Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC (14 January 1930 – 18 September 2014) was a Canadian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

and trumpet and

flugelhorn The flugelhorn (), also spelled fluegelhorn, flugel horn, or flügelhorn, is a brass instrument that resembles the trumpet and cornet, but has a wider, more conical bore. Like trumpets and cornets, most flugelhorns are pitched in B♭, though ...

player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards. Most of his performances were rooted in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, but he was also active in

free improvisation Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any general rules, instead following the intuition of its performers. The term can refer to both a technique—employed by any musician in any genre—and as a recognizable genre of ...

and occasionally contributed to

rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...

recordings. Wheeler wrote over one hundred compositions and was a skilled arranger for small groups and large 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 the cornet at age 12 and became interested in jazz in his mid-teens. Wheeler spent a year studying composition at

The Royal Conservatory of Music The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM; ), branded as The Royal Conservatory, is a non-profit music education institution and performance venue headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1886 by Edward Fisher as The Toronto C ...

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 Edward Brian "Tubby" Hayes (30 January 1935 – 8 June 1973) was a British jazz multi-instrumentalist, best known for his virtuosic musicianship on tenor saxophone and for performing in jazz groups with fellow sax player Ronnie Scott and trump ...

, and

Ronnie Scott Ronnie Scott Order of the British Empire, OBE (born Ronald Schatt; 28 January 1927 – 23 December 1996) was a British jazz Tenor saxophone, tenor saxophonist and jazz club owner. He co-founded Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London's Soho district ...

Career

In the late 1950s, he was a member of

Buddy Featherstonhaugh Rupert Edward Lee "Buddy" Featherstonhaugh ( ; 4 October 1909 – 12 July 1976) was an English jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. Musical career Born in Paris in 1909, the son of an English marine architect and his Scottish wife. His grandfath ...

's quintet together with Bobby Wellins. From 1959 until 1965 he was a member of

John Dankworth Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE (20 September 1927 – 6 February 2010), also known as Johnny Dankworth, was an English jazz composer, saxophonist, clarinettist and writer of film scores. With his wife, jazz singer Dame Cleo Laine, he ...

's orchestra, during which time he also studied composition with

Richard Rodney Bennett Sir Richard Rodney Bennett (29 March 193624 December 2012) was an English composer and pianist. He was noted for his musical versatility, drawing from such sources as jazz, romanticism, and avant-garde; and for his use of twelve-tone technique ...

(1962-3) and

Bill Russo William Joseph Russo (June 25, 1928 – January 11, 2003) was an American composer, arranger, and musician from Chicago, Illinois, United States. History A student of jazz pianist Lennie Tristano, Russo wrote orchestral scores for the Stan Ke ...

(1963-4).Kernfeld, Barry.
Wheeler, Kenny [Kenneth Vincent John
/nowiki>">enneth Vincent John">Wheeler, Kenny [Kenneth Vincent John
/nowiki> in ''Grove Music Online'' In a 1961 interview with Kitty Grime, his fellow trumpeter and Dankworth band-member Dickie Hawdon exalted his canadian colleague thus: "You name any british musician who doesn't copy records, and I'll name you one - Kenny Wheeler." He was also with (Eric Burdon">Dick Hawdon">Dickie Hawdon exalted his canadian colleague thus: "You name any british musician who doesn't copy records, and I'll name you one - Kenny Wheeler." He was also with (Eric Burdon and) the Animals' Big Band that made its only public appearance at the National Jazz and Blues Festival, 5th Annual British Jazz & Blues Festival in Richmond, London, Richmond (1965) with tenors Stan Robinson (saxophonist), Stan Robinson,

Dick Morrissey Richard Edwin Morrissey (9 May 1940 – 8 November 2000) was a British jazz musician and composer. He played the tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone and flute. Biography Background He was born in Horley, Surrey, England. Dick Morrissey emerged ...

and Al Gay, baritone sax Paul Carroll, and fellow trumpets

Ian Carr Ian Carr (21 April 1933 – 25 February 2009) was a Scottish jazz musician, composer, writer, and educator. Carr performed and recorded with the Rendell-Carr quintet and jazz-fusion band Nucleus (band), Nucleus, and was an associate professor a ...

