Arnold (“Arnie”) Wise (1935-2025)

Arnold “Arnie” Wise, 89, a drummer and a member of Local 802 in the 1970s and 1980s, died on June 4, 2025.

Mr. Wise was born in Britain and moved to the United States in 1959. He studied at the Massachusetts School of Art, where he became close friends with bassist Chuck Israels. While in Boston, Mr. Wise played regularly with Israels in pianist Steve Kuhn’s trio. That group frequently backed visiting jazz legends — including Coleman Hawkins and Stan Getz — at concerts hosted by Brandeis University.

In 1959 and 1960, Mr. Wise toured Europe with Israels as part of pianist Jon Mayer’s trio, performing in well-known venues such as Paris’s Le Chat qui Pêche. During that tour, Mr. Wise also sat in with noted European musicians, including Guy Lafitte, Claude Bolling and Tete Montoliu.

Mr. Wise’s most prominent association came in the mid-1960s when he joined pianist Bill Evans’s trio. The trio recorded a live New York concert on Feb. 21, 1966, which was released as Bill Evans at Town Hall. This became Evans’s only commercial trio recording featuring Arnold Wise on drums. Critics praised Mr. Wise’s playing, noting his subtle, tastefully supportive style — one reviewer remarked that he “completes the group.” Mr. Wise remained with the Evans trio through early 1967, briefly left, and then rejoined for a six-month European tour before Evans moved on with a new drummer.

Later, previously unreleased recordings featuring Mr. Wise were issued by Milestone Records on “The Secret Sessions: 1966-1975 (1996),” which includes tracks recorded at the Village Vanguard.

Beyond his work with Bill Evans, Mr. Wise had a diverse and active career. He recorded and performed with a range of major jazz figures. His discography includes sessions with Antonio Carlos Jobim, Claude Bolling, Jimmy Giuffre, Stan Getz, Coleman Hawkins, Sybill Shepherd and the Monty Alexander Trio. Notable appearances include:

• Soft Samba (Verve, 1966) — a bossa-influenced album by Gary McFarland, featuring Antonio Carlos Jobim on guitar
• A Point of View (Concentric Records, 1966) — a quartet session led by Bobby Cole
• Strictly Confidential (Fresh Sound, 2005) — a reunion trio album with Jon Mayer and Chuck Israels
• The Feeling Is Mutual (EmArcy, 1965) — an album by Helen Merrill

Mr. Wise’s early career included regular gigs at New York’s Jilly’s nightclub with Bobby Cole’s trio, and he remained an active figure in jazz and cabaret settings throughout his life. In spring 2010, he performed with the Smooth Spot Trio led by pianist Michael Kevin Walsh. As late as 2019, he was billed as the drummer for singer Kyoko Saegusa’s tribute to Jobim in New York.

While Arnold Wise never sought the spotlight, his subtle, elegant playing earned the respect of critics and fellow musicians alike. One biographer of Bill Evans described him as “a drummer of such tact and elegance that dictionary authors almost overlooked his existence.”

Mr. Wise’s career — spanning from the 1960s through the 2010s — left a lasting imprint on modern jazz. His work, especially with Bill Evans, continues to be celebrated by jazz historians and discerning listeners.

He is survived by his daughter Stacey Mullane, who said, “He lived life on his own terms and left behind a legacy of success and pride in everything he did. My dad was incredibly proud of his career, and he often spoke of the legacy he hoped to leave — and he truly did.”

Obituary submitted by Stacey Mullane, based on her father’s resume.