Steve Wilson (born February 9, 1961) is an American

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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

multi-instrumentalist A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays two or more musical instruments, often but not exclusively at a professional level of proficiency. Also known as woodwind doubler, doubling, the practice allows greater ensemble flexibility and mor ...

, who is best known in the musical community as a

flutist The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

and an alto and soprano

saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

. He also plays the

clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...

and the piccolo. Wilson performs on many different instruments and has performed and recorded on over twenty-five albums. His interests include folk, jazz, classical, world music, and experimental music. Wilson is currently on the faculty of New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. He was elected as an American Champion by the National Flute Association. Wilson has maintained a busy career working as a

session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...

, and has contributed to many musicians of note both in the recording studios, and as a

sideman A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform live with a solo artist, or with a group in which they are not a regular band member. The term is usually used to describe musicians that play with jazz or rock artists, whether solo o ...

on tours. Over the years he has participated in engagements with several musical ensembles, as well as his own solo efforts.

Biography

As a teenager, Wilson played in rhythm and blues ( R&B) and

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

bands. After a year accompanying singer

Stephanie Mills Stephanie Dorthea Mills (born March 22, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to stardom as Dorothy Gale in the original seven-time Tony Awards, Tony Award winning Broadway theatre, Broadway run of the musical ''The Wiz'' ...

, he attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond where he majored in music. In 1987 he moved to New York City, where he established himself as a

. He performed with the American Jazz Orchestra, the Mingus Big Band, and the Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra. In 1988, he toured Europe with

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and bandleader. He worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, an ...

. Early in his career he was a member of Out of the Blue, a group which featured young artists signed to the Blue Note label. Wilson was the subject of a 1996 ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' profile, entitled "A Sideman's Life". That year he joined the Dave Holland Quintet. From 1998 to 2001, he was a member of

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain (instrumental), Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba" ...

's Origin sextet. He played and recorded on Japanese composer Yoko Kanno's debut album, '' Song to Fly'' and part of The Seatbelts' New York Musicians during that period. In 1997, he formed the Steve Wilson Quartet with pianist Bruce Barth, double bassist Ed Howard, and drummer Adam Cruz. The group performed for over a decade and recorded two albums. He also headed a larger ensemble, Generations, which performed jazz and original compositions, and he has performed in a duo with drummer Lewis Nash. BlueNoteSeven1

In May 2007, he performed as a soloist for

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

and

Prince Philip Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

during the Jamestown, Virginia quadricentennial. Wilson is on the faculty at the

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music a ...

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a Public university, public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York ...

, State University of New York at Purchase, and

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. He has been an artist-in-residence at the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...

Hamilton College Hamilton College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Clinton, Oneida County, New York, Clinton, New York. It was established as the Hamilton-Oneida Academy in 1793 and received its c ...

Old Dominion University Old Dominion University (ODU) is a Public university, public research university in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. Established in 1930 as the two-year Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary, it began by educating people with fewer ...

, and with the CITYFOLK arts program in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

. A septet formed that year in honor of the imminent 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records. The group recorded an album in 2008, entitled ''

Mosaic A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

'', which was released in 2009 on Blue Note/EMI, and toured the United States in promotion of the album from January until April 2009. The group plays the music of

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by History of the Jews in Germany, German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it deriv ...

from various artists, with arrangements by members of the band and Renee Rosnes. In 2010, Wilson celebrated his 50th birthday at Jazz Standard in New York City. He led six bands in six nights, with jazz musicians that included Karrin Allyson, Bruce Barth, Adam Cruz, Carla Cook, Ed Howard, Lewis Nash, Ugonna Okegwo, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Freddie Hendrix, Christian McBride, Mulgrew Miller, Linda Oh, Geoffrey Keezer, and John Wikan. One special feature was the inclusion of a

string section The string section of an orchestra is composed of bowed instruments belonging to the violin family. It normally consists of first and second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. It is the most numerous group in the standard orchestra. In ...

to play music from ''Bird with Strings''. It was composed of Diane Monroe, Nardo Poy, Joyce Hammann, Chern Hwei, and Troy Stuart. The ''Wall Street Journal'' wrote a full-length feature article. In 2017, Wilson released a vinyl LP titled ''Sit Back, Relax & Unwind'' which was recorded, mixed and mastered with analog technology (live to analog tape) by J.M.I. Recordings. The band on the album was Ray Angry, Ben Williams and Willie Jones III.

Discography

As leader

* ''New York Summit'' ( Criss Cross Jazz, 1991) with Mulgrew Miller, James Genus * ''Step Lively'' (Criss Cross, 1993) with Cyrus Chestnut, Freddie Bryant, Dennis Irwin * '' Generations'' ( Stretch, 1998) with Mulgrew Miller, Ray Drummond * ''Passages'' (Stretch, 1999) with Nicolas Payton, Bruce Barth, Ed Howard, Adam Cruz * ''Soulful Song'' ( Maxjazz, 2003) with Rene Marie, Carla Cook, Bruce Barth, Ed Howard, Adam Cruz * ''Home'' (We Always Swing, 2010) Co-leader with Bruce Barth, Recorded Live in Columbia, MO * ''Sit Back, Relax, & Unwind'' (J.M.I. Recordings, 2017) with Ray Angry and Willie Jones III.

