Bob Wilber

Bob Wilber ( born March 15, 1928 in New York) is an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist (alto, soprano, tenor), arranger and composer has emerged in recent decades, especially in the hot jazz.

Life and work

Wilber had already been formed in high school a band "The Wildcats " with Dick Wellstood and Ed Hubble. He studied with Sidney Bechet and appeared in 1948 on the Nice Jazz Festival, after which he toured with Mezz Mezzrow by France. After his return he was in charge his own band at the Savoy Club in Boston. He studied classical clarinet with Leon Russianoff and was at the same time students of Cool jazz musician Lennie Tristano and Lee Konitz. In 1954, he tried to link these more modern influences with traditional jazz with his band "The Six". In the late 1950s he played with Eddie Condon ( in the clubs and on tour in England ), with Bobby Hackett and the Benny Goodman Orchestra.

In the 1960s, he worked in New York, among others with Bud Freeman, Ruby Braff and Max Kaminsky. In 1969, he was with Yank Lawson and Bob Haggart founder of the " World's Greatest Jazz Band ", which also Bud Freeman, Billy Butterfield and Ralph Sutton played. In 1974 he formed with saxophonist and clarinetist Kenny Davern "Soprano Summit " after their interaction on clarinet and saxophone already at one of the Colorado Jazz Parties was a success. In 1975 he was in the "New York Jazz Repertory Orchestra" at Carnegie Hall concerts and Russia on a tour. From 1981 he devoted himself with his singer - wife Pug Horton the legacy of his teacher, Sidney Bechet in the band "The Bechet Legacy". For him arranged by film music ( in the style of Duke Ellington ) for " Cotton Club " (1984, directed by Francis Ford Coppola ), he was awarded a Grammy. In 1983, he was the first director of the " Smithsonian Jazz Repertory Ensemble". In 1988, he headed to the Big Bands 50 - year anniversary of Benny Goodman's famous Carnegie Hall concert ( at Carnegie Hall in New York and London). In 1988 his autobiography "Music Was not Enough" by Oxford University Press.

In 1998 he received an honorary doctorate from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York.