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Kenny Wheeler


B. Goren.

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• Music for Large and Small Ensembles

I really love this one. Wheeler's writing and arranging sounds like no one else. You can order a book of scores including the material from this recording. Great stuff to study.

Also, here's a LINK to the AMG review of the 1976 recording akanalog was asking about.

Edited by Free For All
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Art Ellefson ! - Now theres an interesting name from the 1960s UK jazz scene. Canadian expat featured on albums such as Ronnie Ross 'Cleopatra's Needle' who must have returned to Canada in the 1970s.

Back to Wheeler. There's also quite a few fine Brit-jazz sessions of the 60s and 70s which feature him, to varying degrees. Off the top of my head, there's:

Graham Collier 'Deep Dark Blue Centre' (Fontana)

Mike Westbrook 'Metropolis' and 'Citadel 315' (RCA)

John Surman 'John Surman' (Deram)

Edited by sidewinder
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One of Kenny's finest moments lies on a track called 'Wedding Song' on Louis Moholo's long OOP Ogun LP, 'Spirit's Rejoice'.

B00006596T.08.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

is a beautiful trio disc. One of a number of trios he's recorded in the last few years with the likes of Abercrombie + Mark Copland (a new one from tem due any day now!), John Parricelli + Stan Sulzmann.

This is another excellent recent release:

psi0304.jpeg

I have this Canadian release that I got direct from the leader:

DonTCD.jpg

Kenny has also done some fine releases for the excellent Italian Egea label:

http://www.egearecords.com/principale.html

I think he is now settling into working with another Italian label, Camjazz. ECM was not offering him the recording/release opportunities that he wanted.

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There's also a new trio album on Challenge w/ John Abercrombie and Marc Copland. I received a copy for review just yesterday. Sounds interesting (Nat Adderley's Jive Samba is among the tracks ;)

BTW, the magazine I work for, Italy's Musica Jazz, has just published a special Kenny Wheeler issue, with a 16-page spread and a CD including some of the best tracks from his ECM and PSI releases (and a rare Wheeler appearance from Roccella Ionica's festival in 1984).

If anyone's interested, please let me know, and I'll be glad to forward a complimentary copy :D

Luca

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Count me as a big fan of Mr. Wheeler as well. Haven't seen mention of this title yet...

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All the More (Soul Note) - recorded in 1993, not released until about 1998.

with John Taylor (p), Furio Di Castri (ba), and Pat Labarbera (d)

...which is maybe my personal "all-time-favorite" Kenny Wheeler date. Highly recommended. :tup:tup

Edited by Rooster_Ties
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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest akanalog

this quintet 1976 album is good. the e-piano player gets a nice sound. someone on amazon said this CD sounded like the yellow fields band live. i scoffed but i kinda see what he means. the bassists sort of has that weber-ish tone, though not as unique as weber and i am sure he is playing a normal instrument. and the e-piano does evoke bruninghaus on yellow fields. yellow fields is a much more interesting album. but the reason i like this album is the rhythms are somewhat vigorous-not rock fusion-ey but just sort of progressive e-jazz. and kenny wheeler's tone works well in this format. sometimes his tone can seem ponderous to me but i guess it is the material. on this material his tone seems majestic and beautiful. but when he is doing his ECM thing, it sort of becomes ECM-ish-like the trumpet equivalent of garbarek's playing. keening and wimpy or something...

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  • 2 months later...

"WHAT NOW?"CD I have listened several times and I'm enjoying it

more & more with each listening. I "RECOMMEND" it to all who enjoy

Kenny Wheeler's music, especially with a line up with:

Chris Potter - Tenor Sax

John Taylor - Piano

Dave Holland - Bass

and Kenny on Flugelhorn.

DON'T HESITATE!!!! BUY "WHAT NOW" NOW!!!

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"WHAT NOW?"CD I have listened several times and I'm enjoying it

more & more with each listening. I "RECOMMEND" it to all who enjoy

Kenny Wheeler's music, especially with a line up with:

Chris Potter - Tenor Sax

John Taylor - Piano

Dave Holland - Bass

and Kenny on Flugelhorn.

DON'T HESITATE!!!! BUY "WHAT NOW" NOW!!!

I have that one. It's great.

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I produced/recorded the "Justin Time" Kenny Wheeler/Sonny Greenwich Live At The Montreal Bistro release noted earlier. (JUST 114-2).

It comes from two different years' performances at the club, with Joe LaBarbera on the 1993 session and Barry Elmes playing drums on the 1997. As you can imagine, there's probably about three hours of unreleased music.

It's an excellent Sonny Greenwich album (and you know we need more of that), and KW sounds great, but he's not heard on two of the six tracks. (The label decided what would be issued, not me).

A sympathetic piano player is all Wheeler needs, I think, and John Taylor is probably the best for him. See if you can find Moon on a small Italian label, Egea SCA 086.

Also on Justin Time, there's Touche with KW and Paul Bley, together and singly. Interesting stuff from both guys.

And someone mentioned Art Ellefson a few messages back. He's fine and still playing, living in British Columbia. I did a nice record--yes, an LP (yet to appear on CD)--with Art and Tommy Flanagan for my Unisson label back in 1985. It must be among Tommy's rarest records--I doubt we sold a thousand copies, as no one had really heard of Art...

