Bob Wilber
A master clarinetist who became a vital bridge between the classic jazz of New Orleans and the modern era, preserving its soul for new generations.
1928–2019 (age 91)·American jazz clarinetist, composer and saxophonist·Birthday: March 15·The Silent Generation
Biography
Bob Wilber wasn’t just a musician; he was a curator of a living tradition. Born in 1928, he fell under the spell of Sidney Bechet as a teenager, and the soprano saxophonist became his mentor. This early immersion in the hot, melodic lines of early jazz defined his life’s work. Wilber possessed a technical brilliance that could have led him anywhere, but he chose to dedicate himself to the styles of the 1920s and ‘30s, playing with a verve that avoided mere imitation. He worked with greats like Bobby Hackett and even filled Benny Goodman’s chair, but his most significant contributions came as a bandleader and educator. Co-founding the group Soprano Summit in the 1970s, he proved traditional jazz could be both authentic and freshly exciting. Later, he composed and arranged for film, most notably the soundtrack for ‘The Cotton Club,’ injecting historical accuracy with contemporary punch.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Bob was born in 1928, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1928
#1 Movie
The Singing Fool
Best Picture
Wings
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1928Born
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1933Started school
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1941Became a teenager
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Could drive
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1946Could vote
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Turned 21
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1958Turned 30
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 40
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 50
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 60
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 70
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 80
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2019Died at 91
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the influential traditional jazz group Soprano Summit in the 1970s, reviving interest in early jazz styles.
- Arranged and performed music for the soundtrack of Francis Ford Coppola's 1984 film 'The Cotton Club'.
- Served as a musical director for the Smithsonian Jazz Repertory Ensemble, helping to archive and perform classic jazz works.
- Authored a well-regarded autobiography, 'Music Was Not Enough', detailing his life in jazz.
Did You Know?
He was a direct protégé of soprano saxophone pioneer Sidney Bechet, who gave him lessons as a young man.
Wilber was chosen by Benny Goodman to perform in a band celebrating Goodman's 40th anniversary in music.
He was an original member of the World's Greatest Jazz Band, led by Yank Lawson and Bob Haggart.
“null”
