Wilbur Brown; Jazz Tenor Saxophonist

Wilbur Brown, 68, tenor saxophonist who worked with Ray Charles, Lionel Hampton, Hank Crawford and Woody Herman and was known for his colorful, emotional style. A Los Angeles native, Brown began playing saxophone when he was about 8. Bebop entranced him by the time he was in high school. By 15 he was playing with blues and R&B; hit makers Joe Liggens and Roy Milton. Although mostly self-taught, he took some lessons from Lloyd Reese, a trombonist who taught such L.A. legends as Dexter Gordon, Charles Mingus and Buddy Collette. After establishing himself in his hometown, he moved to New York in 1962 and stayed for 10 years, playing with many of the best jazz artists, including pianist Red Garland. In recent years he helped lead a quintet at the Cat and Fiddle, a Hollywood club, with altoist Pat Britt. On Sunday in Los Angeles of pancreatic cancer.