Ed Wiley Jr. (March 14, 1930 – September 27, 2010) was an American tenor saxophonist whose big sound and soulful expression helped lay the foundation for early blues, R&B and what would later come to be known as “rock-and-roll” music.
During the late 1940s and early 1950s, when brash, honking tenormen were the driving force behind Texas blues and R&B, Wiley's bold, soulful delivery established him as a mainstay of the post-World War II music world. In later years, after more than a decade away from touring and recording, Wiley would re-emerge on the jazz scene, touring and recording with many of the leading musicians of the genre. Although Wiley never abandoned the rich, soulful style he honed during his early years, his later recordings showed a greater appreciation for bebop, and he collaborated with such stalwarts of the bebop era as drummers Mickey Roker, Bobby Durham and Ben Riley; bassists Keter Betts and Charles Fambrough; and pianists John Hicks, Kenny Barron and Sir Roland Hanna.
Early life
Wiley was born in Houston's Fourth Ward. His parents divorced when he was very young, and Wiley was raised by his mother, Vanilla Yancy, and two sisters. Wiley attended Booker T. Washington High School, where he played clarinet in the marching band and concert band. In his final year of high school, Wiley, who cites Lester Young, Arnett Cobb and Gene Ammons as his leading influences, began playing saxophone at local dances. By his 18th birthday, he had recorded on several upstart Texas labels and was a regular at such venues as Houston's Eldorado Ballroom and the Bronze Peacock, and Don's Keyhole in San Antonio.
'Texas tenor' legacy
Wiley is among a long lineage of “Texas tenor” reedmen, known for their bold, bluesy, and often boisterous way of blowing. They included such saxophone legends as James Clay, Arnett Cobb, King Curtis, Booker Ervin, Illinois Jacquet, David "Fathead" Newman, Buddy Tate and Donald Wilkerson. There were also several other horn players – such as Chicagoan Gene Ammons, Floridian Willis Jackson and Missourian Lester Young – who share the Texas tenor pedigree because of their sound rather than their hometown.
The monthly Cadence Review of Jazz & Blues: Creative Improvised Music writes that Wiley has an “appreciation of the classic ‘Texas tenor’ sound of people such as Arnett Cobb and Illinois Jacquet. But his sound is more polished and urbane compared with those past masters; it’s big and soulful, but never overbearing.”
"The Texas tenor sound was an aggressive approach to whatever type of tune you were doing," Wiley told American Music Center writer Eugene Holley in a 1995 interview. "It’s a big sound, and soulful as can be. You had tenor players from that area, and you grew up hearing that sound. …I played the carnival circuit. They had what you call tent shows before the main show, and the band would play in what they called the ‘valley,’ to get the people in the crowd interested enough to come into the tent. There were no microphones out there, and you had to really dig down deep in your horn and get some volume. So it strengthened your chops and you were used to that big, full sound. When I was coming up in high school [Booker T. Washington], I played in the marching bands on the football field, and you got strong doing that too."
Early career
New York record producers Bob and Morty Shad decided that it was Wiley’s robust sound that would be the common denominator on the dozens of blues recordings they would issue on their Sittin' in With and Mercury labels. Thus, in addition to the numerous releases under his own name, Wiley is perhaps the most ubiquitous band leader backing a copious list of renowned Texas bluesmen, including Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, James “Widemouth” Brown, Nelson Carson, Goree Carter, Peppermint Harris, Smokey Hogg, Elmore Nixon, Teddy Reynolds and King Tut, among others.
Wiley already had gained some local notoriety a year or two prior to meeting the Shads, performing throughout Texas and Louisiana with such notables as Gatemouth, Amos Milburn, Big Mama Thornton, Perry Cain and Henry Hayes. Between 1948 and 1949, Wiley appeared on several sides for Freedom, Gold Star and Jade records.
But Wiley got his first taste of national fame when a 78 that he recorded in 1949 for Sittin' In With climbed the R&B charts in the spring of 1950. "Cry Cry Baby”, which featured fellow Houstonian Teddy Reynolds on piano and vocals, was a Cash Box hit, making it to No. 3 on The Billboard.