Bob Wilber

Who is Bob Wilber?

Bob Wilber is an internationally recognized American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist and band leader living in Chipping Campden, England. Although his scope covers a wide range of jazz, Wilber has been a dedicated advocate of classic styles, working throughout his career to present traditional jazz pieces in a contemporary manner. He played with many distinguished jazz leaders in the 1950s and 1960s, including Bobby Hackett, Benny Goodman, Sidney Bechet, Jack Teagarden and Eddie Condon. In the late 1960s, he was an original member of the World's Greatest Jazz Band, and in the early 70s, of Soprano Summit, a band which gained wide attention. In the late 1970s, he formed the Bechet Legacy Band and remains an active player, composer, and teacher.

Wilber was active in jazz education, including working as director of the Smithsonian Jazz Repertory Ensemble. He has written for films, including The Cotton Club. In his autobiography, Music Was Not Enough, he recounts his privileged childhood, pivotal meeting with his mentor, Sidney Bechet in 1946, and subsequent struggles as a musician in the 1950s and 1960s.