Getting to know Teddy Wilson

Sometimes we dabble in jazz, and on one occasion, we found a lost recording by legendary swing pianist Teddy Wilson. Recorded at the King Of France tavern in Annapolis, MD in September of 1978, this once lost recording also features the talents of Bill Nelson on bass and Bill Reichenbach on drums.

Teddy Wilson, born in Austin, TX, and raised in Tuskegee, AL, was described by noted jazz writer, Scott Yanow, as “the definitive swing pianist”. A natural and gifted musician, Teddy found the piano at age 6 and expended his studies to woodwinds and strings at the Tuskegee Institute. His influences were many, but his style might be best compared to that of Art Tatum. His right-hand acrobatics were from the Tatum playbook, however, Wilson’s playing was more subdued and lyrical.

His contribution to swing and bop was indelible, but his recordings with Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald are prime examples of his ability effortlessly blend in with vocalists. Wilson was also a mainstay of Benny Goodman’s orchestra, and he even backed the great Charlie Parker. His stints with the giants of the day eventually led him to leading his own ensembles.

Education also played a role in Wilson’s career. During the 50s, he found his way to Julliard, and it was here that he became on of the first musicians from the jazz world to hold such a prestigious position.

We are truly lucky to have found such a gem in Teddy Wilson’s catalog. While extremely degraded as it was originally recorded to cassette tape (not the greatest of formats), our in-house engineer did his absolute best to restore this fantastic performance while not losing any of the musical content.

“As this recording from a long-defunct Maryland venue illustrates, over the course of two brief sets laced with classic pop and jazz tunes, legendary pianist Teddy Wilson was in fine form in 1978. The first set is mostly notable for its Ellington-Strayhorn slant.” - Mike Joyce, Jazz Times (Full review here)