American composer Alec Wilder (1907-1980) was a maverick and an eccentric whose music defied categorization.
Born in Rochester, New York to a prominent family, Wilder was largely self-taught. For a few years, he studied composition and counterpoint privately at the Eastman School of Music, but he felt confined and stifled by the rules of the academy. As a young man, he moved into the Algonquin Hotel in New York City, an enclave for prominent artists and writers, and traveled extensively. Wilder’s songs were promoted by Mitch Miller and Frank Sinatra. He collaborated closely with numerous jazz singers, but also wrote chamber music, operas, musical theater music, and film scores. To get a sense of the unconventional nature of Wilder’s music, look no further than the 1951 Jazz Suite for Horns and Harpsichord, or a quirky collection of Octets from 1955. Unconcerned with commissions or promotion, Wilder remained a shy and reclusive figure.
The song, Blackberry Winter, with lyrics by Loonis McGlohon, was written in 1976. The title refers to a brief late-spring cold snap that can occur throughout the southern United States after the blooming of blackberry vines. Wilder recalled that the melody came to him while he was casually improvising at the piano during a visit with McGlohon:
Something I played pleased him so I worked out the idea into a full length melody. He expressed interest in putting a lyric to it. I was convinced that my rhythmically unconventional devices would seriously hinder any attempt to find adequate words. Not at all. Mr. McGlohon, in his usual impeccable taste, found all the right words even if the phrase ‘blackberry winter’ is unfamiliar to Northerners.
Jazz vocalist Marlene VerPlanck included this performance on a 1986 album dedicated to Wilder’s songs:
The wistful melody also inspired this improvisation by Keith Jarrett:
Recordings
Featured Image: photograph by Virginie Blanquart
Marlene was a superb stylist and one of the greatest interpreters of song. She is much missed by lovers of our kind of music.