Ernie Wilkins

Aliases: Ernie Wilkins & the All Stars Band
Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band
Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra
The Swingin' Ernie Wilkins Orchestra
Real name: Ernest Brooks Wilkins Jr.
Born: February 7, 1922
Died: June 5, 1999
Country: United States
IPI: 00032941693 1 work
00032941791 3 works
00074247082 4 works
00269545034 1 work
Affiliation: BMI
Comments: Jazz arranger and writer probably best known for his work with Count Basie. Wilkins also played the tenor saxophone.
Member of: B. P. Convention Big Band

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Originals

	Title	Performer	Release date	Covered by
	Rock House	Big Maybelle with Ernie Wilkins' Orch.	August 1957	(2 artists)
	It Takes Too Long to Learn to Live Alone	Alice Clark - Orch. arranged & Conducted by Ernie Wilkins	1972	(3 artists)
i	No More Rat Race	Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	1981	Grover Mitchell & His All-Star Orchestra
i	A Song for Ben Webster	Ernie Wilkins' Almost Big Band	1984	Jimmy Heath
i	A Little Bit of Duke	Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	1987	Danish Radio Big Band
i	Almost Basie	Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	1987	Grover Mitchell & His All-Star Orchestra

Covers by Ernie Wilkins

	Title	Performer	Release date	Originally by
i	Shorty George	Ernie Wilkins - Frank Wess - Jerome Richardson - Hank Jones - Eddie Jones - Kenny Clarke	1955	Count Basie and His Orchestra
	Deed I Do	Mary Ann McCall - Ernie Wilkins and His Orch.	1956	Al Lentz's Dance Orchestra
	Deep Purple	Mary Ann McCall - Ernie Wilkins and His Orch.	1956	Paul Whiteman and His Concert Orchestra, Dick Todd with Orchestra
	Easy Living	Mary Ann McCall - Ernie Wilkins and His Orch.	1956	Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra - Vocal Chorus Billie Holiday
	In My Solitude	Mary Ann McCall - Ernie Wilkins and His Orch.	1956	Duke Ellington and His Orchestra
	I Thought About You	Mary Ann McCall - Ernie Wilkins and His Orch.	1956	Dinah Shore with Orchestra
	It's Been So Long	Mary Ann McCall - Ernie Wilkins and His Orch.	1956	Freddy Martin and His Orchestra - Vocal Chorus by Terry Shand
	It's You or No One	Mary Ann McCall - Ernie Wilkins and His Orch.	1956	Doris Day
	Mean to Me	Mary Ann McCall - Ernie Wilkins and His Orch.	1956	Ben Bernie and His Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra - Vocal Chorus by Scrappy Lambert
	Shake Down the Stars	Mary Ann McCall - Ernie Wilkins and His Orch.	1956	Bob Crosby and His Orchestra
	You Can Depend on Me	Mary Ann McCall - Ernie Wilkins and His Orch.	1956	Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
	All of Me	Big Maybelle with Ernie Wilkins' Orchestra	April 1957	Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra - Vocal Refrain by Mildred Bailey
	Jim	Big Maybelle with Ernie Wilkins' Orch.	August 1957	Dinah Shore with Orchestra under the direction of Paul Wetstein
	Silent Night	Big Maybelle with Ernie Wilkin's Orch.	October 1957	Joseph Mohr, Franz Gruber, Haydn Quartet
	White Christmas	Big Maybelle with Ernie Wilkin's Orch.	October 1957	Bing Crosby & Marjorie Reynolds [dubbed by Martha Mears] BRD, Bing Crosby with Ken Darby Singers and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra REC,REL
i	Kinda Dukish	Candido & Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	1957	Unverified
i	Lady in Red	Candido & Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	1957	Unverified
i	Moonlight in Vermont	Candido & Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	1957	Billy Butterfield and His Orchestra - Vocal by Margaret Whiting
i	Peanut Vendor	Candido & Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	1957	Unverified
i	Take the "A" Train	Candido & Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	1957	Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra
i	Tin Tin Deo	Candido & Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	1957	James Moody and His Bop Men featuring Chano Pozo
	It Must Be True	Mary Ann McCall with The Ernie Wilkins Orchestra	May 1958	Gus Arnheim and His Orchestra - Vocal Refrain by Bing Crosby
	Something I Dreamed Last Night	Mary Ann McCall with The Ernie Wilkins Orchestra	May 1958	Ella Logan REC,REL,PRF
	A Foggy Day	Morgana King, Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1959	Fred Astaire BRD, Vincent Lopez and His Orchestra – Vocal Chorus Bob Lytell REC
	And the Angels Sing	Morgana King, Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1959	Ziggy Elman & His Orchestra, Benny Goodman and His Orchestra
	At Sundown	Morgana King, Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1959	Bert Kaplan and His Collegians REC, George Olsen and His Music - Vocal Refrain by Bob Borger, Fran Frey, Bob Rice REL
	How High the Moon	Morgana King, Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1959	Benny Goodman and His Orchestra - Vocal Chorus by Helen Forrest REC, Frances Comstock & Alfred Drake PRF
	I Can't Get Started	Morgana King, Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1959	Bob Hope PRF, Hal Kemp and His Orchestra - Vocal Chorus Skinny Ennis REC
	Just You, Just Me	Morgana King, Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1959	Ukulele Ike (Cliff Edwards) REC, Lawrence Gray BRD
	Lullaby of Birdland	Morgana King, Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1959	George Shearing Quintet, Ella Fitzgerald - Chorus and Orchestra directed by Sy Oliver
