Mike Wofford


Mike Wofford is a jazz pianist who was raised in San Diego, California. He is best known as an accompanist to and music director for singers Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald.
He was known in the jazz community going back to the 1960s for the albums Strawberry Wine and Summer Night. He settled in Los Angeles and performed with Shorty Rogers, Teddy Edwards, Bud Shank, Red Norvo, Chet Baker, Joe Pass, Quincy Jones, Oliver Nelson, Shelly Manne, and Zoot Sims. In the 1970s Wofford toured Europe with Manne and Lee Konitz, in the 1980s Japan with Manne, Sweets Edison and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, and Japan and Brazil with Benny Carter. Returning to San Diego, he performed with Kenny Burrell, Benny Golson, Art Farmer, Charlie Haden, Slide Hampton, Clifford Jordan, Ray Brown, and Charles McPherson. Wofford worked on John Lennon's album Rock 'n' Roll and in 1973 briefly toured with Roger McGuinn of the Byrds. On August 13, 2012, he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 22nd Annual San Diego Music Awards.

Discography

As leader

With Elek Bacsik
With Kenny Burrell
With Gil Fuller
With Richard "Groove" Holmes
With John Klemmer
With Shelly Manne
With Oliver Nelson
With Howard Roberts
With Sonny Stitt
With Gerald Wilson