Phillip Sanford Wilson (September 8, 1941 – March 25, 1992) was an American blues and jazz drummer, a founding member of the

Art Ensemble of Chicago The Art Ensemble of Chicago is an avant-garde jazz group that grew out of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians ( AACM) in the late 1960s. The ensemble integrates many jazz styles and plays many instruments, including "little ...

, and a member of the

Paul Butterfield Blues Band Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and band leader. After early training as a classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored the blues scene in his n ...

Biography

Born in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, United States, Phillip Wilson was a third generation musician. His grandfather, Ira Kimball, was a percussionist playing on the riverboats that traveled down the Mississippi from St Louis to New Orleans. His recording debut was with

Sam Lazar Sam Lazar (born 1933) was an American pianist and Hammond organist originally from St. Louis, Missouri, United States.Owsley, DennisCity of Gabriels: The History of Jazz in St. Louis, 1895-1973. St. Louis: Reedy Press, 2006. . ''Google Books''. R ...

, noted for having one of the first interracial bands in the St. Louis area. After moving to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, he became a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians AACM and performed with the

. He joined up with the

in 1967 at a time when the band membership changed greatly, including an added

horn section A horn section is a group of musicians playing horns. In an orchestra or concert band, it refers to the musicians who play the "French" horn, and in a British-style brass band it is the tenor horn players. In many popular music genres, the te ...

. He recorded three albums with the group. Wilson's song "Love March", written with

Gene Dinwiddie Gene Dinwiddie (born Charles Eugene Dinwiddie; September 19, 1936 in Louisville, Kentucky, United States – January 11, 2002 in La Puente, Los Angeles, California, aged 65Social Security Death Index for Charles E. Dinwiddie, born 19 September 1936 ...

, was performed at

Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...

and released in 1970 on the live album from the festival. Wilson, along with Dinwiddie and fellow former Butterfield Band member

Buzz Feiten Howard "Buzz" Feiten (born November 4, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, session musician, and luthier. He is best known as a lead and rhythm guitarist and for having patented a tuning system for guitars and similar instruments. ...

, formed the jazz-rock band Full Moon in the early 1970s. They recorded a self-titled album which is considered one of the finest early examples of

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...

. Wilson was part of the

loft jazz Loft jazz (or the loft scene or loft era) was a cultural phenomenon that occurred in New York City during the mid-1970s. Gary Giddins described it as follows: " new coterie of avant-garde musicians took much of the jazz world by surprise... ey inte ...

scene in 1970s New York, worked as a session musician for

Stax Records Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records. Stax was ...

in Memphis and with

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

at the Cafe Au Go Go and Generation Club in 1968, and recorded with

The Last Poets The Last Poets are several groups of poets and musicians who arose from the late 1960s African-American civil rights movement's black nationalism. The name is taken from a poem by the South African revolutionary poet Keorapetse Kgositsile, who bel ...

Fontella Bass Fontella Marie Bass (July 3, 1940 – December 26, 2012) was an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter best known for her number-one R&B hit " Rescue Me" in 1965. She has been nominated for a Grammy Award twice. Early life Fontella Bass was b ...

Olu Dara Olu Dara Jones (born Charles Jones III, January 12, 1941) is an American cornetist, guitarist, and singer. He is the father of rapper Nas. Early life Olu Dara was born Charles Jones III on January 12, 1941 in Natchez, Mississippi. His mother, El ...

, David Murray,

Anthony Braxton Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Chica ...

Carla Bley Carla Bley (born Lovella May Borg; May 11, 1936) is an American jazz composer, pianist, organist and bandleader. An important figure in the free jazz movement of the 1960s, she is perhaps best known for her jazz opera '' Escalator over the Hill'' ...

and many others. During the 1980s, he worked extensively with

Lester Bowie Lester Bowie (October 11, 1941 – November 8, 1999) was an American jazz trumpet player and composer. He was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and co-founded the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Biography Born in t ...

. In 1985, he and

Bill Laswell William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, w ...

co-produced the album '' Down by Law'' under the group name

Deadline Deadline(s) or The Deadline(s) may refer to: * Time limit, a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Deadline (DC Comics), a fictional villain * ''Deadline'' (magazine), a British ...

