Farewell to Kenny Wheeler. A titan. One of the greatest composers and greatest trumpet players to ever walk this earth. Musicians are generally considered late bloomers if they dont make a record in their twenties, but KW didnt release his first album until he was almost 40, and wasnt really on anyones radar until Gnu High, released when he was 46. That record, his first major statement as a leader, completely blew up everyones idea of small group playing and writing. For endless brilliant melody, KWs only real peer is Monk. As for harmony, perhaps only Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Bill Evans have been as widely influential. Thad Jones took the harmonic vocabulary of the 60s and made it work for bigband. Kenny Wheeler did the same for the 70s and beyond. Gil Evans and Bob Brookmeyer used dissonant intervals like minor 9ths to sound unsettling. Kenny Wheeler made them sound simply gorgeous, as in the heartstopping chorale that opens the Sweet Time Suite: https://itunes.apple/us/album/music-for-large-small-ensembles/id204733252 Legendarily introverted and self-effacing, Kenny was never one to sing his own praises, but it would be difficult to overstate what a monumental impact his music has had on me and all of my peers. Well miss you, KW.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 21:32:51 +0000
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