Teddy Wilson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the American actor, see Theodore Wilson. For other uses, see Ted Wilson
(disambiguation).
Teddy Wilson
Teddy Wilson (William P Gottlieb).jpg
Wilson at the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C., 1940
Background information
Birth name Theodore Shaw Wilson
Born November 24, 1912
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Died July 31, 1986 (aged 73)
New Britain, Connecticut, U.S,
Genres Jazz
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments Piano
Associated acts Louis Armstrong, Earl Hines, Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Lena
Horne, Benny Goodman
Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 � July 31, 1986)[1] was an American jazz
pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as "the definitive swing pianist",[2]
Wilson's sophisticated and elegant style was featured on the records of many of the
biggest names in jazz, including Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Benny Goodman, Billie
Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald. With Goodman, he was one of the first black musicians
to appear prominently with white musicians. In addition to his extensive work as a
sideman, Wilson also led his own groups and recording sessions from the late 1920s
to the 1980s.

Contents [hide]
1 Biography
2 Select discography
2.1 As leader
2.2 As sideman
3 References
4 External links
Biography[edit]
Wilson was born in Austin, Texas, on November 24, 1912. He studied piano and violin
at Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama. After working in Speed Webb's band,
with Louis Armstrong, and also understudying Earl Hines in Hines's Grand Terrace
Cafe Orchestra, Wilson joined Benny Carter's Chocolate Dandies in 1933. In 1935, he
joined the Benny Goodman Trio (which consisted of Goodman, Wilson and drummer Gene
Krupa, later expanded to the Benny Goodman Quartet with the addition of Lionel
Hampton). The trio performed during the big band's intermissions. By joining the
trio, Wilson became one of the first black musicians to perform prominently in a
racially integrated group.

Jazz producer and writer John Hammond was instrumental in getting Wilson a contract
with Brunswick, starting in 1935, to record hot swing arrangements of the popular
songs of the day, with the growing jukebox trade in mind. He recorded fifty hit
records with various singers such as Lena Horne, Helen Ward and Billie Holiday,
including many of Holiday's greatest successes. During these years, he also took
part in many highly regarded sessions with a wide range of important swing
musicians such as Lester Young, Roy Eldridge, Charlie Shavers, Red Norvo, Buck
Clayton, Sarah Vaughan and Ben Webster. From 1936 to 1942 he recorded for Brunswick
Records and Columbia Records. In the 1950s he recorded on Verve Records.

Wilson formed his own short-lived big band in 1939, then led a sextet at Caf�
Society from 1940 to 1944. He was dubbed the "Marxist Mozart" by Howard "Stretch"
Johnson due to his support for left-wing causes: he performed in benefit concerts
for The New Masses journal and for Russian War Relief, and he chaired the Artists'
Committee to elect Benjamin J. Davis (a New York City council member running on the
Communist Party USA ballot line).[3] In the 1950s, Wilson taught at the Juilliard
School. Wilson can be seen appearing as himself in the 1955 motion picture The
Benny Goodman Story. He also worked as music director for the Dick Cavett Show.

Wilson lived quietly in suburban Hillsdale, New Jersey.[4] He was married three
times, including to the songwriter Irene Kitchings. He performed as a soloist and
with pick-up groups until the final years of his life, including leading a trio
with his sons Theodore Wilson on bass and Steven Wilson on drums.[5]

In 1979, Wilson was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of
Music. [6]

Wilson died in New Britain, Connecticut, on July 31, 1986; he was 73. He is buried
at Fairview Cemetery in New Britain. In addition to Theodore and Steven, Wilson had
three more children, William, James (Jim) and Dune and three grandchildren, James
II, Olivia and Liam Wilson.[7]

Select discography[edit]