and Greg Brown. In 1968, Wheeler appeared on guitarist Terry Smith's first solo album, ''Fall Out''. 19921123 kenny wheeler ujre braunschweig2

Wheeler performed and recorded his own compositions with large jazz ensembles throughout his career, beginning with the first album under his own name, '' Windmill Tilter'' (1969), recorded with the John Dankworth band. BGO Records released a CD in September 2010. The

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

album ''Song for Someone'' (1973) fused Wheeler's characteristic orchestral writing with passages of

provided by musicians such as

Evan Parker Evan Shaw Parker (born 5 April 1944) is a British tenor and soprano saxophone player who plays free improvisation. Recording and performing prolifically with many collaborators, Parker was a pivotal figure in the development of European free ja ...

and Derek Bailey, and was also named Album of the Year by ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...

'' magazine in 1975. It has subsequently been reissued on CD by Parker's

Psi Psi, PSI or Ψ may refer to: Alphabetic letters * Psi (Greek) (Ψ or ψ), the twenty-third letter of the Greek alphabet * Psi (Cyrillic), letter of the early Cyrillic alphabet, adopted from Greek Arts and entertainment * "Psi" as an abbreviat ...

label. In the mid-1960s, Wheeler became a close participant in the nascent free improvisation movement in London, playing with Parker, John Stevens, the

Spontaneous Music Ensemble The Spontaneous Music Ensemble (SME) was a loose collection of free improvising musicians, convened in 1965 by the late South London-based jazz drummer/trumpeter John Stevens and alto and soprano saxophonist Trevor Watts. SME performances and ...

and the Globe Unity Orchestra. Despite the above-noted accomplishments, much of his reputation rests on his work with smaller jazz groups. Wheeler's first small group recordings to gain significant critical attention were '' Gnu High'' (1975) and ''

Deer Wan ''Deer Wan'' is an album by Kenny Wheeler recorded in July 1977 and released on ECM Records, ECM the following year. The lineup features saxophonist Jan Garbarek, guitarist John Abercrombie (guitarist), John Abercrombie, bassist Dave Holland (ba ...

'' (1977), both for the ECM label (''Gnu High'' is one of the few albums to feature

Keith Jarrett Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945) is an American pianist and composer. Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey and later moved on to play with Charles Lloyd (jazz musician), Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, he has also be ...

as a

sideman A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform live with a solo artist, or with a group in which they are not a regular band member. The term is usually used to describe musicians that play with jazz or rock artists, whether solo o ...

since his tenure with Charles Lloyd). One exception from the ongoing collaboration with ECM was his rare album on

CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...

called ''Ensemble Fusionaire'' in 1976. This had three other Canadian musicians and was recorded in St. Mary's Church in Toronto for a different character to the sound than on the ECM recordings. Wheeler was the trumpeter in the

Anthony Braxton Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Chi ...

Quartet from 1971 to 1976. He was also a member of the chamber jazz trio

Azimuth An azimuth (; from ) is the horizontal angle from a cardinal direction, most commonly north, in a local or observer-centric spherical coordinate system. Mathematically, the relative position vector from an observer ( origin) to a point ...

with John Taylor and

Norma Winstone Norma Ann Winstone MBE (born 23 September 1941) is an English jazz singer and lyricist. With a career spanning more than 50 years, she is best known for her contributions to improvised vocal music. Musicians with whom she has worked include ...

from 1977 to 2000. Their first release under this name was a 1977 album issued by ECM; two albums followed, with later albums coming in 1985 and 1995. He was featured in a profile on composer

Graham Collier James Graham Collier (21 February 1937 – 9 September 2011) was an English jazz Double bass, bassist, bandleader and composer. Life and career Born in Tynemouth, Northumberland, England, on leaving school Collier joined the British Army as ...

in the 1985

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

documentary ''Hoarded Dreams''.

