ENDEIT
Kenny Wheeler
Photo: Andy Newcombe Farnborough, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trumpeters · 1930–2014

Kenny Wheeler

Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player (1930–2014)

Born
14 January 1930
St. Catharines
Died
18 September 2014
London
Country
Canada
Active
1950–
Record labels
ECM Records, Edition Records
Discography
37 albums

Biography

Kenny Wheeler was a jazz musician who played trumpet and flute. Kenny Wheeler was born on 14 January 1930 in St. Catharines and died on 18 September 2014 in London. The music is usually filed under jazz, avant-garde jazz and chamber jazz. Record labels: ECM Records and Edition Records. The discography here lists 37 albums, from “Windmill Tilter: The Story of Don Quixote” (1969) to “Jazz Standards Live” (2024). Honours include Officer of the Order of Canada.

Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC (14 January 1930 – 18 September 2014) was a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards. Most of his performances were rooted in jazz, but he was also active in free improvisation and occasionally contributed to rock music recordings. Wheeler wrote more than 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.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Discography

Studio and live albums

Windmill Tilter: The Story of Don Quixote 1969 · Fontana Song for Someone 1973 · Incus Records Gnu High 1976 · ECM Records Deer Wan 1978 · ECM Records Around 6 1980 · ECM Records Double, Double You 1984 · ECM Records Gigolo 1986 · ITM Records Music for Large & Small Ensembles 1990 · ECM Records Kenny Wheeler - Peter O'Mara - Wayne Darling - Bill Elgart 1991 · Koala Records Greenhouse Fables 1992 · Sentemo Kayak 1992 · ah um Touché 1996 · Justin Time Records All the More 1997 · Soul Note Angel Song 1997 · ECM Records Siren's Song 1997 · Justin Time Records
A Child's Blessing 1998
Jeff Johnston Quartet with Kenny Wheeler 1998
Summerflood 1998
A Long Time Ago 1999 · ECM Records Still Waters 1999 · Hornblower Recordings Moon 2001 · EGEA
Sometime Suite 2001
Dream Sequence 2003 · psi Where Do We Go From Here? 2004 · CAM Jazz Other People 2005 · CAM Jazz What Now? 2005 · CAM Jazz
Free Zone Appleby 2005 2006 · Live
It Takes Two! 2006 · CAM Jazz Nineteen Plus One 2009 · Astarte One of Many 2011 · CAM Jazz The Long Waiting 2012 · CAM Jazz Mirrors 2013 · Edition Records Six for Six 2013 · CAM Jazz On the Way to Two 2015 · CAM Jazz Songs for Quintet 2015 · ECM Records
Under Milk Wood in Hamburg 2022 · Live
Jazz Standards Live 2024 · Live

Also plays on

Albums where Kenny Wheeler is credited as a sideman

1964 Shakespeare and All That Jazz — Cleo Laine featuring John Dankworth trumpet, tenor horn / alto horn
1968 John Surman — John Surman flugelhorn, trumpet
1970 Humming Bird — Paul Gonsalves trumpet
1970 4 Compositions for Sextet — Tony Oxley trumpet
1970 CCS — CCS trumpet
1971 Maynard Ferguson — Maynard Ferguson arranger
1971 Mo' Joe — Philly Joe Jones flugelhorn, trumpet, brass
1971 Tales of the Algonquin — John Surman / John Warren flugelhorn, trumpet
1971 Pause, and Think Again — John Taylor trumpet
1971 Solar Plexus — Ian Carr with Nucleus brass
1972 Jazz in Britain ’68–’69 — John Surman • Alan Skidmore • Tony Oxley flugelhorn, trumpet
1972 Edge of Time — Norma Winstone brass
1973 Labyrinth — Ian Carr with Nucleus flugelhorn, trumpet
1975 Five Pieces (1975) — Anthony Braxton flugelhorn, trumpet
1975 New York, Fall 1974 — Anthony Braxton flugelhorn, trumpet
1976 Creative Orchestra Music 1976 — Anthony Braxton trumpet
1976 Floresta Canto — Phil Woods With Chris Gunning and Orchestra trumpet
1976 Quartet: At Moers Festival — Anthony Braxton Kenny Wheeler Dave Holland Barry Altschul trumpet
1976 Hip Walk — Peter Herbolzheimer, Rhythm Combination and Brass, Inga Rumpf flugelhorn, trumpet
1977 The Montreux/Berlin Concerts — Anthony Braxton trumpet
1977 The Cheque Is in the Mail — Elton Dean / Joe Gallivan / Kenny Wheeler flugelhorn, trumpet, brass
1979 I Remember — Phil Woods brass
1979 Old Friends, New Friends — Ralph Towner flugelhorn, trumpet
1979 Sound Suggestions — George Adams brass
1979 Divine Love — Leo Smith trumpet
1980 Seven Steps to Evans — Gordon Beck · Ron Mathewson · Tony Oxley · Stan Sulzmann · Kenny Wheeler brass, arranger
1980 Départ — Azimuth with Ralph Towner flugelhorn, trumpet
1981 Lifelines — Arild Andersen brass
1984 Live at Fat Tuesday's — Pepper Adams brass
1985 Rambler — Bill Frisell cornet, flugelhorn, trumpet

Standards written by Kenny Wheeler

TitleKeyFormGroove
Everybody's Song But My Own C minor AABACC · 50 Jazz waltz
Nicolette B♭ major AABCAA · 38 Jazz waltz
Heyoke F major AA · 36 Jazz waltz
For Jan A major A · 24 Jazz waltz
Onmo D♭ major A · 16 Medium-up swing
Ma Belle Hélène C major A · 48 Medium-up swing

Analysed solos by Kenny Wheeler

Awards

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Kenny Wheeler play?

Kenny Wheeler is known for playing trumpet and flute.

When and where was Kenny Wheeler born?

Kenny Wheeler was born 14 January 1930 in St. Catharines.

What are Kenny Wheeler's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Windmill Tilter: The Story of Don Quixote (1969), Song for Someone (1973), Gnu High (1976), Deer Wan (1978) and Around 6 (1980).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.