Bob Wilber facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bob Wilber
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Bob Wilber at the North Sea Jazz Festival in the late 1970s
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert Sage Wilber |
| Born | March 15, 1928 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | August 4, 2019 (aged 91) Chipping Campden, England |
| Genres | Jazz, dixieland |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Saxophone, clarinet |
| Years active | 1940s–2010s |
| Labels | Arbors |
| Associated acts | Kenny Davern, Dick Hyman, Soprano Summit, World's Greatest Jazz Band, Sidney Bechet |
Robert Sage Wilber (born March 15, 1928 – died August 4, 2019) was an American jazz musician. He was known for playing the clarinet and saxophone. Bob Wilber was also a band leader, meaning he led his own music groups.
He loved classic jazz styles and worked hard to keep them alive. He played with many famous jazz musicians in the 1950s and 1960s. These included Benny Goodman and Sidney Bechet. In the late 1960s, he helped start the World's Greatest Jazz Band. Later, he was part of Soprano Summit, a very popular band. He even formed his own group, the Bechet Legacy Band.
Bob Wilber also taught jazz music. He directed the Smithsonian Jazz Repertory Ensemble. He wrote music for movies, like The Cotton Club. In his book, Music Was Not Enough, he shared stories about his life. He talked about meeting his teacher, Sidney Bechet, in 1946. Bob Wilber played music for most of his life, until 2017. He passed away in 2019 at 91 years old.
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Bob Wilber's Early Life
Robert Sage Wilber was born in New York City on March 15, 1928. He was a very talented musician. People called him a "superb soprano saxophonist" and a "classic clarinetist." He also helped keep jazz traditions alive.
Bob became interested in jazz when he was just three years old. His father brought home a record of Duke Ellington's song "Mood Indigo." In 1935, his family moved to Scarsdale, New York. When he was thirteen, Bob started learning the clarinet. He listened to jazz from different cities like New Orleans and Chicago. He enjoyed music by Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton.
Bob played jazz in high school with his friends. They formed a "hot club" where they listened to records and played along. He finished high school in 1945. His parents wanted him to go to a top university. But Bob really wanted to be a musician. He tried going to the Eastman School of Music for a short time. However, he soon left to focus on jazz in New York City.
Forming The Wildcats
In 1945, Bob Wilber started his own band called the Wildcats. The group included talented musicians like Dick Wellstood on piano. The Wildcats were special because they played older jazz styles. They played music from famous groups like the Hot Five.
The band often performed at a club called Jimmy Ryan's. They played there for two years. In 1947, they even recorded some music. Bob Wilber also played with many other great jazz musicians. These included Muggsy Spanier and Pee Wee Russell.
Learning from Sidney Bechet
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Sidney Bechet was a very important jazz musician. Many people thought he was the best clarinet player of his time. Later, his main instrument became the soprano saxophone. Bob Wilber loved Bechet's sound from 1944. When Bob was sixteen, he met Bechet.
Bob found out that Bechet was taking students. So, he became Bechet's pupil. In 1945, Bob started studying clarinet and soprano saxophone with Bechet. He even lived with Bechet for several months. They often played together at Jimmy Ryan's club. They would perform duets, which are songs for two players.
In 1948, Bechet asked Bob to play at the first jazz festival in Nice, France. Bob's group shared the stage with Louis Armstrong and his Allstars. Bob also recorded music with Bechet and his own band in the late 1940s.
Playing in Boston
In 1948, Bob Wilber formed a small group to play at the Savoy Café in Boston. This group played traditional New Orleans-style jazz, also known as dixieland. Soon, Bob made his band bigger, turning it into a sextet. They became the main act, called Bob Wilber and the Dixieland Band.
This band featured Bob on clarinet and soprano sax. They had other great musicians too, like Jimmy Archey on trombone. Bob became very popular in Boston. His band played at the Savoy for most of 1949. This also led to more chances to play in New York City. They performed at Jimmy Ryan's and the Stuyvesant Hotel through 1950.
Bob Wilber continued to play music for many years. He performed right up until 2017.
Images for kids
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Bob Wilber at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2014
See also
In Spanish: Bob Wilber para niños
