Abram Wilson (August 30, 1973 – June 9, 2012) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist raised in New Orleans and based in London where he also taught music in schools.

Early life

Wilson was born to Willie C. Wilson Jr and his wife Doris in

Fort Smith, Arkansas Fort Smith is the third-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 89,142. It is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas–Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area ...

, and had four brothers and one sister. He began playing

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standar ...

at the age of nine, and attended

O Perry Walker High School L.B. Landry College and Career Preparatory High School is a high school on the west bank of Orleans Parish in Algiers, New Orleans, Louisiana. The school opened in 2013 after the merger of L.B. Landry High School and O. Perry Walker College an ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

, going on to study at the

New Orleans Center for Creative Arts New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, or NOCCA, is the regional, pre-professional arts training center for high school students in Louisiana. NOCCA opened in 1973 as a professional arts training center for secondary school-age children. Locat ...

(NOCCA) under the tutelage of Clyde Kerr Jr, Ronald Benko, Dr Burt Breaud, and band director Augustus Walker at O Perry Walker Sr High School. At 17, Wilson earned a music scholarship to

Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio. It was founded in 1842 by methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five – a consortium ...

, where he studied classical trumpet with Larry Griffin, graduating with a bachelor's degree in music education. He then attained his master's degree at the world-renowned

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York. It was established in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman. It offers Bachelor of Music ...

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located i ...

, studying jazz performance and composition with Ralph Alessi, Mike Cain, and Fred Sturm, and classical trumpet with Barbara Butler.

Career

After graduating from Eastman, Wilson moved to New York, where he started his own band – the Abram Wilson Quintet – as well as regularly performing with the

Roy Hargrove Roy Anthony Hargrove (October 16, 1969 – November 2, 2018) was an American jazz musician and composer whose principal instruments were the trumpet and flugelhorn. He achieved worldwide acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for differing styles ...

Big Band and with rhythm and blues legend

Ruth Brown Ruth Alston Brown (; January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes referred to as the " Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a pop music style to R&B music in a series of hit songs for At ...

, appearing on her ''Good Day for the Blues'' release in 1999. Arriving in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 2002, Wilson performed with the

Julian Joseph Julian Raphael Nathaniel Joseph (born 11 May 1966) is a British jazz pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger, and broadcaster. Biography Joseph was born in London and attended Allfarthing Primary School and Spencer Park Secondary School in Wan ...

Big Band before meeting the directors of Dune Records (the record label responsible for producing British Jazz artists such as Jazz Jamaica, Gary Crosby,

Soweto Kinch Soweto Kinch (born 10 January 1978) is a British jazz alto saxophonist and rapper. Biography Born in 1978 in London, England, to a Barbadian father, playwright Don Kinch, and British-Jamaican actress Yvette Harris, Soweto Kinch began playin ...

and

Denys Baptiste Denys Baptiste (born 1969) is an English jazz musician from London, England, where he was born to St Lucian parents. A graduate of Tomorrow's Warriors, Baptiste plays tenor and soprano saxophone in addition to composing. Baptiste played with ...

) and signing in 2003 to the label, where he regularly performed with his fellow label-mates as well as leading his own bands. From mid-2004, Abram worked in a secondary school in

Walthamstow Walthamstow ( or ) is a large town in east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London and the ancient county of Essex. Situated northeast of Charing Cross, the town borders Chingford to the north, Snaresbrook and Sou ...

, London, where he taught music for a year until he could work more in his performing career and recording. In October 2004, Abram launched his career as a solo artist with the release of his debut album for Dune, ''Jazz Warrior'' (DUNECD011), to great critical acclaim. He was then commissioned by the

Cheltenham Jazz Festival Cheltenham Jazz Festival is one of the UK's leading jazz festivals, and is part of Cheltenham Festivals' annual festival season, also including the Science, Music and Literature Festivals in Cheltenham Spa. Introduction and history The Chel ...

(under the Jerwood Rising Star Programme) and Birmingham Jazz to create an extended work for premiere at the Festival in 2006. This new work entitled ''Ride! – Ferris Wheel To The Modern Day Delta'' (DUNECD016) was recorded and released on Dune in April 2007. In late 2011 he left Dune Records. At the same time, Abram also joined Jazz Jamaica, performing live and appearing on the 2005 album ''Motorcity Roots''. In 2005 at

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...

's International Songwriting Competition Wilson won first prize in the jazz category for his composition "Monk". In his later project, ''Roll Jordan Roll'' - a tribute to the

Fisk Jubilee Singers The Fisk Jubilee Singers are an African-American ''a cappella'' ensemble, consisting of students at Fisk University. The first group was organized in 1871 to tour and raise funds for college. Their early repertoire consisted mostly of traditiona ...

- he collaborated in 2007 with British gospel legend Nicky Brown and noted gospel historian Viv Broughton. Before his death he had been working on a composition and recording project based on the life of American pianist Philippa Schuyler. On June 9, 2012 Wilson at the age of 38 succumbed to

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...

, having married his long-term partner Jennie (née Cashman) the day before, Friday June 8, 2012.

Awards and honors

* International Songwriting Competition, Best Jazz Composition 2005 * British Jazz Awards, Best New CD 2007 * BBC Jazz Award – Best Band 2005 (Nominated) * MOBO Award – Best Jazz Act 2005 & 2007 (Nominated) * BBC Jazz Award – Best Album 2007 (Nominated) * BBC Jazz Award – Heart of Jazz 2007 (Nominated)

Discography

As leader

* ''Soul Vibe'' (2000, Bleekstar Records) * ''Jazz Warrior'' (2004, Dune Records) * ''Ride! – Ferris Wheel To The Modern Day Delta'' (2007, Dune Records) * ''Life Paintings'' (2009, Dune Records)

As guest

* ''Good Day for the Blues'' –

(1999, Bullseye Blues) * ''Conversations With The Unseen'' –

(2003, Dune Records) * ''Let Freedom Ring!'' -

(2003, Dune Records) * ''Motorcity Roots'' – Jazz Jamaica (2005, Dune Records) * ''A Life In The Day Of B19: Tales of the Tower Block'' – Soweto Kinch (2006, Dune Records)

References

External links

Abram Wilson FoundationLabel Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Abram 1973 births 2012 deaths American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters American male jazz musicians Nu Troop members