Jack Wilkins

Professor of Jazz Studies

Email: wilkins@usf.edu
Phone: (813) 974-2311

Saxophonist and composer Jack Wilkins has taught at the University of South Florida since 1993. He serves as the Director of the Jazz Studies program, teaches courses in jazz improvisation, jazz styles and analysis, and jazz history, directs jazz ensembles, and teaches applied jazz performance. Under Professor Wilkins leadership USF Jazz Ensembles have performed at many of the world’s most prestigious Jazz Festivals, conducting over 16 international concert tours to Europe, Africa and South America.

Professor Wilkins was appointed as a 2017-18 Fulbright Scholar to the University of Calgary, as Research Chair in the College of Creative and Performing Arts. He has six CD’s out as a leader, including his most recent project, The Rundle Sessions, released on Chronograph Records.

Wilkins is an active performer, leading his own projects, appearing as guest artist with numerous professional and collegiate jazz bands, and performing as a featured soloist with Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge big band. Jack is Yamaha Instrument Company Artist and an active clinician and adjudicator. During the summers he teaches and performs as a long-time member of the faculty of the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops. His publications include the Essential Jazz Etudes series by Mel Bay Publishing, and the software-based multimedia textbook Jazz: America’s Gift to the World, by Faulkner Press.

Wilkins is a featured soloist on the critically-acclaimed recordings by Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge, including “Whispers on the Wind” for which he was a Grammy award finalist as a performer on the 2017 CD release (This CD received 4 Grammy nominations overall) and as the saxophone soloist on “River Runs: A Concerto for Jazz Guitar, Saxophone and Orchestra”, released in 2013. This CD was also Grammy Award Finalist for that year. Jack’s artistic improvisations and saxophone performance have received positive reviews and international exposure on a wide range of jazz, classical and eclectic online and traditional radio stations.

As a composer, Wilkins has written music for his own CD projects, as well as for others. He has received attention for his original compositions, especially his latest CD projects: The Banff Project, The Blue and Green Project, The Rundle Sessions and Saxophone Legacy.  His unique combination of Jazz, Classical, American roots music and other musical styles in his creation of new music has garnered positive reviews and audience reaction.