About Ernie Wilkins
Ernie Wilkins was born July 20 1919 inSt. Louis and died June 5 1999 inDenmark after having suffered a stroke. Ernie Wilkins made a name for himself when he in 1952 came to New York to join the Count Basie Orchestra – on recommendation by his childhood friend Clark Terry.
Basie and his orchestra were experiencing a down cycle but had a terrific revival, when Wilkins started to write for them. Ernie Wilkins made his reputation as a fantastic arranger. He has since been proclaimed one of the 20th Century’s greatest jazz arrangers. He arranged and wrote for the biggest jazz names in history: Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Cannonball Adderley, Clark Terry, Oscar Peterson, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington and Joe Williams to name a few.
Ernie Wilkins kept evolving as an arranger and composer during his years residing in Denmark. He was a very active participant throughout the evolution of jazz from his adolescent years in St. Louis until he had a stroke at almost 72. All of this is reflected in the repertoire he wrote for his beloved Almost Big Band.
About The Almost Big Band
Ernie Wilkins moved to Denmark in 1979 and formed his Almost Big Band in 1980. It was a dream come true. He handpicked every one of the musicians for his orchestra and made sure they were all first rate musicians. He was impressed by the overwhelming mass of jazz talent in Copenhagen among which were several famous ex-patriots such Kenny Drew, Ed Thigpen, Shahib Shihab and Richard Boone. He wanted great soloists as well as good ensemble musicians. He loved his orchestra and enjoyed writing for his own musicians, which is evident on all the records recorded with this big band. This ”small” big band or the Almost Big Band consisting of twelve sounds like a complete big band due to Ernie Wilkins’ compact arrangements. The music is practically transparent.
During this time they played throughout Europe until Wilkins’ took ill in 1991. They recorded four albums. After this the band was inactive until the year 2000, when the Almost Big Band came together to pay tribute to Ben Websters 90th anniversary. The orchestra discovered at that occasion how much they had missed the splendid music that lay there waiting to be played. The bands baritone player Per Goldschmidt was called on to be the new bandleader. He lifts the band’s musicians to give it their all again and again and explains this by saying that Ernie is sitting on a cloud above keeping an eye on them.
Critics have called the band: ”A high-class orchestra”, ”A musical monster”, ”Big enough to shout like a full orchestra yet flexible enough to swing like a combo”.
The Ernie Wilkins’ Almost Big Band has since 2000 been quite active. They have performed at Ronnie Scott’s in London, a tour of the United States is underway and they have played several concerts in Denmark, among them with stars such as Clark Terry and Jon Faddis on trumpet. It has produced a CD and a half-our television appearance.
Today the band consists of many of the musicians Ernie originally chose. We strive to keep on the original musicians – some are, however, not among us anymore, like Ernie.
Orchestra line-up
Trumpet:Benny Rosenfeld, Palle Bolvig, Thomas Fryland
Trombone: Peter Jensen, Lea Nielsen
Saxophone: Jan zum Vohrde, Pernille Bevort, Jan Harbeck, Per Goldschmidt (band leader)
Piano:Nikolaj Bentzon
Bass: Jesper Lundgaard
Drums:Aage Tanggaard
In other words a great family consisting of the ultimate Danish elite of young, old and in-between.
About Per Goldschmidt/ Bandleader:
Per Goldschmidt was born March 11 1943. Bandleader and baritone saxophonist, member of the Ernie Wilkins’ Almost Big Band from the beginning in 1980. He has played with a long list of musicians in and outside of Denmark. He tours annually with some of his more progressive colleagues from Sweden, Norway, Germany, Poland and the Baltic States. Concerts at the Pori Jazz festival with Nick Brignola and Ronnie Cuber in a tribute to the late Gerry Mulligan. Has in the last two years toured with his own quartet consisting of Nikolaj Bentzon, Thomas Ovesen and Frands Rifbjerg.
