Sunny Wilkinson - Jazz Vocalist
East Lansing, Michigan
Sunny Wilkinson has taken her place in that elite group of jazz vocalists who have stretched the boundaries and found themselves "one of a kind."
In addition to over three decades of professional accomplishments and performances, Sunny has sung with music icons such as The Count Basie Orchestra, Rob McConell and the Boss Brass, Clark Terry, Mark Murphy, Milt Hinton, Curtis Fuller and many more.
Sunny's latest CD is a duo project featuring Los Angeles based pianist Tom Garvin entitled A Gentle Time – When Sunny Meets Tom. “The musical empathy that is shared by these two artists is truly extraordinary…Sunny Wilkinson is at the top of her game here. She has spent a lot of time refining her craft in the trenches and now emerges as a master songstress able to get inside of a song and find its essential emotional core." ~ Don Mizell, co-producer of “Ray Charles, Genius Loves Company.”
In addition to an impressive performance career, Sunny has also made significant contributions in jazz education. The head of the Vocal Jazz Area at Michigan State University for 18 years, Sunny has also served as a President of the Michigan chapter of the International Association of Jazz Educators and as a past chairperson for IAJE’s Women’s Caucus. An ardent supporter of young women jazz musicians, she developed a mentoring program called “Sisters in Jazz” that was taken to an international level through IAJE.
An inspirational voice in jazz, Sunny has a rich stage history, having performed at jazz festivals, with symphony orchestras, and at clubs and music programs across the country.
Looking ahead, Ms. Wilkinson is excited and passionate about continuing to share her deeply artistic and unique sound with audiences and students everywhere.
