Finances, and All That Jazz: Steve Wilson

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IT'S NO SECRET that the jazz business is in critical condition. Last year signaled the end of the Herald International Association of Jazz Educators Conference, while this year, thanks in huge part to the economic meltdown, record distribution continues to dwindle.

So, what does a successful jazz saxophonist such as Steve Wilson tell a music student with big hopes of becoming a jazz star? "Think of yourself more than as a jazz musician," he says. "The exceptions to the rule are very few in terms of those who are able to go exclusively into jazz and become financially successful."

Wilson, a dynamic improviser, who's played with jazz luminaries including Chick Corea, Dave Holland and Joe Henderson — and has recorded a string of captivating solo discs — conducted workshops on music business, improvisation, jazz history and ethnomusicology,earlier this week at the University of Maryland's Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. "From the business aspect, one has to be versatile and skilled not just as an improviser but as a musician who can perform in a variety of settings," he says.

Wilson's residency won't focus entirely on survival in a gloomy business. Tonight, he'll present a still-untitled piece he's writing for his quartet. Its inspiration comes from the recent inauguration of President Obama. "It's not so much about an endorsement of President Obama," Wilson explains, "but more about my hope that we are entering a new era of enlightenment. Hopefully, we're getting over the age of individualism and we can think of ourselves as more of a society."

» Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Route 193 (University Blvd.) and Stadium Drive, College Park, Thu., Mar. 12, 8 p.m., $35; 301-405-2787.

Written by Express contributor John Murph
Photo courtesy John Abbott