	Perdido	Morgana King, Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1959	Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra, Sarah Vaughan - Orchestra under the direction of Norman Leyden
	Take the "A" Train	Morgana King, Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1959	Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra
	Alone Together	Carmen McRae with Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	January 1960	Leo Reisman and His Orchestra
	A Sleepin' Bee	Carmen McRae with Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	January 1960	Diahann Carroll, Dolores Harper, Ada Moore and Enid Mosier REL,PRF
	Comes Love	Carmen McRae with Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	January 1960	Harry James and His Orchestra - Vocal Chorus Connie Haines
	Falling in Love with Love	Carmen McRae with Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	January 1960	Muriel Angelus
	(How Little It Matters) How Little We Know	Carmen McRae with Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	January 1960	Frank Sinatra with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra
	I See Your Face Before Me	Carmen McRae with Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	January 1960	Mildred Bailey and Her Orchestra REC, Evelyn Laye PRF
	It's Love	Carmen McRae with Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	January 1960	Edith Adams, George Gaynes and The Villagers Chorus REL,PRF
	Love Is a Simple Thing	Carmen McRae with Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	January 1960	Rosemary O'Reilly, Robert Clary & Eartha Kitt
	Three Little Words	Carmen McRae with Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	January 1960	Duke Ellington and His Orchestra - Vocal Refrain by The Rhythm Boys BRD,REC
	You Leave Me Breathless	Carmen McRae with Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	January 1960	Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra REC, Fred MacMurray BRD
i	All of You	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Don Ameche PRF, Mel Tormé with Orchestra directed by George Cates REC,REL
	And This Is My Beloved	Gloria Lynne with Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	(unknown), Jerry Vale with Percy Faith & His Orch. REC,REL, Alfred Drake, Doretta Morrow, Richard Kiley & Henry Calvin PRF
i	Baubles, Bangles and Beads	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	(unknown), Doretta Morrow, Richard Oneto & Chorus PRF, Peggy Lee REC
i	Broadway	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Count Basie and His Orchestra
i	Canadian Sunset	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Hugo Winterhalter and His Orchestra
	Cheek to Cheek	Gloria Lynne with Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Fred Astaire with Leo Reisman and His Orchestra REC, Fred Astaire BRD
	Day In Day Out	Gloria Lynne with Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Bob Crosby and His Orchestra - Vocal Chorus by Helen Ward
i	Everything's Coming Up Roses	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Ethel Merman REL,PRF
i	Falling in Love with Love	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Muriel Angelus
i	Fascinating Rhythm	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Carl Fenton's Orchestra (Walter Haenschen) REC, Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire & Cliff Edwards PRF
i	Gone with the Wind	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	(unknown)
	How Long Is This Been Going On	Gloria Lynne with Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Larry Clinton & His Orchestra - Vocal Refrain by Mary Dugan
i	I'll Get By	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Ted Wallace & His Orchestra – Vocal Chorus by The Radio Imps
	I'm Always Chasing Rainbows	Gloria Lynne with Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	(unknown), Harry Fox REC,REL,PRF
	I'm Just a Lucky So and So	Gloria Lynne with Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Duke Ellington and His Orchestra - Vocal Refrain by Al Hibbler
i	It Don't Mean a Thing	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra
i	Lover Man	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Billie Holiday
i	Makin' Whoopee!	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Eddie Cantor REC,REL,PRF
	My Little Brown Book	Gloria Lynne with Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra
i	Satin Doll	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra
i	Somebody Loves Me	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Winnie Lightner PRF, Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra REL
i	Speak Low	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Mary Martin and Kenny Baker REL, Kurt Weill REC
i	Stompin' at the Savoy	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Chick Webb's Savoy Orchestra
i	Surrey with the Fringe on Top	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Alfred Drake, Joan Roberts & Betty Garde with Oklahoma Orchestra under direction of Jay Blackton REL, Alfred Drake, Joan Roberts & Betty Garde PRF
i	The Continental	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Erik Rhodes and Lillian Miles
	The Song Is You	Gloria Lynne with Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Tullio Carminati
