Kenny Wheeler
Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC (14 January 1930 – 18 September 2014) was a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards.
Most of his performances were rooted in jazz, but he was also active in free improvisation and occasionally contributed to rock music recordings. Wheeler wrote over one hundred compositions and was a skilled arranger for small groups and larger ensembles.
Wheeler was the patron of the Royal Academy Junior Jazz course.
Early life
Wheeler was born in Toronto, Ontario, on 14 January 1930. Growing up in Toronto, he began playing cornet at age 12, and became interested in jazz in his mid-teens. Wheeler spent a year studying composition at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto in 1950. In 1952 he moved to Britain. He found his way into the London jazz scene of the time, playing in groups led by Tommy Whittle, Tubby Hayes, and Ronnie Scott.
Career
In the late 1950s, he was a member of Buddy Featherstonhaugh's quintet together with Bobby Wellins. Throughout the sixties, he worked with John Dankworth, and also formed part of (Eric Burdon and) the Animals' Big Band that made its only public appearance at the 5th Annual British Jazz & Blues Festival in Richmond (1965) with tenors Stan Robinson, Dick Morrissey and Al Gay, baritone sax Paul Carroll, and fellow trumpets Ian Carr and Greg Brown. In 1968, Wheeler appeared on guitarist Terry Smith's first solo album, Fall Out.
Podcasts:
Kenny Wheeler
ALBUMS
- The Long Waiting released: 2012
- One of Many released: 2011
- One More Time released: 2007
- It Takes Two! released: 2006
- Other People released: 2005
- What Now? released: 2005
- Brand New released: 2005
- Song for Someone released: 2004
- Where Do We Go From Here? released: 2004
- Dream Sequence released: 2003
- Sometime Suite released: 2001
- Moon released: 2001
- That's for Sure released: 2001
- Live at Birdland Neuburg released: 2000
- A Long Time Ago released: 1999
- Summerflood released: 1998
- All the More released: 1997
- Angel Song released: 1997
- Music for Large & Small Ensembles released: 1990
- Gigolo released: 1986
- Double, Double You released: 1984
- Around 6 released: 1980
- Gnu High released: 1976
- Windmill Tilter: The Story of Don Quixote released: 1969
- Deer Wan released:
Born: 1930-01-14
Died: 2014-09-18
Latest News for: kenny wheeler
Things to do this weekend include 'Unmasking the Singer,' Fiesta con Sonia De Los Santos
Giving up my flugel was a blow – but I found the best way to ...
- 1