1) Jack Wilkin… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) Jack Wilkins (born Jack Rivers Lewis on 4 June 1944; died 5 May 2023) was an American jazz guitarist;
2) Jack Wilkins (born Ashby Jackson Wilkins) is an American jazz saxophonist.
1) Jack Wilkins (born Jack Rivers Lewis in Brooklyn, NYC, on 4 June 1944; died 5 May 2023) was an American jazz guitarist. Wilkins grew up listening to his parents' music - Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Billie Holiday. He started playing guitar when he was thirteen. He had an older cousin who played albums for him by Charlie Christian, Tal Farlow, Django Reinhardt, and Johnny Smith. He cited Smith's Designed for You as one of the albums that meant the most to him, in addition to Sounds of Synanon by Joe Pass, Poll Winners by Barney Kessel, The Swinging Guitar of Tal Farlow, and Interpretations of Tal Farlow. Having studied with John Mehegan early on, learning vibes, piano, and classical guitar, his main instrument throughout his career was jazz guitar. He gained a strong reputation during his long association with Buddy Rich.
While still in his teens, he worked as a guitarist in bands led by Les Elgart, Larry Elgart, Warren Covington, and Sammy Kaye.
Wilkins worked with Dan Armstrong, Lew Soloff, Lew Tabackin, and Lloyd Wells. In his twenties, he worked as a vibraphonist. He formed the band The Jazz Partners and played vibes with pianist Barry Manilow, who admired the work of Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, and Barney Kessel. Wilkins and Manilow arranged songs from Kessel's albums for their group. A copy of his first solo album, Windows (Mainstream, 1973), found its way into the hands of Buddy Rich's manager. Wilkins then became a member of the Buddy Rich septet.
Wilkins also worked with Kenny Barron, Frank Foster, Sonny Fortune, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Jimmy McGriff, Sal Nistico, Zoot Sims, Sonny Stitt, Jack DeJohnette, Phil Woods, and the Brecker Brothers.
He recorded as a sideman with Jack DeJohnette, Eddie Gomez, Phil Woods, Harvie Swartz, and the Brecker Brothers, among others. His own recordings for Mainstream, Music Masters, CTI, and especially his pair of essential Chiaroscuro albums in 1977 (the single CD Merge reissued all of the music except one song) show his talents.
2) Jack Wilkins (born Ashby Jackson Wilkins) is an American jazz saxophonist. He has released "Ridge Lines" in 2002, "The Blue & Green Project" in 2011, "The Rundle Sessions" in 2019.
Emily
Jack Wilkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Has the murmuring sound of may
All silver bells, coral shells, carousels
And the laughter of children at play
Say Emily, Emily, Emily
And we fade to a marvelous view
Two lovers alone and out of sight
As my eyes visualize a family
They see Emily, Emily
(and we fade to a marvelous view)
Two lovers alone and out of sight
Seeing images in the firelight
As my eyes visualize a family
They see Emily, Emily
Too
Jack Wilkins's "Emily" is a beautiful song that expresses the creativity of the human mind when it comes to matters of love. The lyrics are an ode to the actress/singer-songwriter Emily Remler who was known for her music talent before her death. The first few lines present Emily as a beautiful, gentle soul who embodies the essence of spring through her soft murmurs, silver bells, coral shells, and carousels. It is also evident that she brings joy and happiness in the lives of children who are at play. Wilkins is enchanted by Emily's grace and makes a conscious effort to capture her beauty in the song's lyrics.
In the second verse, Wilkins uses the repetition of Emily's name to signify the fading of his memory into a marvelous view, a place where two lovers are alone and out of sight, seeing images in the firelight. The line "as my eyes visualize a family, they see Emily" highlights Wilkins's desire to build a family with Emily, picturing her as the centerpiece of the family unit. The repeated line "Emily, Emily, Emily" at the end asserts the importance of her presence in Wilkins's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Emily, Emily, Emily
Repetition of Emily's name, emphasizing her significance
Has the murmuring sound of may
Emily is associated with the gentle, calming sounds of springtime
All silver bells, coral shells, carousels
Emily is associated with beautiful and whimsical objects
And the laughter of children at play
Emily is associated with joy and playfulness
Say Emily, Emily, Emily
Repetition of Emily's name, emphasizing her importance once again
And we fade to a marvelous view
Calling attention to the beauty of the scene being depicted
Two lovers alone and out of sight
Depicting a romantic scene of two people in love
Seeing images in the firelight
Imagery of a cozy, intimate atmosphere
As my eyes visualize a family
Imagery of a happy family, suggesting that Emily symbolizes familial unity
They see Emily, Emily
Reiterating the centrality of Emily in this scene
Too
An additional note indicating that the importance of Emily is beyond words
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ricky Ross, Scott Fraser, Pete Webb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dan LaCourse
Can anyone tell me how the very last chord (Cmaj9, displayed here as C∆9) is fingered?
