About
The Almost Big Band was a 13-piece jazz band formed by Ernie Wilkins in 1980 after his permanent move to Copenhagen, Denmark. Members included expatriate American such as Kenny Drew and Ed Thigpen as well as prominent Danish jazz musicians such as Jesper Thilo and Bent Jaedig.
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Mainly an arranger, Wilkins created the band so he could write for a band of his own formation. In America the band remained underrated and overlooked.
Members
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Bent Jædig tenor saxophone
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Richard Boone trombone
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Kenny Drew piano
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Vagn Elsberg trumpet
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Sahib Shihab baritone saxophone
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Ed Thigpen drums (drum set)
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Mads Vinding double bass
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Ernie Wilkins tenor saxophone
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Jens Winther trumpet
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Jesper Thilo tenor saxophone
Discography
Links
Identifiers
- MusicBrainz
- ace035f3-9fb1-4de2-a3a8-c2a15dfa6d83
- ISNI
- 0000000106562205
Data from MusicBrainz, saved 7 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.