Ernie Wilkins
Ernest Brooks Wilkins Jr. (July 20, 1919 – June 5, 1999) was an American jazz saxophonist, conductor and arranger who spent several years with Count Basie. He also wrote for Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, and Dizzy Gillespie. He was musical director for albums by Cannonball Adderley, Dinah Washington, Oscar Peterson, and Buddy Rich. Early career. Wilkins was born in St. Louis, Missouri. In his early career he played in a military band, before joining Earl Hines's last big band. He worked with Count Basie from 1951 to 1955, eventually leaving to work free-lance as a jazz arranger  and songwriter. His success declined in the 1960s, but revived after work with Clark Terry, leading to a tour of Europe. Final years in Denmark. Eventually Wilkins settled in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he would live for the rest of his life. There he formed the Almost Big Band so he could write for a band of his own formation. The idea was partly inspired by his wife Jenny. Copenhagen had a thriving jazz scene with several promising jazz musicians as well as a well-established community of expatriate American jazz musicians which had formed in the 1950s and now included  representatives like Kenny Drew and Ed Thigpen who joined the band along with Danish saxophonist Jesper Thilo. The band released four albums, but after 1991 he became too ill to do much with it. Wilkins was responsible for orchestral arrangements on 1972's self-titled album by Alice Clark, on Mainstream Records. Ernie Wilkins died in Copenhagen on June 5, 1999 of a stroke. He has a street named after him in southern Copenhagen, "Ernie Wilkins Vej" (Ernie Wilkins Street). Discography. As sideman/arranger. With Count Basie With Louis Bellson With DR Big Band With Rob Franken With Maynard Ferguson  With Dizzy Gillespie With Al Grey With Joe Newman As composer/arranger. With Ernestine Anderson With Count Basie With Ray Brown With Kenny Clarke With Jimmy Cleveland With Al Cohn With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis With Maynard Ferguson With Dizzy Gillespie With Freddie Green With Milt Jackson With Harry James With Quincy Jones With Sam Jones With Mark Murphy With Charles McPherson With Joe Newman With Herb Pomeroy With Rex Stewart and Cootie Williams With Sarah Vaughan and the Count Basie Orchestra With Dinah Washington With Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson With Charles Williams