Ernest Brooks Wilkins Jr. was born on July 20, 1922 in St. Louis, Missouri. Wilkins grew up in a city rich with jazz blues where he was exposed to music early on. St. Louis in the 1930s shared many cultural influences with Kansas City, where mob-run clubs shaped a lively blues-centric sound.[2] The music prioritized high quality over more experimental styles. Wilkins developed as a strong musician when he initially learned how to play piano and violin before taking up tenor saxophone in his teenage years. Ernie played tenor sax and clarinet with his brother Jimmy Wilkins, trombonist on "The Sumner High School Swingsters." Through band competition he met Clark Terry who was the band leader for the Vashon High School Swingsters, a rival high school band. Clark Terry was just a year and seven months older than described Ernie as being "Such a nice cat, His brother, Jimmy, too. Ernie wrote and arranged original jazz. It was so hip!"[3] He later studied music formally at Wilberforce University in Ohio, where he honed his skills and began to understand the nuanced styles of jazz arrangement and composition.Wilkins enlisted and served in the U.S. military during the 1940s. While in the military, Ernie played the trumpet with band leaders Gerald Wilson and altonist Willie Smith.[3]
Career
After his military service, Wilkins joined piano virtuoso Earl Hines's last big band in 1948, which further established him as a respected jazz musician and introduced him to the big band composition that would later define his career.[2] In 1949-1950, Wilkins recorded with George Hudson's band and did two sessions with backing Dinah Washington with the Teddy Stewart Orchestra.[3] In 1951, Wilkins got a big break when his childhood friend and fellow jazz musician Clark Terry introduced him to Count Basie. The conversation took place in a steam room where Basie told Terry he was in need of an alto saxophonist; Terry immediately thought of Wilkins and reached out to him, asking him to join the band and “bring his alto,” despite Wilkins being primarily a tenor player at the time.[4] Basie's band, struggling at the time, found new life through Wilkins’s arrangements. As Terry later stated, “The band was at its lowest and along came Ernie and wrote them a hit.” On May 6, 1951 Ernie and his brother performed with Count Basie' s band on a WNEW radio broadcast.[3] Wilkins's first major arrangement for Basie in 1955 was “Every Day I Have the Blues”, a song originally written for vocalist Joe Williams that became a defining hit and one of the best-selling jazz records of all time. Other tracks like “Teach Me Tonight” and “Roll ’Em Pete” brought a fresh, energetic sound to Basie’s band, helping to revive its reputation and influence in the 1950s jazz scene. Other notable standards that Wilkins created for the Basie group included “Basie Power,” “Way Out Basie” and “Right On, Right On.” In the late 1950s, Wilkins performed with and arranged music for Gillespie’s band, and later wrote for Tommy Dorsey's and Harry James' orchestras. Ernie Wilkins provided the arrangements for The Count Basie/Sarah Vaughan Sessions which featured Frank Wess, Joe Newman, Snooky Young, Billy Mitchell, Al Grey, Freddie Green and Marshal Royal, along with Jones and Foster. Wilkins was able to reimagine the blues in his own way that coordinated well with Basie’s band making them a huge hit. The success of this arrangement led to the Basie band's return to stardom and helped Williams's career take off as well. He also arranged music for celebrated artists like Sarah Vaughan and Buddy Rich. Various sources concluded that James band played Mr. Wilkins's style as well or better than anyone including the Basie band.[2] Wilkin's work during this period displayed his ability to tailor arrangements to the specific strengths of each band and artist, a skill that earned him widespread respect in the jazz community. In 1959 Ernie Wilkins collaborated with Melba Liston to write music as she toured Europe with the musical Free and Easy in the Quincy Jones orchestra. Wilkins was in charge of developing the hard-swingin Basie-type numbers.[5]
Personal Life
In the 1960s Wilkins faced personal challenges which included a heroin addiction that led to a temporary decline in his career. Many stopped offering him work due to his struggles, but Clark Terry continued to support him by inviting him to collaborate on several projects throughout the 1970s in his group Big B-A-D Band.[6]In the band Wilkins became a music director and principal composer. In the band Wilkins recorded music and also featured in a four-minute solo on “One Foot in the Gutter.” Wilkins remained in the band throughout the seventies. From 1971 to 1973 Wilkins was also the head of the artists and repertory division of Mainstream Records. Wilkins eventually overcame his addiction, returning to prominence as a composer and arranger. He married Jenny, with whom he had two children.
