Kenny Wheeler’s Songs For Quintet set for January release on ECM

jpg" alt="Songs-for-Quintet" width="300" height="266">The poignant final album from revered trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, who died on 8 September, Songs For Quintet is set for release on ECM Records on 12 January 2015 – just in time for what would have been his 85th birthday on 14 January.

Recorded in December 2013 at London’s Abbey Road studios, and produced by Manfred Eicher and Steve Lake, the album features regular Wheeler collaborators saxophonist Stan Sulzmann, guitarist John Parricelli, bassist Chris Laurence and drummer Martin France. Fittingly it marks Wheeler’s return to the label that released some of his most cherished recordings including Gnu High, Deer Wan and Angel Song. Due to ill health the sessions for Songs For Quintet were the last time Wheeler was able to play with other musicians and as such he couldn’t perform as part of a planned celebratory gig after the recording.

From early listens the album showcases Wheeler’s impeccable compositions that always match strong melodies with intriguingly inventive structures – all of which is devoured by the vastly experienced band. Wheeler, playing flugelhorn throughout, sounds strong on material that’s surprisingly uptempo and driving, although solo duties often fall to Sulzmann and Parricelli. The compositions are drawn from Wheeler’s recent past and include a fresh approach to ‘Old Time’ (an Azimuth trio favourite) alongside a new take on ‘Nonetheless’, a piece first heard on Angel Song.

Other tracks include ‘How It Was Then’ (another Azimuth piece from 1994), an aptly titled waltz-time piece ’A Pretty Liddle Waltz’, the tango-fuelled ‘Sly Eyes’, the intricate yet flowing ‘Jigsaw’, and ‘Canter No. 1’, which is a bass feature for Laurence before giving way to a powerful Sulzmann solo. See the February 2015 issue of Jazzwise for an exclusive interview with Stan Sulzmann talking about the recording of the album.

– Mike Flynn

– Photo by Tim Dickeson

For more info go to www.ecmrecords.com