Acclaimed jazz saxophonist Steve Wilson looks forward to an active Autumn and Winter, as he confirms headlining concerts at Blues Alley in Washington D.C. and at Jazz Standard in New York City, as well as collaborations with Billy Childs and Chick Corea, and an expansion of his ongoing educational efforts.
The D.C. and NY concerts will feature Wilson’s Analog Band, comprised of Ray Angry on piano/keys, Ben Williams on bass and Willie Jones III on drums. Confirmed shows are as follows:
September 5th Blues Alley Washington, D.C.
September 6-9th Jazz Standard New York City
These dates are Wilson’s first concerts since the recording of ‘Sit Back, Relax & Unwind’ (J.M.I. Records) an analog recording, released only on vinyl. The album was produced by Wilson and Steven Mandel, Music Producer for The Tonight Show. Rough Trade called the release “Mr. Wilson’s definitive artistic statement…” and DustyGroove described it as “one of the most beautiful records we’ve heard from Steve Wilson…”
Prior to the September headlining shows, Wilson will perform with Chick Corea at the Detroit Jazz Festival. Then, in October/early November, he will tour Europe with Billy Childs. Following the Childs tour, Wilson will perform a series of headlining European dates from November 6-19, with his acclaimed Wilsonian’s Grain Band, featuring Uri Caine on piano, Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Ulysses Owens Jr on drums. More tour details can be found here.
In other news, Wilson recently completed his first tour of China as a bandleader, and the limited run was a huge success. On the Education front, Wilson’s efforts continue to expand: He was recently an Artist in Residence at the Funote Summer Jazz Camp run by faculty members from Shangahi Conservatory. He was also Artist in Residence at Michigan State in East Lansing, Michigan, and the visit went so well they asked him back for their Summer Band Festival, which he then attended in June. Wilson continues to serve as the Chair of Jazz Studies at CCNY, and has also just joined the 2019 faculty of Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute in Chicago. He recently recorded an educational video for Open Studio, with release date tba. Other artists who have done these online courses include Dianne Reeves, Peter Martin, Geoffrey Keezer, Christian McBride, and more.
Steve Wilson was cited DownBeat Magazine’s annual Critics’ Poll, in the categories of alto, soprano, and flute.
Find out more about Steve Wilson, including updates, sample new tunes, and performance footage on his official website. The site, part of the Jazz Corner family, also includes a streaming audio player, details of Wilson’s numerous band configurations, and more. You can find Steve on social media on Facebook and Instagram.
