Trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, one of world’s greatest jazz contributors, died yesterday at age 84.
Despite being born in Canada, Wheeler was considered by many a British musician having in mind that he lived and worked in Britain since his early twenties. Right after moving to London, he joined the band of Johnny Dankworth at a time when they appeared at Newport Jazz Festival for the first time. He soon became one of leading soloists of Dankworth’s orchestra with whom he recorded his first album Windmill Tilter consisting of compositions inspired by Cervantes’ stories from Don Quijote.
The year 1966 was a turning point in his career: together with drummer John Stevens, Wheeler took on a new course. To a surprise of many musicians of his generation, this extraordinary trumpeter became an admirer of free jazz and started playing with many important bands of that time like Stevens’ Spontaneous Music Ensemble or Tony Oxley‘s band.
He soon started playing with the Globe Unity Orchestra, a German ensemble lead by pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach. After they recorded three albums, he also started playing sessions with Anthony Braxton.
He dedicated lot of his attention to composing pieces that were later released on his albums, but his work as a trumpeter and flugelhorn player was far more important. His playing is described as pure, soothing and lyric.
The record label ECM released today a statement about this artist’s passing saying that the sad news came just two weeks after finished post-production of Wheeler’s last album, recorded last Christmas at London’s Abbey Road.
He performed at the Jazz Fest Sarajevo in 2002 in duet with John Taylor.
*photo by: Dejan Vekić (Jazz Fest Sarajevo 2002)