No Greater Love

NO GREATER LOVE is Joe Wilder's second recording for Evening Star. The trumpeter's first CD, ALONE WITH JUST MY DREAMS, was named one of the top 24 jazz CDs of 1993 by CD Review. Wilder, who was born in Philadelphia in 1922, has succeeded in three demanding musical realms: jazz, classical, and studio work. Wilder was initially drawn to classical music, but symphony work was denied black artists in the 1930s and 1940s. The trumpeter's equally impressive jazz talents were sought after by many of the leading big bands, including Lionel Hampton, Jimmie Lunceford, Dizzy Gillespie, and Count Basie. In the 1950s, Wilder penetrated the color barrier of the New York studios, serving on staff at ABC from 1952 to 1974. He eventually realized his dream of playing classical trumpet, as well. Wilder earned a degree at the Manhattan School of Music, played on several occasions with the New York Philharmonic, and was named principal trumpet of the Symphony of the New World. He has recently lent his talents to two leading jazz repertory orchestras: the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. No Greater Love showcases Wilder's lyrical trumpet in two settings. Six tracks were recorded with a swinging small ensemble featuring Seldon Powell on tenor sax and flute, Bobby Tucker on piano (in his return as a soloist after some 45 years as jazz's premiere vocal accompanist), James Chirillo on guitar, Milt Hinton on bass, and Sherman Ferguson on drums. The remaining eight selections pair the trumpet master with Tucker and Chirillo for a series of intimate duets and trio performances.