Dennis Wilson

Dennis Wilson (born July 22, 1952) is an American jazz trombonist, arranger, and educator, known for his extensive work as a big band soloist and for his contributions to jazz education across the United States.

Early Life

Wilson pursued his musical training at Berklee College of Music, where he studied trombone and arranging before graduating and entering the professional jazz world.

Career

Following his graduation from Berklee, Wilson began his professional career with Lionel Hampton, serving as trombonist, arranger, and musical director. He went on to become a lead and solo trombonist for the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band and the New Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and spent ten years performing with Count Basie and his Orchestra, appearing on more than six Grammy-winning albums with the ensemble.

He received a Grammy Award nomination for his arrangement work for Manhattan Transfer, and over the course of his career performed alongside jazz figures including Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Clark Terry, and Joe Williams. Wilson led the trombone section of the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra under the musical direction of Jon Faddis. In 1994, he joined the music faculty at Kansas State University as Director of Jazz Studies, and was appointed Assistant Dean of the university's College of Arts and Sciences in 1998.

In May 2000, he joined the University of Michigan's School of Music, where his responsibilities included directing the Jazz Lab Ensemble, Jazz Trombone Ensemble, and Jazz Flute Ensemble, and coordinating the university's Rhythm Section Institute alongside fellow educators Ed Sarath, Ellen Rowe, Donald Walden, Geri Allen, and Robert Hurst.

He also created and directed the Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra, an ensemble that featured artists including Rodney Whittaker, Geri Allen, Robert Hurst, Vincent Chandler, Randy Hawes, Scott Belck, Diego Rivera, Andrew Bishop, Wes Anderson, Pete Siers, Ellen Rowe, and Dwight Adams, and which performed alongside Jimmy Heath, The Manhattan Transfer, Gerald Wilson, Randy Brecker, Janis Siegel, and Christian McBride, among others.

In 2001, Wilson became the first "Artist in Residence" for the San Jose Jazz Society, and in 2002 he founded the San Jose Jazz Orchestra, showcasing musical talent from across the greater San Francisco and San Jose area.

Personal Life

Wilson has been recognised as a subject of biographical reference in both Who's Who in Education and Who's Who in Entertainment. Alongside his performing career, he has maintained a long-standing involvement in jazz education, serving as a member of the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE), including on its President's Advisory Board and Planning and Development Committee, and later as a member of its Resource Team. His decades of work bridging professional performance and academic instruction have left a lasting mark on jazz education programmes across several American universities and festivals.

Current Activities

Wilson presently serves as Music Production Manager for the Count Basie Orchestra, where his primary focus is developing jazz education opportunities within the organisation.