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Kenny Wheeler
Although resident in England since 1952 and often thought to be an English musician, Kenny Wheeler was born in Canada in 1930. He began playing in his hometown of St. Catherines, encouraged by his father, a trombonist. His formal studies include composition with Rodney Bennett and William Russo.
His earliest influences included Buck Clayton and Roy Eldrige but, by the time he left for London, he was looking towards bebop, Miles Davis and Fats Navarro particularly.
After his arrival in London, Wheeler balanced commercial dance band work with gigs alongside modernists like Joe Harriott and Ronnie Scott, and in 1959 joined the Johnny Dankworth band in time for their breakthrough Newport Jazz Festival appearance. He consequently came to be one of the major solo voices in the Dankworth orchestra, and during the end of his stay recorded his first album as a leader Windmill Tilter (Fontana), which featured compositions for big band based on Cervantes’ Don Quixote stories.
In 1966, a chance encounter with drummer John Stevens at the Little Theatre Club in London set Wheeler on a new course. To the surprise of many musicians of his generation, the trumpeter became deeply involved in free music and joined both Stevens’ Spontaneous Music Ensemble and the Tony Oxley group. Through saxophonist Evan Parker and guitarist Derek Bailey, Kenny was initiated into the Globe Unity Orchestra, the German-based big band led by the pianist Alexander von Schlippenback. His membership continues - he is prominently featured on the three albums the Globe Unity Orchestra has recorded for JAPO/ECM.
In 1971, Anthony Braxton, impressed by Wheeler’s abilities to play the demanding charts on the session for The Complete Braxton (Freedom), invited him to join his group. Braxton’s music became Wheeler’s priority until 1976, when the difficulties of commuting between London and New York became overwhelming, but in between he found time to record Song For Someone (Incus), a record that juxtaposed free and jazz elements (and which became Melody Maker Album Of The Year in 1975), and Gnu High (ECM 1069) a still very fresh album with Keith Jarrett, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette. Critics agreed that the ECM album marked a new high both for Wheeler and for the label: Quintessential (Stereo Review), Unbeatable (Melody Maker), Supert (Jazz Forum), Miraculous (Time Out) and so on. The same critics, however, have tended to be less vocal in their support for the trio Azimuth (Wheeler, John Taylor and Norma Winstone) whose ECM albums are distinguished by their subtlety and require repeated close listening for full appreciation.
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![Read "Gnu High" reviewed by Chris May](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/coverart/large/c49d1f490d09bfb5894d820ae305f85e.jpg)
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read moreJazz Musician of the Day: Kenny Wheeler
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Kenny Wheeler](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/0e2b2ba9ad7fe89be383b39080588f05.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Kenny Wheeler's birthday today!
Although resident in England since 1952 and often thought to be an English musician, Kenny Wheeler was born in Canada in 1930. He began playing in his hometown of St. Catherines, encouraged by his father, a trombonist. His formal studies include composition with Rodney Bennett and William Russo. His earliest influences included Buck Clayton and Roy Eldrige but, by the time he left for London, he was looking towards bebop, Miles ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Kenny Wheeler
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Kenny Wheeler](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/0e2b2ba9ad7fe89be383b39080588f05.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Kenny Wheeler's birthday today!
Although resident in England since 1952 and often thought to be an English musician, Kenny Wheeler was born in Canada in 1930. He began playing in his hometown of St. Catherines, encouraged by his father, a trombonist. His formal studies include composition with Rodney Bennett and William Russo. His earliest influences included Buck Clayton and Roy Eldrige but, by the time he left for London, he was looking towards bebop, Miles ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Kenny Wheeler
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Kenny Wheeler](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/0e2b2ba9ad7fe89be383b39080588f05.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Kenny Wheeler's birthday today!
Although resident in England since 1952 and often thought to be an English musician, Kenny Wheeler was born in Canada in 1930. He began playing in his hometown of St. Catherines, encouraged by his father, a trombonist. His formal studies include composition with Rodney Bennett and William Russo. His earliest influences included Buck Clayton and Roy Eldrige but, by the time he left for London, he was looking towards bebop, Miles ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Kenny Wheeler
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Kenny Wheeler](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/0e2b2ba9ad7fe89be383b39080588f05.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Kenny Wheeler's birthday today!
Although resident in England since 1952 and often thought to be an English musician, Kenny Wheeler was born in Canada in 1930. He began playing in his hometown of St. Catherines, encouraged by his father, a trombonist. His formal studies include composition with Rodney Bennett and William Russo. His earliest influences included Buck Clayton and Roy Eldrige but, by the time he left for London, he was looking towards bebop, Miles ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Kenny Wheeler
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Kenny Wheeler](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/0e2b2ba9ad7fe89be383b39080588f05.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Kenny Wheeler's birthday today!