I've seen it several times and it's a lovely chord but I've never been able to find any reasonable way to play it. Here's the best I can do, but it's kinda ridiculous:
⑥ = T
⑤ = 3
④ = 2
③ = 4
② = 1
① = 1
Thanks in advance for any help!
Dan LaCourse
Thanks for all the prompt and thoughtful replies! You guys are really terrific!
This chord is, I think, always going to be one of the very few that I simply cannot do and will never be able to do!
I have small hands and my fingers, though very strong, have never been very “double jointed” in the sense of bending backwards / flattening. I can do all the usual jazz/rock chords involving a 3rd finger barre (Bb, Gm7, D9, etc). But barring the B & e strings at the 3rd fret with my 3rd finger, then hitting the G string with my 4th finger puts my hand in a position where there's no way I can fret the ④ & ⑤ strings with 1 & 2, let alone perform a second partial bar on ⑤ & ⑥ with my 2nd finger! Just not going to happen. I've been playing for 40 years. This fingering is, anatomically speaking, just not in the cards for me!
And fretting ⑥ & ⑤ with my thumb? Maybe on the world's thinnest-necked electric guitar — but not on any acoustic I own!
Thanks again everybody!
Ethan Stark
I'm not near a guitar right now, but what I think I do is
⑥ = T
⑤ = T
④ = 1
③ = 4
② = 2
① = 3
where the thumb is wrapped around the back over both the E and A strings. I have shorter thumbs so this can be trickeir on a larger neck profile, but that's the only way I could manage this myself. Perhaps doing a partial barre on the E and A strings with the 2nd finger, and a partial barre with the 3rd finger on the B and e strings, and then fretting with 1st and 4th on the D and G strings as normal would work? Hopefully that helps
Kuba Galiński
Thank you so much! Jack Wilkins is a real master of jazz guitar, one of the best ever.
François Leduc
Another short one but very dense from Jack Wilkins. The harmony is a nice blend of functional and non functional ideas, it gives a nice modern color to the piece without getting too far from the composition. Have fun!
Hall ucinator
Would love to see a his version of Red Clay on your channel.
leoosiku
Great stuff! Ben Monder’s version is wonderful as well. Hoping for some more Coryell as well.
David Winter
Wow creative arrangement
Peter Austin
Brilliant. !! We'll get here one day. !!!! Maybe. !!!! Best wishes from UK !!!
Dan LaCourse
Can anyone tell me how the very last chord (Cmaj9, displayed here as C∆9) is fingered?
I've seen it several times and it's a lovely chord but I've never been able to find any reasonable way to play it. Here's the best I can do, but it's kinda ridiculous:
⑥ = T
⑤ = 3
④ = 2
③ = 4
② = 1
① = 1
Thanks in advance for any help!
mer red
@Dan LaCourse As a bad boy corrupted by classical guitar playing technique I'll comfort you. Simply omit the low and high G. It's not only easier but harmonically much much much better and tasteful. I can play the 6 string version, but I would just refuse to play it like it is written. Update: if the top melody demands a G (I don't know the tune), you can of course alternatively omit the D instead of the high G.
Dan LaCourse
Thanks for all the prompt and thoughtful replies! You guys are really terrific!
This chord is, I think, always going to be one of the very few that I simply cannot do and will never be able to do!
I have small hands and my fingers, though very strong, have never been very “double jointed” in the sense of bending backwards / flattening. I can do all the usual jazz/rock chords involving a 3rd finger barre (Bb, Gm7, D9, etc). But barring the B & e strings at the 3rd fret with my 3rd finger, then hitting the G string with my 4th finger puts my hand in a position where there's no way I can fret the ④ & ⑤ strings with 1 & 2, let alone perform a second partial bar on ⑤ & ⑥ with my 2nd finger! Just not going to happen. I've been playing for 40 years. This fingering is, anatomically speaking, just not in the cards for me!
And fretting ⑥ & ⑤ with my thumb? Maybe on the world's thinnest-necked electric guitar — but not on any acoustic I own!
Thanks again everybody!
Ethan Stark
I'm not near a guitar right now, but what I think I do is
⑥ = T
⑤ = T
④ = 1
③ = 4
② = 2
① = 3
where the thumb is wrapped around the back over both the E and A strings. I have shorter thumbs so this can be trickeir on a larger neck profile, but that's the only way I could manage this myself. Perhaps doing a partial barre on the E and A strings with the 2nd finger, and a partial barre with the 3rd finger on the B and e strings, and then fretting with 1st and 4th on the D and G strings as normal would work? Hopefully that helps