	They Can't Take That Away from Me	Gloria Lynne with Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Fred Astaire with Johnny Green and His Orchestra BRD, Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra – Vocal Refrain by Ozzie Nelson REC,REL
	They Say It's Wonderful	Gloria Lynne with Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Bing Crosby with Orchestra directed by Jay Blackton REC,REL, Ethel Merman & Ray Middleton PRF
i	Undecided	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	John Kirby and His Onyx Club Boys
i	You're Driving Me Crazy	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Jack Albin and His Hotel Pennsylvania Dance Orch. - Vocal Chorus by Bill Coty REC, Adele Astaire & Eddie Foy Jr. PRF
i	Dock of the Bay	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1970	Otis Redding
i	Evil Ways	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1970	Willie Bobo
i	Funky Broadway	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1970	Dyke and The Blazers
i	Midnight Hour	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1970	Wilson Pickett
i	Respect	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1970	Otis Redding
i	Spoonful	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1970	Howlin' Wolf
i	Thank You	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1970	Sly & The Family Stone
	Don't Wonder Why	Alice Clark - Orch. arranged & Conducted by Ernie Wilkins	1972	Stevie Wonder
	Hey Girl	Alice Clark - Orch. arranged & Conducted by Ernie Wilkins	1972	Donny Hathaway
	I Keep It Hid	Alice Clark - Orch. arranged & Conducted by Ernie Wilkins	1972	Jim Webb
	Maybe This Time	Alice Clark - Orch. arranged & Conducted by Ernie Wilkins	1972	Liza Minnelli
i	Hi-Fly	Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	1981	Randy Weston
i	Is That So	Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	1981	The Duke Pearson Nonet
i	Lollipops and Roses	Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	1981	Jack Jones
i	Sebastian	Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	1981	BP Convention Big Band
i	Sugar	Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	1981	Stanley Turrentine
i	Blues for Duane	Ernie Wilkins' Almost Big Band	1982	Freddie Hubbard
i	Crisis	Ernie Wilkins' Almost Big Band	1982	Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
i	Sophisticated Lady	Ernie Wilkins' Almost Big Band	1982	Duke Ellington and His Orchestra
i	Lover Man	Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	1987	Billie Holiday
i	I Mean You	Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	1989	Coleman Hawkins and Orch.
i	Don't Get Around Much Anymore	Ernie Wilkins & the All Stars Band	1994	Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra
i	Good Queen Bess	Ernie Wilkins & the All Stars Band	1994	Johnny Hodges and Orchestra (An Ellington Unit)
i	Isfahan	Ernie Wilkins & the All Stars Band	1994	Duke Ellington
i	Johnny Come Lately	Ernie Wilkins & the All Stars Band	1994	Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra
i	Kinda Dukish	Ernie Wilkins & the All Stars Band	1994	Unverified
i	My Little Brown Book	Ernie Wilkins & the All Stars Band	1994	Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra
i	The Mooche	Ernie Wilkins & the All Stars Band	1994	Duke Ellington and His Orchestra
i	Things Ain't What They Used to Be	Ernie Wilkins & the All Stars Band	1994	Johnny Hodges and Orchestra
	Angel Eyes	Bobo Moreno & The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band	August 28, 2007	Herb Jeffries with Buddy Baker and His Orchestra
	Cherokee	Bobo Moreno & The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band	August 28, 2007	Spud Murphy and His Orchestra
	Every Day I Have the Blues	Bobo Moreno & The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band	August 28, 2007	Pine Top, Memphis Slim & The House Rockers
	How High the Moon	Bobo Moreno & The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band	August 28, 2007	Benny Goodman and His Orchestra - Vocal Chorus by Helen Forrest REC, Frances Comstock & Alfred Drake PRF
	Lil Darlin'	Bobo Moreno & The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band	August 28, 2007	Count Basie and His Orchestra, Count Basie & His Orchestra - With the Voices of Annie Ross, Dave Lambert, Jon Hendrix and Joe Williams
	Milestones	Bobo Moreno & The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band	August 28, 2007	Miles Davis, Mark Murphy
	On Green Dolphin Street	Bobo Moreno & The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band	August 28, 2007	Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra
	Out of This World	Bobo Moreno & The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band	August 28, 2007	Eddie Bracken [dubbed by Bing Crosby] BRD, Jo Stafford with Paul Weston and His Orchestra REC,REL
	Roll 'Em Pete	Bobo Moreno & The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band	August 28, 2007	Joe Turner and Pete Johnson
	Sometimes I'm Happy	Bobo Moreno & The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band	August 28, 2007	The Six Hottentots - Vocal Chorus Irving Kaufman
	Soon	Bobo Moreno & The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band	August 28, 2007	Margaret Schilling and Jerry Goff
	Stopping the Clock	Bobo Moreno & The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band	August 28, 2007	Jackie & Roy
	Teach Me Tonight	Bobo Moreno & The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band	August 28, 2007	Janet Brace with Orchestra directed by Jack Pleis

