Jack Wilkins, virtuoso jazz musician, died on May 5, 2023, after a long illness. As Wikipedia tells us, Jack was a native of New York City, who started playing guitar when he was thirteen. He had a wide array of influences, including Charlie Christian, Tal Farlow, Django Reinhardt, and Johnny Smith, as well as Joe Pass, Barney Kessel, and Tal Farlow. Over the years, he worked with drummer and big band leader Buddy Rich, and such jazz greats as Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Zoot Sims, Phil Woods, and the Brecker Brothers.

I met Jack over 50 years ago. I enjoyed his first album, “Windows“, in 1973 [YouTube link], and have enjoyed his many other recordings. He was a dear friend of my brother, guitarist Carl Barry and my sister-in-law, singer Joanne Barry. Jack and Carl often performed together and I was fortunate enough to see their deep musical bond at many jazz clubs over the decades. Jack was also the guest soloist on “Alone in the World” [link], a track from my brother and sister-in-law’s album “Embraceable You“.

My deepest condolences to all his family and friends; he will be missed. RIP, Jack.

Jack Wilkins (1944-2023)