Biography
Trumpeter Scott Wilson has established himself as one of the rising stars of jazz – both as a performer and as a pedagogue. Since earning two masters degrees from the University of North Texas and paying his dues on concert stages from Orlando to Osaka, Scott is in constant demand as a player, composer and educator. In addition to his dynamic live and recorded performances on trumpet, he is regarded as one of the world’s foremost proponents of the electronic valve instrument (EVI). Wilson has diverse international performance credits having shared the stage with jazz luminaries including Benny Green, Wayne Bergeron, Gordon Goodwin, Conrad Herwig, Wycliffe Gordon, Stevie Wonder, Jeff Coffin, Shelly Berg, Denis DeBlasio, Peter Erskine, Eric Marienthal, Bobby Shew, Slide Hampton, Terrell Stafford, Ron Blake, John Pizzarelli, Ed Shaughnessy, Alex Acuna, and others. He has served as Musical Director for Universal Studios Japan, staff composer for Grand Link World in Qingdao, China, and has been a featured trumpet soloist for Tokyo Disney Sea and Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Orlando.
Wilson has hosted the Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Camp, four Juilliard Jazz Summer Workshops and served as faculty for the Jam Camps in Utah. The Garden Music School now hosts the Scott Wilson Jazz Combo Sessions annually in Florida (a week long intensive jazz camp for young musicians). In 2011, Warburton Mouthpieces released the Scott Wilson Jazz Mouthpiece that is designed to be a more supportive and functional mouthpiece for young trumpet players. His jazz texts, The Ultimate Jazz Tool Kit and Ultimate Music Workbook, are published by Kendall Hunt Publishing and accompanied by 35 Jazz Instructional Videos that cover topics ranging from jazz theory to song writing.
Wilson has consistently been at the forefront of designing online platforms for jazz education. His nationally published online platforms include Jazz Fundamentals 1, Jazz Fundamentals 2, Jazz Aural Skills and Jazz History. Through Kendall Hunt Publishing these courses can be adopted and delivered to colleges and public schools nationwide. Wilson now serves as Artist Director for Lakeshore Music Jazz Series in Arizona and was a former Artistic Director for the famed Crescent Super Band (Downbeat Award winners 2006-2012).
Scott Wilson heads the Jazz Studies program at the University of Florida and has developed a new Jazz Minor and designed six new jazz courses which allow students to receive current industry skill sets, technology training and learn creative approaches to problem solving.
Selected Testimonies
"Scott Wilson speaks with thorough knowledge of the tradition of Jazz with traces of Booker Little and Tom Harrell. He has amazing technique. He has the ability to play in all registers of the horn. Check out the cadenza on STELLA BY STARLIGHT. What I love about Mr. Wilson's playing is although he has incredible technique, he still plays the BLUES and incorporates vibrato effectively. Mr. Wilson is equally accomplished and expressive on the EVI. Although it is an electric instrument, I hear a huge heart and a definitive soul. Scott Wilson is the REAL DEAL!!!"
Marcus Printup – Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
“While possibly best known for his decades of jazz education innovations, on Kackle Jackle Scott Wilson displays his considerable chops and technique as a brassman, improvisor, and composer. Wilson is equally comfortable on the EVI, blazing effortlessly over changes and maximizing the flexibility of the instrument. Whether on his own clever compositions or on standards of the genre, Wilson's playing is some of the best in modern jazz!”
Caleb Chapman – Former International Jazz Educator of the Year
“Scott Wilson is a tremendous trumpet player! His ability to cross styles while still retaining his own personal style is something special. He brings the fire on every tune and weaves his personality into each solo. Beautiful stuff!”
Jeff Coffin – Dave Matthews Band (and formerly Bela Fleck & the Flecktones)
"Scott Wilson showcases his angularity and technique with his first rate soloing on both his trumpet and EVI on this fresh, modern recording!"
Andy Martin - Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band
“Having spent the better part of the past 30 years attempting to master the Electronic Valve Instrument, I am happy to say that Scott Wilson remains one of my favorite EVI players. And his EVI performances on this CD are especially uplifting. Thanks for the inspiration, Scott!”