Later life

'' Music for Large & Small Ensembles'' (1990) included the Wheeler compositions "Sea Lady" and "The Sweet Time Suite", the latter his most ambitious extended work for big band since ''Windmill Tilter''. In 1997 Wheeler received widespread critical praise for his album '' Angel Song'', which featured an unusual drummer-less quartet of

Bill Frisell William Richard Frisell (born March 18, 1951) is an American jazz guitarist. He first came to prominence at ECM Records in the 1980s, as both a session player and a leader. He went on to work in a variety of contexts, notably as a participant ...

(guitar),

Dave Holland Dave Holland or David Holland may refer to: *Dave Holland (bassist) David Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English double bassist, bass guitarist, cellist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has ...

(bass) and

Lee Konitz Leon "Lee" Konitz (October 13, 1927 – April 15, 2020) was an American jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist and composer. He performed successfully in a wide range of jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Konitz's ass ...

(alto sax). Wheeler recorded seven albums with CAM Jazz from 2005 to 2008 but returned to ECM to record his final album, '' Songs for Quintet'', in 2013. Wheeler died after a short period of frail health at a nursing home in London on 18 September 2014. He was 84 years old. He was survived by his wife, Doreen, and his children, Mark and Louanne.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* 1968: '' Windmill Tilter'' (

Fontana Fontana may refer to: Places Italy *Fontana Liri, comune in the Province of Frosinone *Fontanafredda, comune in the Province of Pordenone * Fontanarosa, comune in the Province of Avellino *Francavilla Fontana, comune in the Province of Brindisi ...

) with The

Orchestra * 1973: '' Song for Someone'' (

Incus The ''incus'' (: incudes) or anvil in the ear is one of three small bones (ossicles) in the middle ear. The incus receives vibrations from the malleus, to which it is connected laterally, and transmits these to the stapes medially. The incus i ...

) * 1975: '' Gnu High'' ( ECM) * 1976: ''Ensemble Fusionaire'' (

) * 1977: ''

'' (ECM) * 1980: '' Around 6'' (ECM) * 1984: '' Double, Double You'' (ECM) * 1988: '' Flutter By, Butterfly'' (

Soul Note Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz. History Black S ...

) * 1988: ''Visions'' ( Justin Time) * 1990: '' Music for Large & Small Ensembles'' (ECM) * 1990: ''

The Widow in the Window ''The Widow in the Window'' is a studio album by Canadian jazz trumpeter Kenny Wheeler recorded over three days in February 1990 and released on ECM later that year. The quintet features rhythm section John Abercrombie, John Taylor, Dave Hollan ...

'' (ECM) * 1991: '' Spanish Rhapsody'' (with Creative Art Ensemble Hungary by György Vukán) * 1992: ''Kayak'' (Ah Um) * 1997: '' All the More'' (

) recorded 1993 * 1997: '' Angel Song'' (ECM) * 1999: '' A Long Time Ago'' (ECM) * 2003: ''

Island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

'' (Artists House) with

Bob Brookmeyer Robert Edward "Bob" Brookmeyer (December 19, 1929 – December 15, 2011) was an American jazz valve trombone, valve trombonist, Jazz piano, pianist, arranger, and composer. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Brookmeyer first gained widespread public ...

* 2003: ''

Dream Sequence A dream sequence is a technique used in storytelling, particularly in television and film, to set apart a brief interlude from the main story. The interlude may consist of a flashback, a flashforward, a fantasy, a vision, a dream, or some other ...

'' (

, 1995–2003

003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to: * 003, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian ambulance service (until 1986) * 1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen * OO3 gauge model railway * ''O03 (O2)'' and other related blood type alleles in the AB ...

* 2004: '' Where Do We Go from Here?'' ( CAM Jazz) with John Taylor * 2005: '' What Now?'' (CAM Jazz) * 2006: '' It Takes Two!'' (CAM Jazz) * 2008: ''Other People'' (CAM Jazz) with Hugo Wolf String Quartet featuring John Taylor * 2011: ''One of Many'' (CAM Jazz) with John Taylor and

Steve Swallow Steve Swallow (born October 4, 1940) is an American jazz bassist and composer, known for his collaborations with Jimmy Giuffre, Gary Burton, and Carla Bley. He was one of the first jazz double bassists to switch entirely to electric bass guitar. ...

