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Mention the name Joe Wilder to almost any professional musician in both
the jazz and classical worlds and you are sure to get a smile and a testimo-nial.
The trumpeter has accomplished just about everything one can
accomplish in music — from big bands to bebop, classical concertos to commercials.
While genuinely modest, his belief in himself enabled Mr Wilder to overcome
the many obstacles facing a black musicians coming of age in the 1930’s and
aspiring to a classical career. In jazz, Mr. Wilder versatile approach and
instantly recognizable solo voice has made him an asset to any musical setting.
Moreover, his sterling personal qualities and sense of propriety, are almost as
legendary as his musical prowess. One long-time associate recalls that when
Mr. Wilder was in the Lionel Hampton Orchestra in the early 1940’s, fellow
band members used to offer him a ten-dollar bill if he would simply utter one four-letter word. Mr Wilder
never collected!
It can be interesting to equate a musician’s style with his persona. In Joe Wilder’s case, the warmth, lyricism,
humor and sophistication of his playing are at one with the man himself.
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