Joe Wilder

Joe Wilder was born in Pennsylvania on February 22, 1922, and he was raised in Philadelphia. His classmates at the Mastbaum School of Music were Buddy DeFranco and Red Rodney. His trumpet playing has been heard with Les Hite, Lionel Hampton, Jimmie Lunceford and Count Basie, as well as in the pit orchestras of New York, and he has been called on to perform in the New York Philharmonic and the Smithsonian Jazz Repertory Orchestra. He is a highly respected musician for his skill in ensembles and for his personal jazz phrasing. His most recent album, recorded in 2002, is entitled Among Friends. An avid photographer, Joe is often seen at jazz festivals and parties with his camera. The subject of his photos are always pleased to receive the results of Joe's skill.

Joe is one of those people who quietly commands respect with his horn and with his demeanor. I could hear Joe's beautiful flugelhorn sound when I sat to write "Portrait in the Wild," the most recent of these compositions. Like most of these songs, they initially came together in a hurry, but called for some tinkering over a couple of days. This tune contains the slickest modulation I've ever been able to write!