As sideman

* Carl Allen/Rodney Whitaker, Get Ready (Mack Avenue) * Karrin Allyson, In Blue (Concord) * Karrin Allyson, Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane (Concord) * DMP Big Band, Tribute to Duke Ellington (DMP) * DMP Big Band, Carved in Stone (DMP) * Rob Bargad, Better Times(Criss Cross) * Bruce Barth, Morning Call (Enja) * Bruce Barth, In Focus (Enja) * Bruce Barth, Hope Springs Eternal (Double Time) * Bruce Barth, East and West (Maxjazz) * Noah Baerman, Soul Force (Lemel) * Louie Bellson, Live from NYC (Telarc) * David Berkman, Handmade (Palmetto) * David Berkman, Communication Theory (Palmetto) * Chris Berger, Conversations (KSJazz) * Paul Bollenback, Soul Grooves (Challenge Records) * Jimmy Bosch, Singing Trombone (Ryko) * Don Braden, After Dark (Criss Cross) * Michael Brecker, Wide Angles (Verve) * Donald Brown, Car Tunes (Muse) * Donald Brown, Send One Our Love (Muse) * Bill Bruford, Earthworks Underground Orchestra (Summerfold) * Freddie Bryant, Take your Dance into Battle (Jazz City/Spirit) * Freddie Bryant, Boogaloo Brasiliero, (Fresh Sound) * Freddie Bryant, Kaleidoscope, (Fresh Sound) * Laverne Butler, A Foolish Thing To Do (Maxjazz) * Charlie Byrd, Louis, (Concord) * Don Byron, Bug Music, (Nonesuch) * Ron Carter, Great Big Band, (EMI) * Billy Childs, Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro (Sony Masterworks) * Billy Childs, The Child Within, (Shanachie/Cachet) * Avishai Cohen, Adama, (Stretch) * Chick Corea, Corea Concerto, (Sony/Stretch) (Grammy Winner) * Chick Corea, Rendezvous in New York, (Stretch) * Chick Corea, Elektric Band: To The Stars, (Stretch) * Chick Corea & Origin, Live at the Blue Note, (Stretch) * Chick Corea & Origin, A Week at the Blue Note, (Stretch) * Chick Corea & Origin, Change, (Stretch) * Chick Corea & Origin, Originations, (Stretch) * Roz Corral, Telling Tales, (Blu Jazz) * Steve Davis, Portrait in Sound, (Stretch) * Dena DeRose, Introducing Dena DeRose, (Amosaya) * Dena DeRose, Another World, (Sharp Nine) * Kenny Drew, Jr., Follow the Spirit, (Sirocco) * George Duke, Duke, (BPM) * Billy Drummond, '' Native Colours'', (Criss Cross. 1992) * Greg Gisbert, On Second Thought, (Criss Cross) * Darrell Grant, Truth and Reconciliation, (Origin) * Edsel Gomez, Cubist Music, (Zoho Music) * Kevin Bruce Harris, Folk Songs/Folk Tales, (Enja) * Stefon Harris, A Cloud of Red Dust, (Blue Note) * Kevin Hays, El Matador, (Jazz City) * David Hazeltine, How It Is, (Criss Cross) * Joe Henderson, Big Band, Verve (Grammy Winner) * Dave Holland, Points of View, ECM (Grammy Winner) * Chie Imaizumi, A Time of New Beginnings, Capri Records * Ingrid Jensen & Project O, Now As Then, Jig Records * Ingrid Jensen, Vernal Fields, Enja * Kelley Johnson, Make Someone Happy, Sapphire * Ronnie Jordan, A Brighter Day, Blue Note/Angel * Yoko Kanno, Song To Fly, Victor Entertainment * Geoffrey Keezer, Falling Up, Maxjazz * Jonny King, Meltdown, Enja * Steve Kroon, El Mas Alla (Beyond, Kroonatune) * Mike LeDonne, Tribute to Milt Jackson, Double-Time * Victor Lewis, 3 Way Conversation, Red Records * Dave Liebman, Classique, Owl * Gunnar Mossblad, The Seasons Reflected Soul Note/CAM * Didier Lockwood, Storyboard, Dreyfus * Kevin Mahogany, Songs & Moments, Enja * Pete Malinverni, Make A Joyful Noise, ArtistShare * Mulgrew Miller, The Sequel, Maxjazz * Allison Miller, 5AM, Stroll * Foxhaven, Bill Mobley New Light Space Time * Stephanie Mills Tantalizingly Hot 20th Century Fox * Gunnar Mossblad, ''Convergence'' (Mossblad Music) * Gunnar Mossblad & The Manhattan Sax Ensemble, ''The Dogwalk'' (GPC Recordings) * Shunzo Ohno, ''Maya'' (Three Blind Mice) * Junko Onishi, ''Junko Onishi'' (Nippon Crown) * Leon Parker, ''Belief'' (Sony) * Leon Parker, ''Awakening'' (Sony) * Clarence Penn, ''Saomaye'' (Verve Japan) * Ken Peplowski, ''A Good Reed'' (Concord) * Ralph Peterson, ''Art of Blakey'' (Blue Note) * Ralph Peterson, ''Reclamation Project'' (Evidence) * Ralph Peterson, ''The Fo'tet Plays Monk'' (Evidence) * Ralph Peterson, ''V'' (Blue Note) * Ralph Peterson, ''Volition'' (Blue Note) * Leslie Pintchik Quartets Ambient Records * Mika Pohjola Northern Sunrise Blue Music Group * Dianne Reeves, The Calling: A Tribute to Sarah Vaughn, Blue Note (Grammy Winner) * Dianne Reeves, Christmas Time Is Here, Blue Note * Renee Rosnes For The Moment, Blue Note * Michele Rosewoman, Qunitessence/Harvest Enja * Michele Rosewoman, Quintessence / Guardians of the Light Enja * Maria Schneider, ''

