Kenny Wheeler

Born in Canada, Kenny Wheeler (1930-2014) was a pivotal figure in British jazz across more than six decades, following his arrival in London in 1952. He was part of the Johnny Dankworth band for its legendary Newport Jazz Festival appearance in 1959 and stayed to become a major soloist for the orchestra. From 1966, Kenny Wheeler became increasingly interested in free jazz, joining the Spontaneous Music Ensemble and Tony Oxley’s band. In 1969, he released his first album as a leader – Windmill Tilter which showcased his writing and featured emerging British jazz stars like John McLaughlin, Dave Holland and Tony Coe.

As a member of Anthony Braxton’s group from 1971 to 1976, he commuted between New York and London, while still finding time for his own projects. He recorded Song For Someone in 1973 with Evan Parker and Derek Bailey (a Melody Maker Album Of The Year) and in 1975 his first album for ECM, the seminal Gnu High, featuring Keith Jarrett, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette. The 1970s also saw the emergence of Azimuth, a chamber jazz trio featuring pianist John Taylor and singer Norma Winstone. Having become a key recording artist for ECM, Wheeler has gone on to record many classic albums for the label – Deer Wan 1977 (including Jan Garbarek, John Abercrombie and Ralph Towner), Double, Double You 1983 (featuring Michael Brecker) and Angel Song 1997 (with Lee Konitz, Dave Holland and Bill Frisell) are just three albums that stand out.

In 2005, a series of concerts to celebrate his 75th birthday, saw him reunited with Lee Konitz, Norma Winstone and Dave Holland. He recorded his final album Songs For Quintet for ECM at Abbey Road studios in 2013.

Key Recordings:
Windmill Tilter (Fontana 1969)
Deer Wan (ECM 1977)
Music For Large And Small Ensembles (ECM 1990)