Putte Wickman

On September 10, 1924, Putte Wickman entered the world in the Swedish town of Falun. He mastered the clarinet during his youth and, once school ended, stood ready to launch a professional career at home. Bebop was gaining momentum exactly when he began, and he slipped into its demands with little trouble. For a stretch he appeared alongside Simon Brehm and Charlie Norman, yet soon struck out alone to form a gospel-and-jazz unit with pianist Reinhold Svensson. The pair remained active in Stockholm until the mid-1950s, when Wickman left to join assorted jazz players and to lead a big band at the Stockholm Grand Hotel. Engagements followed with Jimmy Raney, Lars Gullin, and Svend Asmussen before he tested his prospects in the United States, reaching New York City in 1959. He remained active across America for years, playing Carnegie Hall and numerous other stages. International touring began in the 1970s, most often as a soloist. By the 1990s he was still performing live and had resumed recording, with appearances that included the Swedish Jazz Festival.