When the Ernie Wilkins’ Almost Big Band came back on the scene Per Goldschmidt was the obvious choice for bandleader. Under his direction the band has played many successful concerts with Clark Terry, soon to be released on CD, and Jon Faddis which was broadcast on DR TV, and of course without star performers in front; the band is rich on excellent soloists..
Goldschmidt was labeled ”The Wild Man” by Wilkins due to his untraditional unpredictable style with an extraordinary range, not matched by any other baritone players. He has an advanced sense of harmony, closer related to tenor saxophonists like Joe Henderson and Michael Brecker than any of his baritone colleagues, although you can’t compare him to those two tenor sax-players. He also plays ballads with great lyrical sensitivity.
2003
The Ernie Wilkins’ Almost Big Band continues to play the prominent Ellington repertoire with the wonderful Swedish clarinet player Putte Wickman. Ernie Wilkins wrote these great arrangements
in 1990 as a tribute to Duke on what would have been his 90th birthday. Prior to getting hold of this terrific music it had only been performed once in Paris with an all-star American band that Ernie Wilkins put together for the occasion. This resulted in the record KALEIDODUKE.
The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band becomes a Special Ensemble in Denmark; five cities and one county in Northern Zealand have put the band under contract thereby financing concerts, clinics and workshops for hopeful young musicians. On September 4th the mayor will present the Almost Big Band followed by a concert featuring Putte Wickman at KarleboCity Hall.
On September 4th and 5th the Almost continues with Putte Wickman to Odense and Vejle.
On November 12-14th the Almost Big Band features British tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Tony Coe, the first non-American to win the Jazzpar prize. It will be a mixed repertoire also featuring
two of Tony Coe’s compositions. Concerts will be held at Duncker’s in Helsingborg , Sweden November 12th, Esrum Kloster, Denmark September 13th and The Copenhagen Jazzhouse September 14th.
2004
A busy year for the Almost Big Band. Check concert schedule.
We are transcribing Ernie Wilkins’ compositions and arrangements for vocals. Male and female. “In The Land of Hi-fi” with Sarah Vaughan and two Dinah Washington tunes. Also everything from ”Rah!” recorded with Mark Murphy.
The collaboration continues with Swedish clarinettist Putte Wickman. The Ernie Wilkins’ Almost Big Band will release a recording in 2005 featuring the great Ellington repertoire.
In the last two weeks of October 2004 the band is looking forward to featuring trumpet great Randy Brecker with concerts in Denmark, Sweden, France and Germany. The concert will be recorded in Ingolstadt, Germany. Also
a documentary crew will record the concert and interview Randy Brecker and Jenny Wilkins.
The future
2005
New vocal arrangements for ladies and gents. We have transcribed all the songs Ernie Wilkins wrote for Sarah Vaughan on the album In the Land of Hifi and two tunes he arranged for Dinah Washington. And everything
from the album Rah! which Ernie did for Mark Murphy.
On vocals Bobo Moreno and Cæcilie Nordby, - and possibly a recording with Mark Murphy and Dianne Reeves.
It’s finally here! We have recorded the tribute to Duke Ellington featuring Putte Wickman. A fantastic musician
– his clarinette is out of this world. And the band sounds good too. Look for this in the shops this coming Spring.
We are looking for a label to put it out. And we have more concerts coming up.
Summer tour with Randy Brecker. A great collaboration. What a thrill to work with this man. So full of jazz.
Look for us in late July and early August.
ALMOST GOES UTMOST – What a fun venue. Many of our subs have complained. They think the horn sections
in the band should be expanded; four trombones, four trumpets, five saxes and two pianists. We just might do that
for at couple of concerts. And we can do it too! Ernie wrote the music for it.
2006
Big blast in the Spring – Wait and see
New albums
Possibly a DVD in the works
Contact
Manager Charlotte Armstrong
The Ernie Wilkins’ Almost Big Band
Halmtorvet 30, 5
1700 Copenhagen, Denmark
Phone & fax: +45 – 33 23 09 86
Cell phone: + 45 – 22 83 09 86
E-mail: