Dexter Wansel is known to some as Philly keyboardist who released a number of successful albums in the 70s including most notably Life on Mars and Voyager. As composer and keyboardist, Wansel made hits on Philly International for Patti and Teddy or local pals Jean Carn and Phyllis Hyman. In 1976′s Dexter was credited with a moody, space- soul LP ‘Life On Mars’ whose icy ambience and thick, thematic funk ushered in Neo-Soul.”
After his Vietnam Army War Tour, Dexter joined the ranks of Walter Carlos, Dick Hyman, and Isao Tomita as one of the first synthesizer programmers.
Wansel met Gamble and Huff while performing as a member of the group Yellow Sunshine and later signed on as session and performance keyboardist for MFSB cementing his ties with G&H’s Philadelphia International Records and began his climb within the organization during the mid-70s. Soon his early luscious arrangements and strong production techniques for MFSB led to increasingly important projects within the organization, including albums by Billy Paul, The Jacksons, Jean Carn, Jerry Butler, The Jones Girls, The Stylistics, Lou Rawls, Phyllis Hyman, Teddy Pendergrass and even more projects with MFSB (the house band at PIR, becoming it’s live performance conductor for a number of years). And his songwriting may have been even better. Along with regular songwriting partner Cynthia Biggs, he penned numerous classic Soul songs ranging from “Nights Over Egypt” for the Jones Girls to the haunting “Hurry Up This Way Again” for the Stylistics.
P.I.R even lent his arranging services out to other companies such as Motown for Stevie Wonders produced “Let’s Get Serious“album on Jermaine Jackson. Outside of PIR he has written, produced and arranged for other artists. Miles Jaye “I’ve Been A Fool For You”, Grover Washingtons “The Best Is Yet To Come” and Pieces Of A Dreams “Warm Weather were also arranged, co-produced and co-written by Dexter.
By the early 80s, the consistency of Wansel/Biggs compositions had arguably surpassed Gamble and Huff, and much of the uneven output of PIR during the 80s was modestly anchored by gorgeous Wansel/Biggs ballads like “I Really Need You Now” (sung by the O’Jays), “You’re Leaving” (the Stylistics) and perhaps their most revered composition, “If Only You Knew” (Patti LaBelle).
In the 90s, Wansel worked on a number of compilations as well as writing/arranging and producing for PIR’s final great recording artist, Damon K. Williams and some outside arranging for those such as Gospel harpist Jeff Majors.
His last major work at PIR was putting together 2003′s controversial O’Jays compilation, Together We Are One, 1998′s Phyllis Hymans Forever With You, as well an unreleased Lou Rawls CD. Like many at PIR he has never really received the public attention or credit commensurate with his significant contributions to popular music, but to those in the Soul Music world he is known as one of the great Soul songwriters, producers and arrangers of his era.
Junior, Nat Augustin, as well as P.P Arnold, are some of the european artists he has worked with as well as his influence on great artists from the continent such as Incognito, and Jamiroquai, just to name a few.
In late 2004, nearly two years removed from the end of his stint at PIR, Wansel quietly recorded and self-released his first solo album in over a decade. Digital Groove World is a mostly instrumental album, but Wansel’s love of technology and his unusual, often unexpected arrangements make Digital Groove World a little loopier and a lot more interesting than a typical smooth jazz disc. Funky pieces like “Five Months to Mars” and “Believe This” are offset by melodic smoother songs like “A Kool Summer” and “My Vacation,” a great summer song which features a nice vocal addition by Denise King. World is a solid album in its own right, and for lover of soul Music.
Since 2007, Dexter Wansel has certainly been productive with numerous samples and productions for artists such as Rick Ross’s “Maybach Music 2” and most recently, his arranger/co-producer and co-writer credit for the Trey Songz new single, “Unusual featuring Drake” which once more puts him forefront of a new cutting edge. In 2010, Dexter started performing with his own “Philly Sound Show Live Around The World.”
This marks the welcome return of a legendary name in music and entertainment history.
