At the end of the next to last day of the conference, Gerald Wilson took totally over the stage to talk about his work for Ellington, Count Basie, Nancy Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald and Jimmy Lunceford and illustrated the presentation with music from a bunch of CDs he brought along. I am not sure Steven Lasker was fully prepared for what was to come when he introduced Wilson but he and Bill Hill generously gave Wilson the time he wanted to have.
When I asked Steven at the Ellington Conference in Paris which of Sjef Hoefsmit’s video from Ellington ’91 I should put on the DESS website he said: “There were so many presentations so I can’t remember them all.” It is understandable but how could he have forgotten about Gerald Wilson’s presentation? Listen to it and you will understand what I mean.
Author: Ulf Lundin