Gerald Wilson • State Street Sweet

 

Biography by Richard S. Ginell
From time to time, Gerald Wilson seemed like one of Los Angeles' better-kept secrets, an unusually skillful, imaginative, and charismatic bandleader who hadn't received his due outside the West Coast. His arrangements were distinctive, often complex voicings and harmonies, rooted in swing and bop, yet always forward-looking and energetic in tone. He liked to play around with structures, which contributed to the restless quality in much of his music, and being a bullfight aficionado, he was one of the first arrangers to make use of Spanish influences. He was consistently able to attract top-rank musicians to his bands, who played with immaculate precision and brio for the flamboyantly gesticulating maestro.

Upon moving from Memphis to Detroit with his family in 1932, Wilson studied music in high school and played with the Plantation Music Orchestra before undergoing the formative experience of his life, working with the Jimmie Lunceford band from 1939 to 1942. Replacing Sy Oliver as arranger, conductor, and trumpet soloist, Wilson learned his craft in the Lunceford band, after which he took off for Los Angeles to play with the bands of Les Hite, Benny Carter, and Willie Smith. Wilson organized his first big band in 1944, which sported an intriguing blend of swing and bop and featured musicians like Melba Liston and Snooky Young. But it only lasted three years, and after playing for Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie in 1947 and 1948, Wilson quit the music business for a while to try his hand in the grocery trade. After a tentative return as a bandleader in 1952, it took a while for him to gradually ease his way back into jazz full-time; he even made appearances as a TV actor.

In 1961, after experimenting with a workshop band for four years, Wilson formed a new orchestra that made a string of successful albums for the Pacific Jazz label throughout the '60s, featuring soloists like Harold Land, Teddy Edwards, Bud Shank, Jack Wilson, and Joe Pass. One tune that he wrote for the Moment of Truth album, "Viva Tirado" (later reprised on Live and Swinging) became a surprise hit single for the Latin rock group El Chicano in 1970. He scored films and TV programs, worked as an arranger for recordings by singers such as Al Hibbler, Bobby Darin, and Johnny Hartman, contributed arrangements to the Duke Ellington band, and wrote music for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He also started a series of hugely entertaining and informative classes in jazz history at California State University, Northridge (then San Fernando Valley State College) in 1970, moving them to UCLA in 1992, and had his own radio program on L.A.'s KBCA-FM from 1969 to 1976.

Wilson continued to lead big bands off and on through the '80s and '90s, as well as running the orchestra for Redd Foxx's NBC shows and serving as one of the Los Angeles jazz scene's more revered elder statesmen. In 1995, he commemorated more than half a century as a leader by releasing State Street Sweet, a vigorous tribute to the durability of his work, and scoring a solid hit at the Playboy Jazz Festival. In 1996, Wilson's life's work was archived by the Library of Congress, and in 1997 he completed Theme for Monterey, a piece commissioned by the Monterey Jazz Festival. In 2003 he recorded New York, New Sound, his debut for Mack Avenue Records, which went on receive a Grammy nomination in the Best Large Jazz Ensemble category. Several albums for Mack Avenue followed with In My Time in 2005, Monterey Moods in 2007, and Detroit in 2009. In 2011, Wilson released his fifth Mack Avenue album, the classical-themed Legacy. However, his health began to decline with his advancing years, and, after contracting pneumonia, Gerald Wilson died at his Los Angeles home in September 2014 at age 96.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gerald-wilson-mn0000946171/biography

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Biografía de Richard S. Ginell
De vez en cuando, Gerald Wilson parecía uno de los secretos mejor guardados de Los Ángeles, un director de banda inusualmente hábil, imaginativo y carismático que no había recibido su merecido fuera de la Costa Oeste. Sus arreglos eran inconfundibles, a menudo con votaciones y armonías complejas, arraigados en el swing y el bop, pero siempre con visión de futuro y un tono enérgico. Le gustaba jugar con las estructuras, lo que contribuía a la calidad inquieta de gran parte de su música, y siendo un aficionado a los toros, fue uno de los primeros arreglistas en hacer uso de las influencias españolas. Siempre conseguía atraer a músicos de primera fila a sus bandas, que tocaban con una precisión y un brío inmaculados para el flamante maestro.

Tras mudarse de Memphis a Detroit con su familia en 1932, Wilson estudió música en el instituto y tocó con la Plantation Music Orchestra antes de vivir la experiencia formativa de su vida, trabajando con la banda de Jimmie Lunceford de 1939 a 1942. Sustituyendo a Sy Oliver como arreglista, director y trompeta solista, Wilson aprendió su oficio en la banda de Lunceford, tras lo cual se marchó a Los Ángeles para tocar con las bandas de Les Hite, Benny Carter y Willie Smith. Wilson organizó su primera big band en 1944, que presentaba una intrigante mezcla de swing y bop y contaba con músicos como Melba Liston y Snooky Young. Pero sólo duró tres años, y después de tocar para Count Basie y Dizzy Gillespie en 1947 y 1948, Wilson dejó el negocio de la música por un tiempo para probar suerte en el comercio de comestibles. Tras un tímido regreso como director de banda en 1952, tardó un tiempo en volver gradualmente al jazz a tiempo completo; incluso hizo apariciones como actor de televisión.

