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Glenn Wilson
My horn is older than me but my gig bag is older than my student's parents!
About Me
Glenn Wilson has been a professional jazz saxophonist for 50 years. The All-Music Guide has called him “an
unsung hero in modern jazz” After completing his undergraduate degree from Youngstown State University in
1977, Glenn moved to New York City, where he worked and recorded with The Buddy Rich Band, Lionel Hampton
Orchestra, Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, Tito Puente, Machito, Bill Kirchner Nonet, Bob Belden Ensemble, and
scores of other jazz and latin-jazz groups.
Glenn recorded his first CD as a leader, the highly-reviewed Impasse, in 1984 for Cadence Records. In 1988, Glenn
began his association with Sunnyside Records with the release of Elusive. Three more CDs with Sunnyside -
Bittersweet, Blue Porpoise Avenue, and One Man’s Blues - as well as a recording for Timeless Records, Lee’s Keys
Please, followed in the next decade.
Glenn also appeared on over 25 jazz recordings as a sideman during this time. Glenn’s CDs are featured in the
Penguin Guide of Jazz and The Grammophone Guide to Good Jazz, and he has also received a National Endowment
for the Arts Grant and has been featured in the DownBeat Magazine Critics Poll in the Baritone Saxophone
category.
From 1991-2001 Glenn was an active member of the jazz community in Virginia, Washington DC, and Baltimore.
He performed numerous times at The Kennedy Center and Blues Alley Jazz Club. In 1993 he recorded with pianist
Bruce Hornsby on Harbor Lights and joined Bruce’s band. With Bruce, he was featured on VH1 Center Stage,
Austin City Limits and Arsenio Hall, and received a gold record for his playing and arrangements on Harbor
Lights.
Glenn’s recording Devil’s Hopyard , with his group TromBari, (featuring trombonist Jim Pugh) was released in 2012
and Glenn released Timely, a live quintet recording on Cadence Jazz Records in 2015, which made many critics’
Album of the Year lists. His latest recording, Sadness and Soul, with pianist Chip Stephens, was released on Capri
Records on October 18, 2019 and has been highly-reviewed.
Glenn leads an active touring schedule performing in concerts, clubs and workshops around the country. Wilson’s
non-profit, Further Jazz, Inc. produces jazz events in Illinois and beyond and is dedicated to fostering, promoting and
advancing greater knowledge, understanding and appreciation of jazz music. Glenn can be reached at
www.jazzmaniac.com