Songs written by Ernie Wilkins

Original songs

Title	Written by	Originally by	Original date	Covered by
A Little Bit of Duke	Ernie Wilkins	Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	1987	Covered by Danish Radio Big Band
Almost Basie	Ernie Wilkins	Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	1987	Covered by Grover Mitchell & His All-Star Orchestra
A Song for Ben Webster	Ernie Wilkins	Ernie Wilkins' Almost Big Band	July 22, 1983	Covered by Jimmy Heath
Dizzy's Business	Ernie Wilkins	The Cannonball Adderley Sextet	1962	Unverified
Ghana	Ernie Wilkins	Milt Jackson	April 1959	Covered by (2 artists)
No More Rat Race	Ernie Wilkins	Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	1981	Covered by Grover Mitchell & His All-Star Orchestra
Sweety Cakes	Ernie Wilkins	Count Basie and His Orchestra	February 1957	Unverified

Releases

Albums

Title	Performer	Release date	Label
Alice Clark	Alice Clark - Orch. arranged & Conducted by Ernie Wilkins	1972	Mainstream Records
Candido the Volcanic	Candido & Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	1957	ABC-Paramount
Day in Day Out	Gloria Lynne with Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Everest
Easy Living	Mary Ann McCall with The Ernie Wilkins Orchestra	2001	Atlantic
“Easy Living” with Mary Ann McCall	Mary Ann McCall - Ernie Wilkins and His Orch.	1956	Regent
Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	1981	Storyville [DK]
Flutes & Reeds	Ernie Wilkins - Frank Wess - Jerome Richardson - Hank Jones - Eddie Jones - Kenny Clarke	1955	Savoy Records
Hard Mother Blues	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1970	Mainstream Records
Here Comes the Swingin' Mr. Wilkins	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Everest
K.A.L.E.I.D.O.D.U.K.E	Ernie Wilkins & the All Stars Band	1994	Birdology
Live!	Ernie Wilkins' Almost Big Band	1982	Matrix
Montreux	Ernie Wilkins' Almost Big Band	1984	SteepleChase
On the Roll	Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	1987	SteepleChase
On the Roll [CD]	Ernie Wilkins and the Almost Big Band	1989	SteepleChase
Out of This World	Bobo Moreno & The Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band	August 28, 2007	Stunt Records
Something to Swing About	Carmen McRae with Orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins	January 1960	Kapp Records
The Big New Band of the 60's	Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1960	Everest
The Greatest Songs Ever Swung	Morgana King, Ernie Wilkins and His Orchestra	1959	RCA Camden