San Diego Music Hall of Fame®

Inducted 2023

Quintessential jazz pianist Mike Wofford has appeared on more than 200 recordings and performed internationally over the decades. A native Texan raised in San Diego, California, he began playing piano at the age of seven. At 18 he moved to Los Angeles and began his career in the 1960s jazz scene, playing with greats such as The Lighthouse All-Stars and the bands of Red Norvo and Chet Baker. In the late 1960s, Wofford was a free-lance session musician in Los Angeles recording TV soundtracks and motion pictures.

On TV shows with legendary producer Quincy Jones, Wofford was the staff pianist and first-call pianist at Universal Pictures for Oliver Nelson. He also worked at Capitol Records and wrote for artists such as Sergio Mendes and the Mike Barone Big Band. Wofford began a long-lasting association with Shelly Manne. Wofford was a member of the Shelly Manne/LeeKonitz Quartet and then toured Europe as a pianist and music director for Sarah Vaughan. He’s also separately toured Japan and Brazil alongside Shelly Manne, Zoot Sims, and the Benny Carter Orchestra.

Wofford became Ella Fitzgerald’s pianist and music director in 1989. During this period, he was also the house pianist at San Diego’s national jazz clubs Elario’s Hotel and Horton Grand Hotel. He performed at these venues with many jazz legends, including Charlie Haden, Art Farmer, Slide Hampton, and Ray Brown.

Wofford currently tours with Holly Hofmann, his wife and acclaimed flutist. He also arranges for the string orchestras of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Ellington/Strayhorn. A highly sought-after jazz pianist, he continues to collaborate with legendary artists and record and perform his own music. It’s no mystery why Mike Wofford is known as “the essence of jazz piano.”

Excerpts from Capri Records press kit, Mike Wofford’s Wiki page, and The San Diego Reader.

Official website: mikewofford.com