* 2012: ''The Long Waiting'' (CAM Jazz) * 2013: ''Mirrors'' (Edition Records) London Vocal Project with

* 2013: ''Six for Six'' (CAM Jazz, recorded 2008) * 2015: '' Songs for Quintet'' (ECM, recorded 2013) * 2015: ''On the Way to Two'' (CAM Jazz, recorded 2005)

Collaborations with John Taylor

* with

Paolo Fresu Paolo Fresu (; born 10 February 1961) is an Italian jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player, as well as a composer and arranger of music. His unique trumpet sound is recognized as one of the most distinctive in the contemporary jazz scene. Fresu pla ...

, Paolo Damiani,

Tony Oxley Tony Oxley (15 June 1938 – 26 December 2023) was an English free improvisation, free improvising drummer and electronic musician. Born in Sheffield, Oxley moved to London in 1966 and became house drummer at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club where he ...

: ''Live at Roccella Jonica'' (Ismez Polis, 1985) * featuring Gabriele Mirabassi: ''

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...

'' (Egea, 2001) * with Riccardo Del Fra: ''Overnight'' (Sketch, 2002) * '' Pause, and Think Again'' (Turtle, 1971)

As Azimuth

* ''

'' (ECM, 1977) * '' The Touchstone'' (ECM, 1978) * '' Départ'', with

Ralph Towner Ralph Towner (born March 1, 1940) is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion, trumpet and French horn. Biography Towner was born i ...

(ECM, 1979) * '' Azimuth '85'' (ECM, 1985) * '' How It Was Then... Never Again'' (ECM, 1994) * ''Siren's Song'', with The Maritime Jazz Orchestra ( Justin Time, 1997)

Other collaborations

* wrote/arranged "Ballad to Max" on

Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...

's album '' M.F. Horn'' ( Columbia, 1970) * arranged "Fire and Rain", "My Sweet Lord", and "Your Song" on

's album '' Alive & Well in London'' (Columbia, 1971) * arranged "Theme from ''Summer of '42''" and wrote/arranged "Free Wheeler" on Maynard Ferguson's album '' M.F. Horn Two'' (Columbia, 1972) * with

Elton Dean Elton Dean (28 October 1945 – 8 February 2006) was an English jazz musician who performed on alto saxophone, saxello (a variant of the soprano saxophone) and occasionally keyboards. Part of the Canterbury scene, he featured in Soft Mach ...

and Joe Gallivan: ''The Cheque Is in the Mail'' (

Ogun Ogun or Ogoun ( Yoruba: Ògún, Edo: Ògún, Portuguese: Ogum, Gu; also spelled Oggun or Ogou; known as Ogún or Ogum in Latin America) is a Yoruba Orisha that is adopted in several African religions. Ògún is a warrior and a powerful spi ...

, 1977) * with Günter Christmann, Gerd Dudek,

Albert Mangelsdorff Albert Mangelsdorff (September 5, 1928 – July 25, 2005) was a German jazz trombonist. Working mainly in free jazz, he was an innovator in multiphonics. Early life Mangelsdorff was born in Frankfurt on September 5, 1928, as the son of the book ...

, Paul Rutherford, Manfred Schoof: ''Horns'' ( FMP, 1979) * with

Gordon Beck Gordon James Beck (16 September 1935 – 6 November 2011) was an English jazz pianist and composer. At the time of his death, 26 albums had been released under his name. Early life Beck was born in Brixton, London, and attended Pinner Coun ...

, Tony Oxley, Stan Sulzmann, Ron Mathewson: ''Seven Steps to Evans'' ( MPS, 1980) * with Tiziana Simona: ''Gigolo'' (ITM, 1986) * with Claudio Fasoli, Jean-François Jenny Clark,

Daniel Humair Daniel Humair (born 23 May 1938 in Geneva, Switzerland) is a Swiss drummer, composer, and painter. He is widely renowned and became a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1986 and Officier in 1992. He has played with many jazz perf ...