En 1961, después de experimentar con una banda de taller durante cuatro años, Wilson formó una nueva orquesta que realizó una serie de exitosos álbumes para el sello Pacific Jazz a lo largo de los años 60, con solistas como Harold Land, Teddy Edwards, Bud Shank, Jack Wilson y Joe Pass. Uno de los temas que escribió para el álbum Moment of Truth, "Viva Tirado" (que luego se repitió en Live and Swinging), se convirtió en un éxito sorpresa para el grupo de rock latino El Chicano en 1970. Compuso películas y programas de televisión, trabajó como arreglista para grabaciones de cantantes como Al Hibbler, Bobby Darin y Johnny Hartman, contribuyó con arreglos a la banda de Duke Ellington y escribió música para la Filarmónica de Los Ángeles. También inició una serie de clases enormemente entretenidas e informativas sobre la historia del jazz en la Universidad Estatal de California, Northridge (entonces San Fernando Valley State College) en 1970, trasladándolas a la UCLA en 1992, y tuvo su propio programa de radio en la KBCA-FM de Los Ángeles de 1969 a 1976.

Wilson continuó dirigiendo grandes bandas durante los años 80 y 90, además de dirigir la orquesta de los programas de Redd Foxx en la NBC y ser uno de los hombres mayores más venerados de la escena del jazz de Los Ángeles. En 1995, conmemoró más de medio siglo como líder publicando State Street Sweet, un vigoroso homenaje a la durabilidad de su obra, y consiguiendo un sólido éxito en el Playboy Jazz Festival. En 1996, la Biblioteca del Congreso archivó la obra de toda una vida de Wilson, y en 1997 completó Theme for Monterey, una pieza encargada por el Festival de Jazz de Monterey. En 2003 grabó New York, New Sound, su debut para Mack Avenue Records, que recibió una nominación al Grammy en la categoría de mejor conjunto de jazz. Le siguieron varios álbumes para Mack Avenue con In My Time en 2005, Monterey Moods en 2007 y Detroit en 2009. En 2011, Wilson publicó su quinto álbum para Mack Avenue, el de temática clásica Legacy. Sin embargo, su salud empezó a decaer con el paso de los años y, tras contraer una neumonía, Gerald Wilson falleció en su casa de Los Ángeles en septiembre de 2014 a la edad de 96 años.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gerald-wilson-mn0000946171/biography

Tracklist:
1 - State Street Sweet - 2:46
2 - Lakeshore Drive - 6:04
3 - Lighthouse Blues - 7:48
4 - Come Back To Sorrento - 5:19
5 - The Serpent - 4:03
6 - The Feather - 5:54
7 - Caprichos - 6:28
8 - Jammin' In C - 8:47
9 - Carlos - 6:35
10 - Nancy Jo - 2:21


Credits:
    Alto Saxophone – John Stephens (2), Randall Willis
    Arranged By, Conductor – Gerald Wilson
    Baritone Saxophone – Jack Nimitz
    Bass – Trey Henry
    Bass Trombone – Maurice Spears
    Copyist – Josefina Wilson
    Creative Director – Louis M. Sapienza
    Design – Rhion Magee
    Drums – Mel Lee
    Engineer [Assistant, Mix] – Jim Giddens, Peter Doell, Steve Genewich*
    Engineer [Recording] – Charlie Paakkari
    Executive-Producer – Connie Czerwinski, Douglas Evans, Gene Czerwinski
    Guitar – Anthony Wilson
    Liner Notes – Gary G. Vercelli
    Mastered By – Dan Hersch
    Mixed By – Douglas Evans
    Photography By – Jay Van Pelt, Josefina Wilson, Nancy Jo Wilson, Walter Mladina
    Piano – Brian O'Rourke
    Producer – Douglas Evans, Gerald Wilson
    Soloist, Guitar – Eric Otis (tracks: 3, 7)
    Soloist, Tenor Saxophone – Plas Johnson (tracks: 4)
    Soloist, Trumpet – Ron Barrows (tracks: 9)
    Tenor Saxophone – Carl Randall, Louis Taylor
    Trombone – Alex Iles (tracks: 6 to 9), Charlie Loper*, Ira Nepus, Thurman Green (tracks: 1 to 5, 10)
    Trumpet – Bob Clark* (tracks: 3, 4, 6 to 9), Bobby Shew (tracks: 3, 6 to 9), Frank Szabo (tracks: 1 to 5, 10), George Graham (2) (tracks: 1 to 5, 10), Snooky Young, Tony Lujan (tracks: 1, 2, 5 to 10)


Label: MAMA Foundation ‎– MMF 1010
Released: 1995
Genre: Jazz
Style: Big Band
https://www.discogs.com/The-Gerald-Wilson-Orchestra-State-Street-Sweet/release/5874946

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