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While I work for the distributing company of "What Now?" I can honestly say that Kenny sounds great and it is a hell of a record. Gnu High and Deer Wan are my favs though, but this one is growing on me quite a bit.

- G

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Glad to find bunch of Wheeler fans gathering here. Well, you guys have gotten most of my favs already covered -

Gnu High, Widow in the Window, Double Double You, Deer Wan, MFLASE, Song for Someone, Flutter by Butterfly, Azimuth albums – I can’t help mentioning that KW's solo on Who Are You (Azimuth '85) is short but sublime. For me, it is the all-time best of his solos. Perfect.

Anyway I will go for the niches here. I cheated a bit as the ones I picked up here are not his leader album. But I'd say these are the albums that well reflect the element of KW as a straight jazz player.

Once Upon a Time / Alan Skidmore (Deram)

This had been OOP for a long time and the vinyl used to cost a small fortune, however, Vocalion issued the CD just a month ago. Good for the masses! Everytime I listen to it, it reminds me of Hancock's Mayden Voyage. They never get old after 30 plus years.

Jazz in Britain '68-'69 (Decca)

Jazz in Britain contains couple of tracks by the same personnel as in Once Upon a Time. I am not sure if they were from the same session though. Unfortunatelly, it is still OOP. Hoping for CD release.

Sound Suggestions / George Adams (ECM)

I'd go for this one if I am in the mood to hear KW's hard blowing. A heavy weight lineup such as KW, George Adams, Heinz Sauer, Richie Beirach, Holland, and DeJohnette. Get to hear KW's solo accompanying George Adams shouting blues!

Conjuration - Live at Fat Tuesdays / Pepper Adams (uptown)

KW and P. Adams sound good together. Plus Hank Jones and Roy Haynes. An excellent rendition of KW's tune Old Ballad.

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A couple of more with different flavours...

Around 6 / KW (ECM)

Evan Parker, Tom van der Geld, Eje Thelin, J. F. Jenny-Clark, and Edward Vesela. Another European all-star lineup from the 70’s. Sounds like Deer Wan with more free jazz elements.

Frigeweht / Rainer Bruninghaus (ECM)

I'd say this is a jazz-rock album, but no ordinary when it comes from KW, Bruninghaus, and Jon Christensen. JC's grooving throttle is fully released, with Bruninghaus doing cool sequence stuff, and KW is cruising freely.

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Only one I know is "Gnu High". Nice reddish cover. Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Keith Jarrett. I bought it sometime in the 1980's, probably mid. I liked it a lot then. Now I have a CD copy. I still like the music and the cool colored cover too. Great Googli-Moogli, there are a lot of good ECM recordings! "Gnu High" is high entertainment value.

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Hopefully 'Jazz In Britain 68-69' gets a re-release either through Dutton Vovalion or 'Impressed Repressed'. That one is very long OOP, I don't think it's ever been re-issued as an LP after the early 70s original and certainly not as a CD. Very much anticipated.

'Around 6' is very highly recommended. Great band with Parker and strong sense of purpose to this album.

The 'Azimuth' albums seem to get a mixed reaction (particularly 'Azimuth 85' but I like them (Wheeler and Winstone are always great to see live). ECM did a 3CD set of their stuff some time ago but I'm not sure if it is still in print.

Edited by sidewinder
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And someone mentioned Art Ellefson a few messages back.  He's fine and still playing, living in British Columbia.  I did a nice record--yes, an LP (yet to appear on CD)--with Art and Tommy Flanagan for my Unisson label back in 1985.  It must be among Tommy's rarest records--I doubt we sold a thousand copies, as no one had really heard of Art...

Off topic, but any chance of reissuing this one? I've only heard Ellefson from a Sackville album (I forget the title, it was a quartet with a guitar I think)--would be interested to hear more.

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And someone mentioned Art Ellefson a few messages back.  He's fine and still playing, living in British Columbia.  I did a nice record--yes, an LP (yet to appear on CD)--with Art and Tommy Flanagan for my Unisson label back in 1985.  It must be among Tommy's rarest records--I doubt we sold a thousand copies, as no one had really heard of Art...

Off topic, but any chance of reissuing this one? I've only heard Ellefson from a Sackville album (I forget the title, it was a quartet with a guitar I think)--would be interested to hear more.

In order to not hijack this as a KW thread, "Time To Wait" by Art Ellefson Sextet (Jazz Modus Music JMM-2) has Kenny Wheeler on it, and trombonist Ian McDougall, a third Canadian who was in Britain in the 50s/60s, and all in Johnny Dankworth's band at the same time. The producer/guitarist is Art's son, Lee.

The Sackville release you speak of ("As If To Say" SKCD2-2030) has Lee, bassist Russell Botten and Buff Allen on drums.

Ellefson pere et fils with bassist Chris Nelson are on "Interwoven" (Boathouse BHR CD-009.

As to the Unisson LP with Ellefson and Flanagan, there is nothing to be added to it in order to pump it up to the length most folks want on CDs, so I don't think I'd ever put it out again, but one never knows, do one?

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