: ''Welcome'' (

, 1987) * with Claudio Fasoli and Jean-François Jenny Clark: ''Land'' (Innowo/New Sound Planet, 1989) * with Gordon Beck, Tony Oxley, Stan Sulzmann, Dieter Ilg: ''A Tribute to Bill Evans'' (

Image Entertainment RLJ Entertainment (formerly Image Entertainment) is an American film production company and home video distributor, distributing film and television productions in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 34 ...

DVD, filmed 1991, released 1999) * with Jeff Gardner, Hein van de Geyn, André Ceccarelli: ''California Daydream'' ( Musidisc, 1992) * with David Friedman, Jasper van't Hof: ''Greenhouse Fables'' (Sentemo, 1992) * with Paolino Dalla Porta, Stefano Battaglia,

Bill Elgart Bill Elgart or Billy Elgart (born November 9, 1942, Cambridge, Massachusetts) is an expatriate American jazz drummer. He is related to Les and Larry Elgart. Elgart was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts. He studied at the Berklee College of Music a ...

: ''Tales'' (Soul Note, 1993) * with Claudio Fasoli,

Mick Goodrick Mick Goodrick (June 9, 1945 – November 16, 2022) was an American jazz guitarist who spent most of his career as a teacher. In the early 1970s, he worked with Gary Burton and Pat Metheny. Biography An Elvis fan, Goodrick began studying guitar ...

, Henri Texier - double bass, Billy Elgart - drums: "Ten tributes" (Ram records, 1994) * with Rabih Abou Khalil - Sultan's Picnic, Enja Records, 1994) * with Vandoorn (Ineke Vandoorn & Marc van Vugt) - The Question is me, Riff/Baixim records 1994 * with

Paul Bley Paul Bley, Order of Canada, CM (November 10, 1932 – January 3, 2016) was a Canadian jazz pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing and his early live per ...

: ''Touché'' (Justin Time, 1996) * with

Sonny Greenwich Sonny Greenwich, (born January 1, 1936) is a Canadian guitarist. He has played in major Canadian and American cities including a concert at Carnegie Hall. He has performed with musicians such as Charles Lloyd, Wayne Shorter, Pharoah Sanders, Mc ...

: ''Live at the Montreal Bistro'' (Justin Time, 1998) * with Brian Dickinson: ''Still Waters'' [Hornblower, 1999) * with

: ''Live at Birdland Neuberg'' (Double Moon, 1999) * with Fred Hersch, Norma Winstone, Paul Clarvis: ''4 in Perspective'' (Village Life, 2000) * with Marc Copland and John Abercrombie: ''That's for Sure'' (Challenge Records (1994), Challenge, 2001) * with Stan Sulzmann and

John Parricelli John Parricelli (born 5 April 1959 in Evesham, Wychavon, Worcestershire, England) is a jazz guitarist who has worked mainly in the United Kingdom. Parricelli began his career as a guitarist in 1982. He was one of the founding members of the Brit ...

: ''Ordesa'' (Symbol, 2002) * with

Enrico Pieranunzi Enrico Pieranunzi (born 5 December 1949) is an Italian jazz pianist. He combines classical technique with jazz. Biography The son of Renata Brillantini and Alvaro Pieranunzi, Enrico Pieranunzi was encouraged to study music at a young age. Hi ...

, Chris Potter,

Charlie Haden Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than fifty years. Haden helped to revolutionize the harmonic concept of bass playin ...

Paul Motian Stephen Paul Motian (March 25, 1931 – November 22, 2011) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer of Armenian descent. He played an important role in freeing jazz drummers from strict time-keeping duties. Motian first came t ...

: ''Fellini Jazz'' (CAM Jazz, 2003) * with Marc Copland and John Abercrombie: ''Brand New'' (Challenge, 2004) * with

Tony Coe Anthony George Coe (29 November 1934 – 16 March 2023) was an English jazz musician who played clarinet, bass clarinet, and flute as well as soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones. Career Born in Canterbury, Kent, England, Coe started out on cla ...

