Ed Wise, PennJazz Musical Director: a brief biography (If you would like to receive Ed's monthly newsletter including his calendar of upcoming appearances, email him at ed@edwisemusician.com.  Also, visit his own website at http://www.edwisemusician.com.   Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Ed Wise began his study of music at the age of ten, starting on the piano.  His study and love of the string bass began at age twelve.  At fifteen, he discovered jazz and began a life-long journey of the study, practice and performance of America’s musical gift to the world.  And by age seventeen, Ed was performing with Houston’s legendary tenor saxophonist Arnett Cobb and sitting in at local jam sessions with visiting jazz greats Sonny Stitt, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and many others.   Upon graduation from high school in 1973, Ed pursued his musical education at the world-renowned University of North Texas (formerly North Texas State University), earning a bachelor of music degree and a master’s degree in jazz performance with a minor in composition.  As a graduate student, he conducted the “4 O'Clock Lab Band” and was the bassist for the famous “1 O'Clock Lab Band”. Ed also performed with guest artists appearing at the school including trumpeters Jon Faddis, Tom Harrell, Conte Condoli, saxophonists Frank Foster and Frank Wess, clarinetist Buddy DeFranco, trombonist J.J. Johnson and pianists Kenny Barron, Jim McNeely and Hal Galper.  During his time in the Dallas area, he gigged with local jazz artists including former Miles Davis Quintet pianist Red Garland,  former Jazz Messenger Marcel Ivery and tenor sax legend James Clay.  As bassist for the  Dave Zoller trio, he backed up  Eddie Daniels, Carl Fontana, Jim Hall, Mundell Lowe and Pete Christlieb.  Also during this time, Ed toured with New Orleans legend Al Hirt, Texas R&B star Delbert McClinton and the Smothers Brothers.  Performances with Billy Eckstine, Cab Calloway, Frank Sinatra Jr. and Vic Damone rounded out his busy schedule. In 1989 Ed Wise moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada where he continued as one of the busiest bassists in Canada’s music center.  In 1990, he toured with the Concord (record label) All-Stars (pianist Monty Alexander, trumpet legend Harry "Sweets" Edison and saxophonists Scott Hamilton and Bud Shank), performing at major jazz festivals across Canada.  In 1991, he worked with the great Lee Konitz. During his time in Canada, Ed served on the jazz faculty of the National Music Camp of Canada, teaching and performing alongside Frank Mantooth, Pat LaBarbera and others. 1993 saw Ed heading back south, this time to New Orleans, where he lived and worked until August 29, 2005, the day Hurricane Katrina came to town.  While in the Crescent City, he performed with and arranged for Al Belletto's Big Jazz Band and sextet, Connie Jones' Crescent City Jazz Band, pianist Henry Butler, guitarist Herb Ellis and pianist/vocalist Mose Allison. In 1995, Ed began a three-year stint as professor of jazz bass and jazz combos at New Orleans' Loyola University.  In 2003, Ed served as bandleader/bassist aboard the legendary steamboat Delta Queen until his move to Philly following the aforementioned hurricane. In December and July 2005, Ed appeared with Connie Jones' Crescent City Jazz Band at both the winter and summer Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy. In March 2005, he recorded his first, as-yet-unreleased CD, "Ed Wise and his New Orleans Jazz Band", featuring his own inventive arrangements for 8, 9 and 10-piece ensembles, playing traditional New Orleans Dixieland-style jazz and swing.  And in the April 2005 issue of New Orleans Magazine, Ed received the honor of being named one of New Orleans’ “Jazz All-Stars”. Since moving to Philadelphia in 2005 in the wake of Katrina, besides accepting his position as musical director for Penn Jazz, Ed has also assembled a superb group of East Coast musicians into his current working band (also called "Ed Wise and his New Orleans Jazz Band").  Additionally, Ed has been working constantly around Philadelphia and the world, appearing at jazz festivals across the U.S. and in Europe with The Midiri Brothers Band and his long-time New Orleans friend and colleague, Connie Jones.  He also maintains a busy writing schedule, composing and arranging for his own band, the Midiri Brothers and Penn Jazz.