Final years in Denmark
In 1979, Wilkins managed to remain close with his family and found a second home in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he would live for the rest of his life. His move to Europe represented both a fresh start and an opportunity to contribute to Copenhagen’s jazz scene, which was vibrant with both local and expatriate musicians. Wilkins assembled a 13-piece ensemble called the Almost Big Band.The idea was partly inspired by his wife Jenny.[6]
The band was successful in part due to Wilkins's abilities to swing scores. The Almost Big Band performed extensively, including a co-led Copenhagen gig Live at Montmartre (Storyville) in June 1975, with Horace Parlan on piano, Mads Vinding on bass and Bjarne Rostvold on drums. Wilkins was responsible for orchestral arrangements on 1972's self-titled album by Alice Clark (Mainstream Records), a highly sought-after collectible today. In the 1980s Ernie Wilkins and Clark Terry recorded albums in Denmark and appeared at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1983.[7] In the same year he went to Paris to record some of his compositions with an all-star lineup, which included former colleagues from the Count Basie Orchestra. In January 1991 Wilkins visited England to conduct the Danish Radio Big Band in a performance of his works, including the recently rediscovered Suite for Jazz Band, a composition written 30 years prior. This concert in Croydon was recorded and released on the Hep label.[2] Ernie Wilkins died in Copenhagen on June 5, 1999, following a stroke.
He has a street named after him in southern Copenhagen, "Ernie Wilkins Vej" (Ernie Wilkins Street).[8]
Styles and influences
Ernie Wilkins style as an arranger used the swing of traditional big bands with that rhythmic drive in combination with the straightforward power of the blues. His upbringing in St. Louis, where the blues was deeply embedded in the musical landscape, influenced his approach to arrangement. His arrangements were described as “punchy, crackling, and as emphatic as exclamation marks,” breathing new life into big band jazz at a time when the genre was struggling to stay relevant.[9] Wilkins’s approach to arranging was centered around his deep understanding of each instrument’s role within the orchestra. His arrangements often used call-and-response patterns and dynamic contrasts to build tension, allowing each section of the band to shine individually while contributing to a cohesive whole. His ability to write intricate yet accessible arrangements made him a favorite among bandleaders, including Quincy Jones and Frank Foster. Wilkins also wrote with a focus on maximizing the strengths of individual players, which gave his arrangements a uniquely personal touch.[10] Wilkins was particularly adept at transforming simple melodies into complex, swinging arrangements that could engage both musicians and audiences. His works often included riffs that were strong yet unadorned, a testament to his belief in the power of musical simplicity.
In his work with Basie, Wilkins developed a style that emphasized interlocking riffs and strong ensemble passages. His arrangements were known for their precise, exuberant qualities that perfectly suited the Basie band’s swing-oriented sound. Wilkins's style was punchy, crackling, and as emphatic as a series of exclamation marks. His music was known for its precision and exuberance, characterized by interlocking riffs and powerful ensemble sections.
In an interview Christian McBride American bassist and composer when asked who was his favorite band leader from the swingear he mentioned, "I love the post-swing big band era as well with Quincy Jones and Thad Jones. Ernie Wilkins, Frank Foster, Gil Evans—all those cats. They each had something I really loved a lot."[9]
Legacy
Ernie Wilkins left an enduring legacy as one of the foremost arrangers and composers of the 1950s big band revival. His work with Count Basie is often credited with helping to bring big band jazz back into popularity, making the Basie band “swing with exuberance” and earning it a new generation of fans.[3] The song "Every Day I Have The Blues" became a chart. His arrangements were precise and exuberant, made of interlocking riffs and strong ensemble passages.
In recognition of his contributions, Wilkins received the 1981 Ben Webster Prize, one of Denmark’s highest jazz honors. In Copenhagen, a street was named after him: “Ernie Wilkins Vej” (Ernie Wilkins Street), reflecting the lasting impact he had on the local jazz scene. In recognition of his contributions, Wilkins received the 1981 Ben Webster Prize. The Almost Big Band in Denmark recorded several albums, including performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival and with the Danish Radio Big Band.[6] The highlights of the 2006 Portugal Estoril Jazz Festival, revisited notable performers which included the Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band.[7]
Count Basie wrote in his memoir "Good Morning Blues, "Mr.Wilkins had a lot to do with how the band began to sound." Wilkins's work has been described as fundamental to the rebirth of big band jazz, and his influence can be seen in the arrangements of modern big band composers and conductors.[11]
Wilkins's influence on big band jazz has left a lasting mark in jazz history, and his work has continued to inspire musicians and arrangers. Christian McBride mentioned Wilkins among his favorite arrangers, highlighting his role in post-swing big band music alongside figures like Gil Evans and Thad Jones. His arrangements, particularly those written for Dizzy Gillespie’s big band in the 1950s, are still performed and celebrated, showcasing Wilkins's enduring role in jazz culture.[12]