, John Edwards, Alan Hacker, Sylvia Hallett, Marcio Mattos, Evan Parker,

Philipp Wachsmann Philipp John Paul Wachsmann (born 5 August 1944) is an African avant-garde jazz/jazz fusion violinist born in Kampala, Uganda, probably better known for having founded his own group Chamberpot. He has worked with many musicians in the free jazz id ...

: ''Free Zone Appleby 2003'' (

PSI Psi, PSI or Ψ may refer to: Alphabetic letters * Psi (Greek) (Ψ or ψ), the twenty-third letter of the Greek alphabet * Psi (Cyrillic), letter of the early Cyrillic alphabet, adopted from Greek Arts and entertainment * "Psi" as an abbreviat ...

, 2004) * with Gerd Dudek,

Paul Dunmall Paul Dunmall (born 6 May 1953) is a British jazz musician who plays tenor and soprano saxophone, as well as the baritone and the more exotic saxello and the Northumbrian smallpipes. He has played with Keith Tippett and Barry Guy. In the earl ...

, John Edwards,

Tony Levin Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer specializing in electric bass guitars, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (19 ...

, Tony Marsh, Evan Parker, Paul Rogers, Philipp Wachsmann: ''Free Zone Appleby 2005'' (PSI, 2006) * with Evan Parker, Paul Dunmall, Tony Levin, John Edwards: ''Live at the Vortex, London'' (Rare Music, 2011) * with

, Steve Beresford, John Edwards, Louis Moholo-Moholo: ''Foxes Fox: Live at the Vortex'' (PSI, 2012)

Featured

* Robert 'Bob' Cornford, Tony Coe, Kenny Wheeler and the NDR 'Pops' Orchestra: ''Long Shadows'' (Chapter One, 2007; recorded 1979) * The Guildhall Jazz Band: ''Walk Softly'' (Wave, 1998; recorded 1987) * The Jürgen Friedrich Quartet Featuring Kenny Wheeler: ''Summerflood'' ( CTI, 1998; reissued 2003) * Tim Brady: ''Visions'' (Justin Time, 1988) with L'orchestre de Chambre de Montréal * Dezső "Ablakos" Lakatos (sax.), Kenny Wheeler (tr.), György Vukán (piano), Balázs Berkes (bass), Imre Kőszegi (drums), Creative Art Ensemble Brass & Rhythm, in "Spanish Rapsody" of György Vukán (CAE LP 002 Hungaroton, ARTISJUS 1991) * The Upper Austrian Jazzorchestra: ''Plays the Music of Kenny Wheeler'' (

West Wind A west wind is a wind that originates in the west and blows in an eastward direction. Mythology and literature In European tradition, it has usually been considered the mildest and most favorable of the directional winds. In ancient Greek ...

, 1996) * The Maritime Jazz Orchestra: ''Now and Now-Again'' (Justin Time, 2002; recorded 1998) with

and John Taylor * UMO Jazz Orchestra: ''One More Time'' (A-Records, 2000) with Norma Winstone * Munich Jazz Orchestra: ''Sometime Suite'' (Bassic Sound, 2001) * Colours Jazz Orchestra: ''Nineteen Plus One'' (Astarte/Egea, 2009)

As sideman

With John Abercrombie * ''

Open Land ''Open Land'' is an album by American jazz guitarist John Abercrombie recorded in September 1998 and released on ECM June the following year. The sextet features trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, saxophonist Joe Lovano, violinist Mark Feldman, organist ...

'' (ECM, 1998) With

Rabih Abou-Khalil Rabih Abou-Khalil (, born August 17, 1957) is an oud player and composer born in Lebanon, who combines elements of Arabic music with jazz, classical music, and other styles. He grew up in Beirut and moved to Munich, Germany, during the Lebanese ...

*'' Blue Camel'' (Enja, 1992) *'' The Sultan's Picnic'' (Enja, 1994) With George Adams * '' Sound Suggestions'' (ECM, 1979) With

Pepper Adams Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams III (October 8, 1930 – September 10, 1986) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 42 pieces, was the leader on eighteen albums spanning 28 years, and participated in 600 sessions as a s ...

