1. Donald Grover Wise was an American tenor saxophonist, songwriter, and music producer.
13 Facts About Don Wise
1. 2.
Don Wise gained attention as reliable sideman of the singer-songwriter Delbert McClinton from Lubbock, Texas, for 23 years.
3.
Don Wise released four CDs under his own name before retiring from the music business in 2008.
4.
Don Wise was married and lived with his family in Knoxville, Tennessee.
5.
Don Wise was inspired by the rhythm and blues of the 1950s; however, he played country, swing, and big band music.
6.
Don Wise toured with various bands across the US in the 1970s and '80s and has performed with Jeffrey Osborne, Ruben Ramos, Chuck Jackson, Maxine Brown, Taj Mahal, Willie Nelson, Marcia Ball, Rickey Godfrey, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Tower of Power, Huey Lewis, Hal Ketchum, Teresa James and Joe Ely.
7.
Don Wise took the opportunity and remained a pillar of the group for 23 years.
8.
Don Wise served as instrumentalist and co-producer of McClinton's Grammy-nominated album Live from Austin in 1989 and as musician of Grammy winner Cost of Living in 2005.
9.
Don Wise's playing style is written about in John Laughter's Contemporary Saxophone, with four of his solos from the Live from Austin CD featured on the book's companion disc.
10.
Besides featuring his friends' and colleagues' talents, Don Wise complemented these projects with his own musicianship as a sax pro, as well as his gifts as a composer, lyricist, producer, and singer.
11.
In 2008, after an acclaimed tour of Finland and Norway, Don Wise exited the Delbert McClinton band to devote his time to his family and hobbies.
12.
In 2021 Don Wise was inducted into the Westerly High Music Hall of Fame.
13.
Don Wise played "The Martin Tenor" built in 1951 with the Otto Link 7S, metal mouthpiece.