A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Dennis Wilson began his professional career with Lionel Hampton as trombonist, arranger and musical director. He has been the lead trombonist for Count Basie and his Orchestra and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band. He received a Grammy Award nomination for arrangements (The Manhattan Transfer), performed on Grammy winning albums (Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie). He arranged, conducted and produced “Swinging, Singing and Playing” an album by the Count Basie Orchestra featuring NEA Jazz Masters Quincy Jones, Jon Hendricks, Curtis Fuller and Frank Wess. He is the Director of the UM Jazz Assembly Band for the Newport Festivals Foundation.