*'' Conjuration: Fat Tuesday's Session'' (Reservoir, 1983 990}) With the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra * ''Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra (album)">Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra'' (Conducted by Alexander von Schlippenbach) (ECM, 1990) With Jane Ira Bloom * ''Art and Aviation'' (Arabesque, 1992) * ''The Nearness'' (Arabesque, 1995) With

*'' The Complete Braxton'' (Freedom, 1971

973 Year 973 ( CMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Spring – The Byzantine army, led by General Melias ( Domestic of the Schools in the East), continues the op ...

* '' News from the 70s'' (Musica Jazz/Felmay, 1971–1976

998 Year 998 ( CMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – Otto III retakes Rome and restores power in the papal city. Crescentius II (the Younger) and his followers ...

*'' Quartet: Live at Moers Festival'' (Ring, 1974

976 Year 976 ( CMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * January 10 – Emperor John I Tzimiskes dies at Constantinople, after returning from a second campaign against ...

* '' New York, Fall 1974'' ( Arista, 1974) * '' Five Pieces 1975'' (Arista, 1975) * '' The Montreux/Berlin Concerts'' (Arista, 1975-6) * '' Creative Orchestra Music 1976'' (Arista, 1976) * '' Creative Orchestra (Köln) 1978'' (hatART, 1978

995 Year 995 (Roman numerals, CMXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * 17 May - Fujiwara no Michitaka (imperial regent) dies. * 3 June: Fujiwara no Michikane gains power and becomes Rege ...

With Jakob Bro * 2011: ''Bro/Knak'' (Loveland) Album entry o
JakobBro.com
/ref> With

Bill Bruford William Scott Bruford (born 17 May 1949) is an English drummer and percussionist who first gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock band Yes. After leaving Yes in 1972, Bruford spent the rest of the 1970s recording and tou ...

* ''

Feels Good to Me ''Feels Good to Me'' is the first solo studio album by former Yes and King Crimson drummer Bill Bruford. The band Bruford grew out of the line-up assembled for this album. The album features guitarist Allan Holdsworth, bassist Jeff Berlin, keybo ...

'' ( EG, 1978) With Rainer Brüninghaus * '' Freigeweht'' (ECM, 1980) With Don Cherry * '' Actions'' (Philips, 1971) With

Steve Coleman Steve Coleman (born September 20, 1956) is an American saxophonist, composer, bandleader and music theorist. In 2014, he was named a MacArthur Fellow. Early life Steve Coleman was born and grew up in South Side, Chicago. He started playing ...

* '' Rhythm in Mind'' (

Novus Novus (Latin, 'new') may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Novus Biologicals, later Bio-Techne, an American biotech company * Novus Entertainment, a Canadian telecommunications company * Novus International, an animal health and nutrition ...

, 1991) With CCS * '' C.C.S.'' ( RAK, 1970) With

*''

Deep Dark Blue Centre ''Deep Dark Blue Centre'' is the debut album by composer and bassist Graham Collier recorded in 1967 and originally released on the British Deram label.Hoarded Dreams ''Hoarded Dreams'' is a live album by bassist/composer Graham Collier featuring a composition commissioned for the Bracknell Jazz Festival by the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1983 and released on the Cuneiform label in 2007. Reception Al ...

'' (Cuneiform, 1983

007 The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

With Paolino Dalla Porta * ''Tales'' (Soul Note, 1993) With

With Pierre Favre * ''Window Steps'' (ECM, 1995) * '' What the Dickens!'' (

, 1963) With Claudio Fasoil * ''Welcome'' (Soul Note, 1987) * ''Guest'' (Soul Note, 1994) * ''Ten Tributes'' (1995) With

