Academy Jazz Orchestra – ‘Celebrating the Life and Music of Kenny Wheeler’

This special celebratory evening at the Royal Academy was the convergence of two major projects coming to fruition.

Firstly it was the launch event for the book ‘Song for Someone – The Musical Life of Kenny Wheeler’, a biography of the Canadian-born genius by Nick Smart and Brian Shaw, which has been more than a decade in the making.

Secondly it was a launch event for the album ‘Some Days Are Better: The Lost Scores’ (Greenleaf), recorded last year at Abbey Road, and drawing extensively on the resource of the Kenny Wheeler archive, based at RAM.

But this celebration was much more than that. Kenny Wheeler is a massively influential figure in jazz, and this was an astonishing gathering of people with a very deep association with Kenny Wheeler and his music, either onstage or in the audience…

Onstage were two icons: Evan Parker and Norma Winstone…. plus a trumpet section made up of some of the finest players anywhere in the world. And, for example, Pete Churchill – who conducted the 80th birthday tour – was there to direct one of the pieces performed on that tour.

And then there was the ‘band in the room’: for example all three musicians who played on Kenny Wheeler’s last album, ‘Songs for Quintet’ (Stan Sulzmann, John Parricelli, Chris Laurence). And a host of other UK musicians. And others who have played their significant part:Kenny Wheeler’s son Mark and daughter Louann were there…

This was not just a very great jazz gathering with purpose and meaning. It was also an unforgettable concert. ‘Celebrating Kenny Wheeler’ also means congratulating Nick Smart, whose work to keep the Kenny Wheeler flame burning bright in world music is uniquely tireless, incomparably effective and utterly worthwhile.

PROGRAMME

Trumpet Quartet – 3rd movement for 8 trumpets:
Smatta
CPEP
Nothing Changes – Lyrics by Norma Winstone
Little Suite
WW – conducted by Brian Shaw
Enowena from ‘The Long Waiting’ – conducted by Pete Churchill
Encore: ‘Freddy C’ and ‘Closing’ from ‘Music for Large & Small Ensembles’

(All compositions and arrangements by Kenny Wheeler)

PERFORMERS

Voice: Norma Winstone (Guest)
Emma Taylor, Sylvie Noble, Anastasija Stanojevic

Trumpets and Flugel: Mike Lovatt, James Copus, Brian Shaw, Tom Walsh (Guests)
Gabriel Taylor, George Hilliam, Iacopo Teolis, Zeb Buckeridge

Saxophones Evan Parker (Guest)
Luke Montgomery, Mali Sheard, Ethan Townsend, Elliot Wong, Noah Chiari

Trombones: Joseph Evans, Benjamin Krauss, Mateo Jaeckel, Ismael Aasgaard, Cameron Bahmaie

Tuba : Jude Smith
Guitar: Alfie Dean
Piano and Rhodes: Oscar Lyons, John Haslam
Bass: Zaki Osahn, George Balmont
Drums: Ananda Hamon, Noam Solomons-Wise, George Povey

(with thanks to Nick Smart, Sylvie Noble and Gabriel Taylor for help in producing this piece)