Wilson at a Benny Goodman rehearsal, 1950

As leader[edit]
1944: Teddy Wilson Sextet (The Onyx Club New York Original Live Recordings)
1949: Teddy Wilson Featuring Billie Holiday
1952: Runnin' Wild (MGM)
1952: Just A Mood - Teddy Wilson Quartet Starring Harry James & Red Norvo (Columbia
EP B-1569/5-1277)
1955: The Creative Teddy Wilson (Norgran) - also released as For Quiet Lovers
(Verve)
1956: Pres and Teddy (Verve) with Lester Young
1956: I Got Rhythm (Verve)
1956: The Impeccable Mr. Wilson (Verve)
1956: These Tunes Remind Me of You (Verve)
1957: The Teddy Wilson Trio & Gerry Mulligan Quartet with Bob Brookmeyer at Newport
(Verve)
1957: The Touch of Teddy Wilson (Verve)
1959: Mr. Wilson and Mr. Gershwin (Columbia)
1959: "Gypsy" in Jazz (Columbia)
1959: And Then They Wrote... (Columbia)
1972: With Billie in Mind
1972: Moonglow (Black Lion)
1973: Runnin' Wild (Recorded live at the Montreux Festival) (Black Lion)
1976: Live at Santa Tecla
1980: Teddy Wilson Trio Revisits the Goodman Years
1990: Air Mail Special
As sideman[edit]
1933�1942: Billie Holiday, The Quintessential Billie Holiday (Volumes 1-9)
(Columbia)
1935: Mildred Bailey, Mildred Bailey and Her Alley Cats[8] (Columbia)
1935�1939: Benny Goodman, The Complete RCA Victor Small Group Recordings (RCA)
1938: Benny Goodman, The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert (Columbia)
1946-1947: Sarah Vaughan, The Chronological Classics: Sarah Vaughan 1946-1947
(Classics)
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "NEA Jazz Master: Teddy Wilson, Pianist, Arranger, Educator". National
Endowment for the Arts. Archived from the original on 2012-05-15. Retrieved 2012-
06-17.
Jump up ^ Yanow, Scott. "Teddy Wilson Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network.
Retrieved 24 February 2016.
Jump up ^ Denning, Michael (1996). The Cultural Front: The Laboring of American
Culture in the Twentieth Century. New York: Verso. p. 317. ISBN 978-1844674640.
Jump up ^ "Jersey Is Home To Teddy Wilson; One Son Is a Teacher". The New York
Times. July 1, 1973. Mr. Wilson settled in Hillsdale 10 years ago, when he and his
present wife, were married.
Jump up ^ "Teddy Wilson Profile". Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians. jazz.com.
Retrieved 4 May 2013.
Jump up ^ https://books.google.com/books?id=9t2Ak-km4zwC&pg=PA84-IA8&lpg=PA84-
IA8&dq=teddy+wilson+honorary+doctorate+berklee&source=bl&ots=8hpbWYX_i9&sig=yO0Dse0
FDMzRa4sHd1T9PD4G81g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwig0KPa1vTTAhWGOyYKHWceDgwQ6AEIKDAB#v=one
page&q=teddy%20wilson%20honorary%20doctorate%20berklee&f=false
Jump up ^ "Teddy Wilson Dies; Pianist and Leader Of 30's Jazz Combos". The New York
Times. Associated Press. 1 August 1986.
Jump up ^ Hemming, Roy. Mildred Bailey (liner notes). Decca Records. p. 5. GRD-644.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Teddy Wilson.
Teddy Wilson discography at Discogs
Teddy Wilson on IMDb
Teddy Wilson at Find a Grave
Authority control
WorldCat Identities VIAF: 111732508 LCCN: n81149139 ISNI: 0000 0000 8178 453X GND:
119499991 SUDOC: 082302480 BNF: cb13901232j (data) MusicBrainz: 2e89725a-ac85-414c-
b3b2-70f0a82fae9a NKC: xx0022560 BNE: XX868451 SNAC: w6gx4g51
Categories: 1912 births1986 deathsMusicians from Austin, TexasPeople from
Hillsdale, New JerseyBig band bandleadersSwing pianistsMainstream jazz
pianistsAfrican-American musiciansAmerican jazz pianistsTuskegee University
alumniJuilliard School facultyBrunswick Records artistsColumbia Records
artistsVerve Records artistsAmerican jazz educatorsBenny Goodman Orchestra
membersMusicraft Records artists20th-century American pianists
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This page was last edited on 3 January 2018, at 03:43.
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