* '' Rambler'' (ECM, 1985) With Globe Unity Orchestra * ''Globe Unity 67 & 70'' ( Atavistic, 2001), 1970 recording only * ''Live in Wuppertal'' ( FMP, 1973) * ''Hamburg '74'' with the NDR Chor (FMP, 1979) * ''Evidence Vol. 1'' (FMP, 1976; reissued on ''Rumbling'', 1991) * ''Into the Valley Vol. 2'' (FMP, 1976; reissued on ''Rumbling'', 1991) * ''FMP S 6...Plus'' (FMP, digital download, 2012) * ''Jahrmarkt/Local Fair'' (Po Torch, 1977) * ''Improvisations'' ( JAPO/ ECM, 1977) * ''Compositions'' (JAPO/ECM, 1979) * ''Intergalactic Blow'' (JAPO, 1983) * ''20th Anniversary'' (recorded 1986, FMP, 1993) * ''40 Years'' (Intakt, 2007) With

Paul Gonsalves Paul Gonsalves ( – ) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist best known for his association with Duke Ellington. At the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, Gonsalves played a 27-chorus solo in the middle of Ellington's " Diminuendo and Crescendo in Bl ...

* '' Humming Bird'' ( Deram, 1970) With

Quintet * ''Jumpin' In (album), Jumpin' In'' (ECM, 1984) * ''Seeds of Time'' (ECM, 1985) * ''The Razor's Edge (Dave Holland album), The Razor's Edge'' (ECM, 1987) With Mark Isaacs * ''Elders Suite'' (Grace Recordings, 1999) With Philly Joe Jones * ''Trailways Express'' (Black Lion Records, Black Lion, 1968 [1971]) With Chris Kase * ''A Song We Once Knew'' (Satchmo Jazz, 2000) With Andy Middleton * ''Reinventing the World'' (2003) With Joni Mitchell * ''Travelogue (Joni Mitchell album), Travelogue'' (Nonesuch Records, Nonesuch, 2002) With Roscoe Mitchell *''Sketches from Bamboo'' (Moers Music, 1979) With Louis Moholo-Moholo * ''Spirits Rejoice!'' (Ogun, 1978) With

* ''Ichnos (album), Ichnos'' (RCA Victor, 1971) With Enrico Pieranunzi * ''As Never Before'' (2008) With Paul Rutherford (trombonist), Paul Rutherford and Iskra 1912 * ''Sequences 72 & 73'' (Emanem, 1997) With Tommy Smith (saxophonist), Tommy Smith * ''Azure'' (Linn Records, Linn, 1995) With Wadada Leo Smith * ''Divine Love (album), Divine Love'' (ECM, 1978) With Thomas Stabenow * ''What’s New'' (2010) With David Sylvian * ''Brilliant Trees'' (Virgin Records, Virgin, 1984) * ''Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities'' (Virgin, 1985) * ''Gone to Earth (David Sylvian album), Gone to Earth'' (Virgin, 1986) * ''Dead Bees on a Cake'' (Virgin, 1999) With John Surman * ''John Surman'' (Deram, 1969) * ''Tales of the Algonquin'' (Deram, 1971) With

* ''Old Friends, New Friends'' (ECM, 1979) With Glauco Venier Trio * ''Gorizia'' (Artesuono, 2013) With Ernst Vranckx * ''A Child’s Blessing'' (1998) With Fabio Zeppetella * ''Moving Lines'' (1995)

References

External links

Kenny Wheeler, Trumpeter and Flugelhornist, Dies at 84
at ''JazzTimes''
2003 Interview with journalist John Eyles at ''All About Jazz''

* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Kenny%20Wheeler/-Releases/-Albums?page=1 Kenny Wheeler discography at discogs] {{DEFAULTSORT:Wheeler, Kenny 1930 births 2014 deaths Avant-garde jazz musicians Canadian male jazz composers Canadian jazz trumpeters Canadian male trumpeters ECM Records artists Edition artists Free improvisation Honorary members of the Royal Academy of Music Musicians from Toronto Nucleus (band) members Officers of the Order of Canada Post-bop trumpeters The Royal Conservatory of Music alumni United Jazz + Rock Ensemble members 20th-century Canadian trumpeters 20th-century Canadian male musicians Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra members Azimuth (band) members The Dedication Orchestra members Incus Records artists Edition Records artists 20th-century Canadian jazz composers Psi Records artists