File 285 - 3 note samba : for big band

Rick (Herbert Richard) Wilkins is a Canadian arranger, composer, conductor and tenor saxophonist. Born in Hamilton, Ontario on February 1, 1937, he played in and arranged for various dance bands in Hamilton and Burlington before moving to Toronto in 1957. In Toronto, he performed with Benny Louis' dance band among others, and was an arranger for Jack Kane's CBC orchestra. He briefly studied arranging with Phil Nimmons at the Advanced School of Contemporary Music in Toronto.

Throughout his career, he prepared and conducted music for a number of CBC and CTV specials, including scoring Oscar Peterson's Canadiana Suite for a 1979 CBC TV presentation. During a stint in Los Angeles, he was a music director at CBS TV for a series and several specials featuring the Jackson Five. In addition to his work as an arranger, Wilkins also composed a number of original scores for CBC TV dramas, documentaries, and the opening ceremonies at the Calgary Olympics, to name a few.

As a performer, Wilkins worked with various Toronto studio orchestras and was a member of the Boss Brass, Nimmons 'N' Nine Plus Six, and other ensembles.

Wilkins was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2002.