Sky Blue Sky blue refers to a collection of shades comparable to that of a clear daytime sky. Typically it is a shade of cyan or light teal, though some iterations are closer to light Azure (color), azure or light blue. The term (as "sky blew") is atte ...

'' ArtistShare * Loren Schoenberg, Manhattan Work Song Jazz Heritage * Loren Schoenberg, Out of this World TCB Music * David Schumacher, Another Life Amosaya * Jae Sinnett, The Sinnett ngs J-Net Records * Jae Sinnett, House and Sinnett PositiveMusic * Neal Smith, Live at Smalls Smalls Live * Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra, Big Band Treasure-Live Smithsonian * Terell Stafford, New Beginnings Maxjazz * Terell Stafford, Time to Let Go Candid * Bill Stewart, Telepathy Blue Note * Joan Stiles, Hurly-Burly Oo-Bla-Dee * Sunny Sumter, Getting to Know You J. Jordan Music * Tom Varner, Swimming Omnitone Records * Melissa Walker, Invitation to Love Enja * Michael Weiss, Soul Journey Sintra Records * Scott Wendholt, From Now On Criss Cross * Buster Williams, Joined at the Hip TCB * James Williams Jazz Dialogues, Vol. 1, Will Power (Finas Music) * James Williams Jazz Dialogues, Vol. 4, Music For A While (Finas Music) * James Williams & ICU, ''Truth, Justice & the Blues'' (Evidence) * James Williams & ICU, ''We've Got What You Need'' (Evidence) * James Williams Quintet, ''Live at Mills Hall'' (La Dome) * Michael Wolff, ''Joe's Strut'' (Wrong Records) * Anthony Wonsey, ''Exodus'' (Alfa Jazz, 1996) *

Gerald Wilson Gerald Stanley Wilson (September 4, 1918 – September 8, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. Born in Mississippi, he was based in Los Angeles from the early 1940s. He arranged music for D ...

, '' In My Time'' ( Mack Avenue, 2005) * Gerald Wilson, '' Monterey Moods'' (Mack Avenue, 2007) *

Kenny Barron Kenneth Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist and composer who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Early life ...

, '' The Traveler'' (Sunnyside, 2008) * Gerald Wilson, ''

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

'' (Mack Avenue, 2009) * Yōsuke Yamashita, ''Field of Grooves'' (Verve, 2009) * Christian McBride, '' Kind of Brown'' (Mack Avenue, 2009) * Miho Hazama, '' Journey to Journey'' (Verve, 2012) * Roberta Piket, ''One for Marian: Celebrating Marian McPartland'' (Thirteen Note, 2016) * Christian McBride, '' Bringin' It'' (Mack Avenue, 2017) * Christian McBride, '' Live at the Village Vanguard'' (Mack Avenue, 2021)

References

External links

Jazz Corner - Steve WilsonSteve Wilson on Blue Music GroupJazz News - Steve Wilson: Band Leader, Sideman, Historian, Educator, "Jazz Master"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Steve Living people 1961 births American jazz flautists American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists American jazz clarinetists Musicians from Hampton, Virginia Criss Cross Jazz artists Post-bop saxophonists Jazz-funk saxophonists American session musicians 21st-century American saxophonists Jazz musicians from Virginia 21st-century American clarinetists 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Christian McBride Big Band members The Blue Note 7 members Out of the Blue (American band) members 21st-century American flautists