Although resident in England since 1952 and often thought to be an English musician, Kenny Wheeler was born in Canada in 1930. He began playing in his hometown of St. Catherines, encouraged by his father, a trombonist. His formal studies include composition with Rodney Bennett and William Russo. His earliest influences included Buck Clayton and Roy Eldrige but, by the time he left for London, he was looking towards bebop... Read ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Kenny Wheeler
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Kenny Wheeler](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/0e2b2ba9ad7fe89be383b39080588f05.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Kenny Wheeler's birthday today!
Although resident in England since 1952 and often thought to be an English musician, Kenny Wheeler was born in Canada in 1930. He began playing in his hometown of St. Catherines, encouraged by his father, a trombonist. His formal studies include composition with Rodney Bennett and William Russo. His earliest influences included Buck Clayton and Roy Eldrige but, by the time he left for London, he was looking towards bebop... Read ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Kenny Wheeler
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Kenny Wheeler](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/0e2b2ba9ad7fe89be383b39080588f05.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Kenny Wheeler's birthday today!
Although resident in England since 1952 and often thought to be an English musician, Kenny Wheeler was born in Canada in 1930. He began playing in his hometown of St. Catherines, encouraged by his father, a trombonist. His formal studies include composition with Rodney Bennett and William Russo. His earliest influences included Buck Clayton and Roy Eldrige but, by the time he left for London, he was looking towards bebop... Read ...
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Kenny Wheeler is Gone
![Kenny Wheeler is Gone](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/0e2b2ba9ad7fe89be383b39080588f05.jpg)
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Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
Kenny Wheeler, a Canadian who became a towering figure in British music and an icon of jazz musicians around the world, has succumbed to a long illness. He was in a London nursing home for several months and was moved recently to the hospital where he died. He was 84. Wheeler’s brilliance as a composer and arranger, dating from from the 1960s, came to be generally acknowledged fairly late in his career. From the 1968 suite based on Don Quixote ...
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Kenny Wheeler, contemporary jazz musician, dies aged 84
![Kenny Wheeler, contemporary jazz musician, dies aged 84](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/0e2b2ba9ad7fe89be383b39080588f05.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
Trumpeter and composer became part of the free-improvisation movement after joining the London jazz scene Kenny Wheeler, one of the giants of British jazz, has died aged 84. Born in Canada in 1930, the trumpeter and composer joined the London jazz scene after moving to Britain in 1952. He played in groups alongside the likes of Ronnie Scott, John Dankworth and Tubby Hayes as well becoming part of the free-improvisation movement. He gained critical attention in the 1970s with a ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Kenny Wheeler
![Jazz Musician of the Day: Kenny Wheeler](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/0e2b2ba9ad7fe89be383b39080588f05.jpg)
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Kenny Wheeler's birthday today!
Although resident in England since 1952 and often thought to be an English musician, Kenny Wheeler was born in Canada in 1930. He began playing in his hometown of St. Catherines, encouraged by his father, a trombonist. His formal studies include composition with Rodney Bennett and William Russo. His earliest influences included Buck Clayton and Roy Eldrige but, by the time he left for London, he was looking towards bebop... Read ...
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Michael Parkinson
trumpetTerry Gordon
trumpetJake Hanlon
guitarNathan Hanson
saxophoneDuncan Hopkins
bass, acousticJulian Arguelles
saxophonePete McCann
guitarRuss Spiegel
guitarSarah Jerrom
vocalsKurt Ellenberger
pianoMarianne Trudel
pianoVolker Goetze
trumpetDuncan Fraser
trumpetMichael Sarian
trumpetEngin Ozsahin
pianoPaul Williamson
trumpetKari van der Kloot
vocalsIgor Kogan
bassRoberto Spadoni
composer / conductorElliot Bild
trumpetMick Foster
saxophoneJohannes Luley
guitarMichael Hudson-Casanova
saxophoneEllen Kirkwood
trumpetChristophe Gervot
pianoDennis Kwok
saxophoneFilippo Bonaccorso
drumsClaire Cope
pianoJason Keiser
guitarThe New Acoustic Collective
band / ensemble / orchestraDom Angelo Mongiovi
guitar, electricQueen Kong
band / ensemble / orchestraStratøs
saxophone, tenorFrank Vitolo
saxophone, tenorKriz Flew aka Christoph Flueler
trumpetHeather Ward
vocalsMolly Skuse
vocalsMartin Iaies
guitar, electricClara Green
vocalsJakub Klimiuk
guitar, electricPhotos
Music
The Quest
From: ArchipelagosBy Kenny Wheeler