Tenor saxophonist and arranger Ernie Wilkins was born in St. Louis, Missouri on this date in 1922. Wilkins learned piano and violin and attended Wilberforce University before serving the U.S. Navy during World War II.

After separation from the navy, Wilkins played gigs around his hometown before joining up with Earl Hines’ last big band in 1948. In 1952 he became part of the saxophone section in the Count Basie Orchestra where he stayed for three years. He would continue to contribute compositions and arrangements to the Basie book for years to come. Wilkins also wrote for big bands led by Harry James, Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich and Tommy Dorsey and served as musical director on projects by Cannonball Adderley, Sarah Vaughan and Oscar Peterson.

In the 1970s he wrote for and played with Clark Terry’s group. In 1979 Wilkins moved to Copenhagen, Denmark where he lived until his death in 1999. While there he formed the Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band which played his own arrangements and featured American expatriate musicians along with talent from Europe.

Here is a link to Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band playing at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1983:

"HI FLY"