Born................... March 15, 1928 in New York.
Instruments...... Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone.
Musical Style.... Classic Jazz.
Influences........... Sidney Bechet, Benny Goodman, Johnny Hodges and Coleman Hawkins.
Bob Wilber is an internationally renowned instrumentalist, arranger and composer who has
been a leading figure in keeping the spirit of classic jazz alive.
His association with jazz came about at an early age. He recalls having heard “Mood
Indigo” by Duke Ellington when he was only three years old! In high school he studied
clarinet and then formed a band with Dick Wellstood and Ed Hubble known as “The
Wildcats”. This band of teenagers went on to sit in at Jimmy Ryan’s club in New
York. During this time he studied and lived with Sidney Bechet. In 1948 he played at the
Nice Jazz Festival and toured France with Mezz Mezzrow. Then for two years he led a band
at Boston’s Savoy Club.
By the 1950’s Wilber was searching for his own voice, studying classical clarinet
with Leon Russianoff and jazz with Lennie Tristano and Lee Konitz. In 1954 he formed
“The Six” a group that combined elements of traditional and modern jazz. After
two years of touring and recording three LP’s he joined Eddie Condon’s band,
playing at Eddie’s club and touring England. He wound up the decade playing with
Bobby Hackett in New York and touring with Benny Goodman’s big band.
In the 1960’s Wilber was freelancing in New York with the likes of Ruby Braff and Bud
Freeman, making records for Music Minus One and working for Jackie Gleason with Max
Kaminski’s band. In 1968 his “Music of Hoagy Charmichael” LP was nominated
for a Grammy Award. In 1969 Wilber became a founding member of the “World’s
Greatest Jazz Band”, led by Yank Lawson and Bob Haggart that featured Bud Freeman,
Billy Butterfield, Ralph Sutton and other stars. He stayed with them until 1974 when he
teamed up with Kenny Davern to form “Soprano Summit” which featured the unique
sound of two soprano saxophones. They toured the US, Europe and South Africa, recording
nine LPs. He also was on the board of The New York Jazz Repertory Orchestra which gave a
series of concerts at Carnegie Hall and toured Russia in 1975. In 1981 he and his wife,
singer Pug Horton, formed “The Bechet Legacy”, a six piece band which set out to
celebrate the musical heritage of Sidney Bechet. During this time they set up their own
record label Bodeswell and recorded seven LPs including The Bechet Legacy, Reflections and
The Music of King Oliver’s Jazz Band. He arranged the Ellington recreations for the
movie “The Cotton Club” in 1984 for director Francis Ford Coppola which won him
a Grammy. In 1983 he became the first director of The Smithsonian Jazz Repertory Ensemble
which toured the United States for three years. In 1988 Wilber led bands at both Carnegie
Hall in New York and Royal Festival Hall in London to celebrate the 50th anniversary of
Benny Goodman’s famous 1938 concert. Since then he has continued to lead his small
groups and large orchestras for work around the world. He also received critical acclaim
when he wrote his memoirs “Music Was Not Enough.” In 1996 Wilber received
“The Three Key Award” at the Bern Jazz Festival. (Previous recipients were Oscar
Peterson, Benny Carter, Milt Hinton, Clark Terry and George Wein).
To this day Bob Wilber continues to create and play music that is a tasteful and exciting
exploration of classic jazz. He has been nominated to receive an Honorary Doctorate of
Music from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York in 1998. (Past awards have gone to Sweets
Edison, Milt Hinton, Clark Terry and Marian McPartland).
Discography
8001... CD... Bob Wilber Big Band - Bufadora Blow-Up... ARCD 19187
8002... CD... Nostalgia...ARCD 19145
8003...CD... Bean:Bob Wilber’s Tribute To Coleman Hawkins...ARCD 19144
8004...CD... Horns A-Plenty...ARCD 19135
8010...CD... The Clarinet Trios, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms...ARTE CD7107
8020...CD... Close As Pages In A Book...ACD 203
8021...CD... Don’t Go Away (Pug Horton)...ACD 212
8022...CD... Music Of Hoagy Carmichael...ACD 220
8030...CD... Lillette Jenkins Plays The Music Of Lil Hardin Armstrong...CRD 302
8031...CD... Summit Reunion...CRD 302
8032...CD... Summit Reunion 1992 Live At The Floating Jazz Festival...CRD 324
8033...CD... Yellow Dog Blues - Summit Reunion...CRD 339
8034...CD... Soprano Summit...CRD 148
8035...CD... Teddy Wilson And His All Stars...CRD 150
8036...CD... Bob Wilber And The Scott Hamilton Quartet...CRD 171
8040...CD... Dancing On A Rainbow (BW’s Crescent City Cats)...CCD 159
8050...CD... Ode To Bechet (Bechet Legacy)...JCD 142
8051...CD... On The Road (Bechet Legacy)...JCD 214
8060...CD... Hungaria with Fapy Lafertin, guitar...LJFL 02
8070...CD... Summit Reunion - Live In Hamburg...CD 015
8071...CD... Bechet Legacy - Live In Hamburg...CD 028
8080...CD... Bob Wilber/Dany Doriz - Memories Of You: Lionel And Benny...BB 897.2
8090...CD... Bob Wilber/Dick Wellstood Duets...PCD 7080
8091...CD... Bob Wilber A Man And His Music...PCD 7094
8100...CD... Bob Wilber/Arne Domnerus - Rapturous Reeds...PHONTCD7517
8101...CD...Bob Wilber/Antti Sarpila - Moments Like This...PHONTNCD 881
8102...CD...Bob Wilber/American All Stars - I’m In The Mood For Swing...PHONTCD 7526
8110...CD... Lush Life with Billy Strayhorn...COL 52760
8120...CD... Soprano Summit - Live At Illiana Jazz Club, 1976...STCD 8254