People, Locations, Episodes

Gerald Wilson, Musician, and Bandleader born

Gerald Wilson

*Gerald Wilson was born on this date in 1918. He was a Black trumpeter, arranger, bandleader, and educator.

A native of Shelby, Mississippi, he spent his teenage years in Detroit and took up trumpet there. He was selected at age 21 to join Jimmie Lunceford's band, where he spent four years playing, composing, and arranging. After leaving Lunceford, he settled in Los Angeles, then played and wrote for the Benny Carter and Les Hite bands.

Wilson formed his band in 1944, touring the country and recording. Toward the end of the '40s, he worked with Count Basie as a trumpeter-arranger and then joined Dizzy Gillespie. Also during that time, Wilson began to contribute to the Duke Ellington band's book and wrote arrangements for singers Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, and Ray Charles.

Although somewhat in obscurity, he continued to work in the '70s, composing works for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, teaching at California State University Northridge, and playing host on a daily radio show, continuing to record in the '80s too. Wilson’s name should be far more widely known despite a long career with many highlights.

Perhaps the lack of recognition is directly attributable to his long residence in Southern California, which has caused similar problems for other talented jazz musicians. His signing by MAMA Records in the '90s has brought a new resurgence with outstanding recordings and a two-CD oral history, Suite Memories. In 1996, the Library of Congress honored Gerald and archived his life's work.

His exciting and expanded version of Gershwin's "Summertime" debuted with his band at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D. C. during the summer of 1997. Wilson's most recent success was a work commissioned for the Monterey Jazz Festival's 40th anniversary.

The composition entitled "Theme for Monterey" premiered there on September 21, 1997, with his 19-piece Orchestra. He currently teaches at UCLA. The Los Angeles Jazz Society acknowledged his outstanding contributions in 2001. Gerald Wilson died in September 2014.

To Become a Musician or Singer