. Near the end of his life, he was actively pursuing his music career and had been performing regularly at Manhattan's Lower East Side hot spot Deanna's. Wilson was stalked and murdered in New York City on March 25, 1992. As a result of the ''

America's Most Wanted ''America's Most Wanted'' (often abbreviated as ''AMW'') is an American television program whose first run was produced by 20th Television, and second run is under the Fox Alternative Entertainment division of Fox Corporation. At the time of i ...

'' television program, Marvin Slater was arrested and later convicted, in 1997 for premeditated murder, and sentenced to 33 1/3 years in state prison. The motive for this murder was not revealed during the trial and is still unknown.

Discography

As leader

* ''Full Moon'' with Full Moon (Douglas, 1972) *Phillip Wilson Quartet, ''Live at Moers Festival'' (Moers, 1978) ** ** ** ** ** ** * * * *Phillip Wilson Trio Live With Leo Smith and Johnny Dyani, ''Fruits'' (Circle Records, 1978) * ''

Duet A duet is a musical composition for two performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a harmony, as the performers take turns performing a solo ...

'' with Lester Bowie (

Improvising Artists Improvising Artists Inc. known as IAI is a production company created by jazz pianist, Paul Bley Paul Bley, CM (November 10, 1932 – January 3, 2016) was a jazz pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well ...

, 1978) * *''Esoteric'' with Olu Dara (Hat Hut, 1979) *'' Down by Law'' with

(Celluloid, 1985) *

As backing musician

;With The Art Ensemble * ''1967/68'' (Nessa, 1993) ;The Rance Allen Group * ''A Soulful'' Experience (Stax Records, 1975) ;With Martha Bass, Fontella Bass, David Pearson * ''From the Root to the Source'' (Soul Note, 1980) ;With

* ''Amarillo World Headquarters Austin Texas March 27. 1978'' (Hat Hut, 2018) ;With

Hamiet Bluiett Hamiet Bluiett (; September 16, 1940 – October 4, 2018) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. His primary instrument was the baritone saxophone, and he was considered one of the finest players of this instrument. A mem ...

* ''

Endangered Species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

'' (India Navigation, 1976) ;With

* ''Hello Dolly'' (Muse Records, 1974) * ''

African Children ''African Children'' is a double LP by Lester Bowie recorded for the Italian Horo label and released in 1978. It features performances by Bowie, Arthur Blythe, Amina Claudine Myers, Malachi Favors and Phillip Wilson. Track listing Side One # ...

'' (Horo, 1978) * ''

The 5th Power ''The 5th Power'' is a live album by Lester Bowie recorded for the Italian Black Saint label and released in 1978. It was recorded during a concert tour of Europe by Bowie's group "From the Roots to the Source" and features performances by Bowie ...

'' (Black Saint, 1978) * ''

The Great Pretender "The Great Pretender" is a popular song recorded by The Platters, with Tony Williams on lead vocals, and released as a single in November 1955. The words and music were written by Buck Ram, the Platters' manager and producer who was a successfu ...

'' (ECM, 1981) * '' All the Magic'' (ECM, 1983) * ''

I Only Have Eyes for You "I Only Have Eyes for You" is a romantic love song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written for the film ''Dames'' (1934) when Dick Powell introduced it. Several successful recordings of the song were made in 1934; later, there we ...

'' (ECM, 1985) * '' Avant Pop'' (ECM, 1986) * ''

Twilight Dreams ''Twilight Dreams'' is an album by Lester Bowie recorded for the UK based Venture label and the third album by his "Brass Fantasy" group. It was released in 1987 and features performances by Bowie, Vincent Chancey, Frank Lacy, Steve Turre, Malach ...

'' (Venture, 1987) * ''

The Organizer ''The Organizer'' ( it, I compagni"''I compagni''" literally translates into "''The Comrades''.") is a 1963 Italian-French-Yugoslavian-produced drama film written by Mario Monicelli and Age & Scarpelli, and directed by Mario Monicelli. Set in Tur ...

'' (DIW, 1991) * ''

Funky T. Cool T. ''Funky T. Cool T.'' is the fifth album Lester Bowie recorded for the Japanese DIW label and the second album by his "New York Organ Ensemble". It was released in 1991 and features performances by Bowie, Steve Turre, Amina Claudine Myers James ...

