The book’s equal emphasis
on the three distinct areas if Wheeler’s career are of great interest. These
include modern jazz, free jazz of the ‘60s/’70s and the bountiful commercial
session work offered by the BBC and other like employers. Along with his
signature sound on trumpet and flugelhorn, Wheeler was an excellent sight
reader and ensemble player enabling him to flourish in so many genres of
employment. His foray into the free jazz scene in the mid 1970s was partially
due to his not having mastered the demands of conventional bebop and the free jazzers “made me feel welcome and wanted” (a typical Wheeler
comment understating his worth). This would include groups like John Stevens’
Spontaneous Music Ensemble, the German based, Globe Unity Orchestra as well as
saxophonist, Evan Parker.
There are countless interviews
with longtime UK collaborators like vocalist, Norma Winstone, bassists Dave
Holland and Chris Laurence, pianist John Taylor, saxophonists, Evan Parker and Stan
Sulzmann, trumpeters Derek Watkins and Henry Lowther and guitarist John
Parricelli. All of whom reveal insights on Wheeler’s compositional objectives
and ability to write for the individual soloist not unlike Ellington and
Strayhorn. He would also collaborate with American legends like Keith Jarrett,
Pepper Adams, Bob Brookmeyer, Lee Konitz, Jack DeJohnette and John Abercrombie,
among many others. Many of these were documented on Manfred Eicher’s iconic ECM
label. There is also plenty of reportage of the vagaries of his relationship
with Eicher which began with his 1976 album Gnu
High, (with Jarrett, Holland and DeJohnette) to his final CD, Songs For Quintet, recorded in 2013 a
year before Wheeler’s passing in 2014 at age 84.
Having attended several
Wheeler concerts from 1996 from groups of all sizes- from trio to 20 piece big
band. I was always moved and impressed with his unique and personal sound both
as soloist and composer. It sometimes had a deeply melancholic quality of which
he said “beautiful sad melodies make me very happy”. I concur, as a properly
sad melody or lyric (many of which were penned by Norma Winstone) can
frequently contain a ray of hope and positive resolve lurking wherein.
In my UK Jazz News review
of Wheeler’s 2010 80th Birthday concert at the Royal Academy of Music I include
the below excerpt:
The
programme included nearly all of Wheeler’s seminal 1990 ECM CD, ‘Music
For Small And Large Ensembles’, not only
in repertoire but the players as well. Founded on lyrical melodies cloaked in
richly resonant harmonies with each movement dedicated to someone to feature
the distinctive voices of world class soloist in the ensemble. Added to this, were
Norma Winstone’s unique voice and poignant lyrics coupled with John
Parricelli’s guitar and the leader’s flugelhorn. Their unison lines floating
atop the tightly voiced ensemble backings are emblematic of the Wheeler sound.
The above might be an apt
example of Wheeler’s gift and impact on jazz composition.
Kenny Wheeler fans will no
doubt be aware of his shy, self deprecating personality, yet often laced with a
slightly cutting dry humour. An example of this was at a 2011 concert in NYC,
with Dave Holland he mentioned Kenny’s old quote about himself “I don’t say
much and even when I do, I don’t say much” Classic Wheeler-iana, that. Needless
to say, the books is regularly peppered with tales and incidences of this facet
of Wheeler’s personality, especially and endearingly elocuted in the
interviews.
Big plaudits to co
authors, Smart and Shaw for their tireless research and work over a period of
10 years turning out this excellent book. All written in a style that is easily
accessible to the lay reader and keen musicians alike. Frank Griffith
Frank is a saxophonist/clarinettist
and arranger based in Liverpool.
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