Baltimore's
Warren Wolf is an acclaimed jazz vibraphonist known for his sophisticated, exploratory, nearly acrobatic post-bop style that moved one critic to exclaim that "he plays the vibraphone like an electric guitar!" Since 2005, he has been recording as a leader and touring with his own groups. His debut, Incredible Jazz Vibes for M&I Jazz, garnered attention from critics all over the globe. In 2007 he became a member of bassist
Christian McBride's Inside Straight quintet. In 2011,
Wolf signed a deal with Detroit's Mack Avenue label, and delivered his widely celebrated self-titled offering. After touring with the bassist, being an in-demand session player, and leading his own groups on tours of clubs and festival stages,
Wolf issued
Convergence in 2016; its lineup included
McBride (who also acted as co-producer),
Jeff "Tain" Watts,
John Scofield, and
Brad Mehldau.
Born in Baltimore in 1979,
Wolf first began playing music at age three, studying vibraphone, marimba, drums, and piano with his father, a teacher and amateur musician. Focusing on classical music in his youth,
Wolf attended the Peabody Preparatory School, during which time he also took lessons with former
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra member Leo LePage.
It wasn't until his teens, while attending the Baltimore School for the Arts, that
Wolf became increasingly interested in jazz. After high school, he earned his undergraduate music degree at Berklee College of Music in Boston, studying privately with vibraphonist
Dave Samuels. Also during his time at Berklee,
Wolf befriended trumpeter, classmate, and future collaborator
Jeremy Pelt.
Pelt introduced the vibraphonist to other fellow Berklee notables, including
Kendrick Scott,
Walter Smith III, and trumpeter
Jason Palmer, with whom
Wolf would co-lead a band at local club Wally's for most of his time in Boston.
After graduating in 2001,
Wolf continued to gig around Boston, while also working as a percussion instructor at Berklee. In 2005 he returned to Baltimore, where he quickly established himself as an in-demand performer and bandleader. As a sideman,
Wolf has performed and/or recorded with such luminaries as
Bobby Watson,
Christian McBride,
Wynton Marsalis,
Christian Scott,
Robert Glasper,
Esperanza Spalding, and others.
As a solo artist,
Wolf made his debut in 2005 with the independently produced effort Incredible Jazz Vibes. He then signed with Mack Avenue Records and released his sophomore album, 2011's
Warren Wolf. Two years later he returned with the quartet album
Wolfgang in 2016, featuring appearances from pianist
Benny Green, bassist
McBride, and others. For the next several years
Wolf was called upon often as a session and touring sideman. He appeared on
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah's Stretch Music and
Willie Jones III's
Groundwork in 2015. The following year he resumed his work as a bandleader with
Convergence, featuring
McBride, drummer
Jeff "Tain" Watts, and pianist
Brad Mehldau, as well guitarist
John Scofield in a guest spot. Over the next four years,
Wolf spent a lot of time in Europe. He played on a series of dates as a sideman including
Andrea Motis' Emotional Dance, and
Sarah McKenzie's
Paris in the Rain. In the States he played on the
SF Jazz Collective's Music of Miles Davis & Original Compositions, and
T.K. Blue's Amour. He was a featured guest on the Rodney Green Quartet's Live at Jazzhus Montmartre Copenhagen in 2017, and played with the Ted Nash Quintet for
Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola the following year. In the spring of 2020,
Wolf released
Reincarnation for Mack Avenue. Its title signified a shift in the artist's musical priorities. Here, he indulged his love for the R&B and soul music that served as the soundtrack to his formative years during the 90's (albeit in original jazz compositions). It featured lead and duet vocals by Imani-Grace Cooper and Marcellus "Bassman Shepard, fronting a quintet that included pianist
Brett Williams' drummer Carroll "CV" Dashiell III, and bassist
Richie Goods, with guitarist
Mark Whitfield appearing as a guest on two tracks. ~ Matt Collar