Teddy Wilson

This article is about the jazz musician. For the actor, see Theodore Wilson. For other people, see Teddy Wilson (disambiguation).

Teddy Wilson
Wilson in 1940
Wilson in 1940
Background information
Born(1912-11-24)November 24, 1912
Austin, Texas, U.S.
DiedJuly 31, 1986(1986-07-31) (aged 73)
New Britain, Connecticut, U.S.
GenresJazz
OccupationMusician
InstrumentPiano

Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986)[1] was an American jazz pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as "the definitive swing pianist",[2] Wilson's piano style was gentle, elegant, and virtuosic.[3] His style was highly influenced by Earl Hines and Art Tatum.[4] His work was featured on the records of many of the biggest names in jazz, including Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald. With Goodman, he was one of the first black musicians to perform prominently alongside white musicians.[5] In addition to his extensive work as a sideman, Wilson also led his own groups and recording sessions from the late 1920s to the 1980s.

  1. ^ "NEA Jazz Master: Teddy Wilson, Pianist, Arranger, Educator". National Endowment for the Arts. Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  2. ^ Yanow, Scott. "Teddy Wilson Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  3. ^ Hall, Fred (1991). More dialogues in swing: intimate conversations with the stars of the big band era. Pathfinder Pub. of Calif. ISBN 0-934793-31-X. OCLC 23356191.
  4. ^ Hardish, Patrick; Schuller, Gunther (March 1994). "The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945". Notes. 50 (3): 502–507. doi:10.2307/898575. ISSN 0027-4380. JSTOR 898575.
  5. ^ Cline-Ransome, Lesa (2014). Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson: Taking the Stage as the First Black-and-White Jazz Band in History. Holiday House. ISBN 978-0-8234-2362-0.