitar of Tal Farlow''Accessed August 2009. Track listing #"Taking a Chance on Love" (Vernon Duke, John ...

'', and ''Interpretations of Tal Farlow''. While still in his teens, he worked as a guitarist in bands led by

Les Elgart Lester Elliott Elgart (August 3, 1917 – July 29, 1995) was an American swing jazz bandleader and trumpeter. Early Years Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Elgart grew up in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey with his brother Larry. They were exposed to ...

Larry Elgart Lawrence Joseph Elgart (March 20, 1922 – August 29, 2017) was an American jazz bandleader. With his brother Les, he recorded "Bandstand Boogie", the theme to the long-running dance show ''American Bandstand''. Biography Elgart was born in ...

Warren Covington Warren Covington (August 7, 1921 – August 24, 1999) was an American big band trombonist. He was active as a session musician, arranger, and bandleader throughout his career. Biography Covington, who was born in Philadelphia, played early on ...

, and

Sammy Kaye Sammy Kaye (born Samuel Zarnocay Jr.; March 13, 1910 – June 2, 1987) was an American bandleader and songwriter, whose tag line, "Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye", became one of the most famous of the Big Band Era. The expression springs fr ...

. He also worked with

Dan Armstrong Dan Kent Armstrong (October 7, 1934 June 8, 2004) was an American guitarist, luthier, and session musician. Biography Armstrong was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He started playing the guitar at age 11, and moved to New York in the early 1 ...

Lew Soloff Lewis Michael Soloff (February 20, 1944–March 8, 2015) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and actor. Biography From his birth place of New York City, United States, he studied trumpet at the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard Sc ...

Lew Tabackin Lewis Barry Tabackin (born March 26, 1940) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and flutist. He is married to pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi with whom he has co-led large ensembles since the 1970s. Biography Tabackin started learning flute at age 1 ...

, and

Lloyd Wells Lloyd Wells is an American jazz guitarist, composer and arranger. Music career He grew up in Laurel, Mississippi, the home town of jazz guitarist, Mundell Lowe. He did his first professional work playing for square dances while still attending ...

. In his twenties, he worked as a vibraphonist. He formed the band The Jazz Partners and played vibes with pianist

Barry Manilow Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career that spans seven decades. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", " Somewhere Down the Road", " Mandy", "I Write the Songs", " Can ...

, who admired the work of

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

, Oscar Peterson, and Barney Kessel. Wilkins and Manilow arranged songs from Kessel's albums for their group. A copy of his first solo album, ''Windows'' (Mainstream Records, Mainstream, 1973), found its way into the hands of Buddy Rich's manager. Wilkins then became a member of the Buddy Rich septet. Wilkins has also worked with Kenny Barron, Frank Foster (jazz musician), Frank Foster, Sonny Fortune, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Jimmy McGriff, Sal Nistico, Zoot Sims, Sonny Stitt, Jack DeJohnette, Phil Woods, and the Brecker Brothers.

Discography

As leader

* ''Windows'' (Mainstream, 1973) * ''You Can't Live Without It'' (Chiaroscuro, 1977) * ''Merge'' (Chiaroscuro, 1977) * ''Captain Blued'' (CTI, 1983) * ''Opal'' (CTI, 1983) * ''Call Him Reckless'' (Musicmasters, 1989) * ''Alien Army'' (Musicmasters, 1991) * ''Mexico'' (CTI, 1992) * ''Keep in Touch'' (Claves, 1996) * ''Trioart'' (Arabesque, 1998) * ''Bluesin'' (String Jazz, 1999) * ''Just the Two of Us'' with Gene Bertoncini (Chiaroscuro, 2000) * ''Heading North'' (String Jazz, 2001) * ''Reunion'' (Chiaroscuro, 2002) * ''Christmas Jazz Guitar'' (Mel Bay, 2004) * ''Dear Old Stockholm'' (NHV, 2008) * ''Until It's Time'' (Maxjazz, 2009) * ''Constellation'' with the Struggles All Stars (Progressive, 2010) * ''The Rundle Sessions'' (Chronograph, 2019)

As sideman

With Nancy Harrow * ''Anything Goes'' (Audiophile, 1979) * ''Two's Company'' (Inner City, 1984) * ''Winter Dreams'' (Artists House, 2003) With Buddy Rich * ''Very Live at Buddy's Place'' (Groove Merchant, 1974) * ''The Bull'' (Chiaroscuro, 1980) * ''Tuff Dude'' (Denon, 1986) With others * Chet Baker & Jim Hall & Hubert Laws, ''Studio Trieste'' (CTI, 1982) * Peter Bernstein (guitarist), Peter Bernstein, ''We Remember Tal'' (J-Curve, 1999) * Bob Brookmeyer, ''The Bob Brookmeyer Small Band'' (Gryphon, 1978) * Bubba Brooks, ''Polka Dots and Moonbeams'' (TCB, 2002) * Jay Clayton (musician), Jay Clayton, ''In and Out of Love'' (Sunnyside, 2010) * Chris Connor, ''I Walk with Music'' (HighNote, 2002) * Albert Dailey, ''The Day After the Dawn'' (Columbia, 1972) * Sonny Fortune, ''Serengeti Minstrel'' (Atlantic, 1977) * Astrud Gilberto, ''That Girl from Ipanema'' (Image, 1977) * Lionel Hampton, ''Hamp's Blues'' (LRC, 1986) * Julius Hemphill, ''Julius Hemphill Big Band'' (Elektra Musician, 1988) * Earl Hines, ''Swingin' Away'' (Black Lion,) * Paul Jeffrey, ''Watershed'' (Mainstream, 1973) * Morgana King, ''Everything Must Change'' (Muse, 1979) * Morgana King, ''Higher Ground'' (Muse, 1980) * Amy London, ''Bridges'' (FiveCut, 2014) * The Manhattan Transfer, ''Swing'' (Atlantic, 1997) * Barry Miles (musician), Barry Miles, ''Barry Miles'' (Poppy Music, 1970) * Charles Mingus, ''Me Myself an Eye'' (Atlantic, 1979) * Charles Mingus, ''Something Like a Bird'' (Atlantic, 1980) * Mingus Big Band, ''I Am Three'' (Sunnyside, 2005) * Sal Nistico & Kenny Barron & Anthony Jackson & Buddy Rich, ''Transition'' (Groove Merchant, 1974) * Jonathan Schwartz (radio personality), Jonathan Schwartz, ''Alone Together'' (Muse, 1977) * Dave Tofani, ''Nights at the Inn'' (SoloWinds, 2007) * Pete Yellin, ''It's the Right Thing'' (Mainstream, 1973)

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkins, Jack 1944 births Living people American jazz guitarists Manhattan School of Music faculty Arabesque Records artists Chiaroscuro Records artists Mainstream Records artists 20th-century American guitarists CTI Records artists