Wilson Will Make Music With NEA Grant

“It sure is a nice way to start the decade,” said Gerald Wilson, who has just received a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts under the American Masters Fellowship program. “Not just for the money, but because I’m happy to be of service by making some fresh music available to the community.

“With this award,” the Southland composer said, “I can do a few things for the orchestra that I haven’t had the opportunity to do--things I hope will be of lasting interest.

“Last year I went out on a tour, conducting various college orchestras--Rutgers, Berklee and several others. After leading the college orchestras I donated 10 or 12 of my original compositions to their libraries.”

One of Wilson’s stops, at the New England Conservatory, found him sharing a concert with George Russell, another grant recipient. Russell, 66, is a teacher at the Conservatory. Pianist-composer Cecil Taylor, 60, the third award-winner, has long been active as an avant-gardist and teacher at several Eastern colleges.

Armed with the music he plans to write under the funding, 71-year-old Wilson will expand his activities this year, taking his own band to leading jazz festivals across the country. Meanwhile, he is set for two weekends at Marla’s Memory Lane starting Feb. 2 and a concert at the Wadsworth Theater on Feb. 4.

Originally prominent as a trumpeter and arranger with the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra, Wilson settled in Los Angeles in 1942 and formed his own Big Band two years later. He found out, the hard way, that keeping an 18-member band together in the post-Swing Era was as simple as juggling 18 balls in the air. But because he wanted a showcase for his unique, highly personal music, he never gave up.

“I’ve been able to keep my music out there,” he said, “with the help of Albert Marx, who’s produced all my albums since 1961--first for Pacific Jazz, and now on his own Discovery Records. But I’ve been lucky enough to do quite a few other things.”

When band dates wore thin, he spent several years as the host of a record show on KBCA (now KKGO). From 1969 he taught jazz history at Cal State Northridge. Since 1983 he has been a part-time professor at Cal State L.A. In 1972 he composed the first of eight works performed at the Music Center by Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic with a large gospel choir.

“It’s a great honor,” summed up Wilson, “particularly since this is not something you can apply for.”

Previous winner of the endowment fellowships have included Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie-in both of whose bands Wilson played in the late 1940-and Ella Fitzgerald.