'' (DIW, 1991) ;With

* ''

Town Hall 1972 ''Town Hall 1972'' is a live album by American jazz saxophonist Anthony Braxton recorded in 1972 at The Town Hall in New York City and originally released on the Japanese Trio label and rereleased on the hatART label as ''Town Hall (Trio & Quin ...

'' (Trio, 1972) * '' Creative Orchestra Music 1976'' (Arista, 1976) ;With

Paul Butterfield Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and band leader. After early training as a classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored the blues scene in his n ...

* ''

The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw ''The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw'' is a 1967 album by the Butterfield Blues Band, their third release. Its name refers to Elvin Bishop, whose role shifted to lead guitarist after Mike Bloomfield departed to form the Electric Flag. The albu ...

'' (1967) * ''

In My Own Dream ''In My Own Dream'' is a 1968 album by The Butterfield Blues Band. It continued the trend of its predecessor '' The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw'' in moving towards a more soul-oriented sound, supported by a first rate horn section, (featuri ...

'' (1968) * '' Keep on Moving'' (1969) * '' Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More'' (1970) * * ;With

James Newton James W. Newton (born May 1, 1953) is an American jazz and classical flutist. Biography He was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. From his earliest years, James Newton grew up immersed in the sounds of African-American music, inclu ...

* ''Paso Del Mar'' (Indian Navigation Company, 1978) * ''Portraits'' (Indian Navigation Company, 1982) With John Carter * ''John Carter Quintet'' (Moers Music) With Julius Hemphill * '' Dogon A. D.'' (Freedom, 1972) * ''

Coon Bid'ness ''Coon Bid'ness'' is an album released by Julius Hemphill in 1975 on Arista featuring performances by Hemphill, Baikida Carroll, Abdul Wadud, Phillip Wilson, Arthur Blythe, Barry Altschul and Daniel Zebulon. The final track, "The Hard Blues," w ...

'' (Freedom, 1975) * With Peter Kuhn * ''Ghost Of A Trance'' (Hat Hut Records, 1981) ;With

* '' Playback'' (Argo, 1962) ;With

Lightnin' Rod Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin (July 24, 1944 – June 4, 2018) was an American poet and musician. He was one of the founding members of The Last Poets, a group of poets and musicians that evolved in the 1960s out of the Harlem Writers Workshop in ...

* '' Hustlers Convention'' (Celluloid, 1973) ;With

Frank Lowe Frank Lowe (June 24, 1943 – September 19, 2003) was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and composer. Biography Born and brought up in Memphis, Tennessee, Lowe took up the tenor saxophone at the age of 12. As an adult he moved to San Fra ...

* The Frank Lowe Orchestra, ''Lowe and Behold'', (Musicworks, 1977) * Frank Lowe & The Saxemple, ''Inappropriate Choices,'' (ITM, 1991) * ''Out of Nowhere'' (Ecstatic Peace, 1993) * ;With Bugsy Maugh * ''Bugsy'' (Dot Records,1969) ;With

Roscoe Mitchell Roscoe Mitchell (born August 3, 1940) is an American composer, jazz instrumentalist, and educator, known for being "a technically superb – if idiosyncratic – saxophonist". ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' described him as "one of the key figures ...

* '' Old/Quartet'' (Nessa, 1967) ;With David Murray * ''

Low Class Conspiracy ''Low Class Conspiracy'' is the debut album by David Murray which was released on the Adelphi label in 1976. Reception The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 3 stars, stating, "At 21, Murray already had remarkable technique and the ...

'' (Adelphi, 1976) * '' Flowers for Albert: The Complete Concert'' (India Navigation, 1975) * '' Live at the Lower Manhattan Ocean Club'' (India Navigation, 1977) *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Phillip 1941 births 1992 deaths 1992 murders in the United States Jazz musicians from Missouri Musicians from St. Louis Deaths by firearm in New York City People murdered in New York City Male murder victims American murder victims 20th-century American drummers 20th-century American male musicians American jazz drummers American male drummers American male jazz musicians Art Ensemble of Chicago members Deadline (band) members Paul Butterfield Blues Band members Improvising Artists Records artists