KENNY WHEELER
“Canadian-born, trumpeter-composer
Wheeler has been an ornament of the British scene since the
‘50s, famed for the free, lyrical eloquence of his playing
and writing”. Geoffrey Smith BBC
A few years ago fellow septugenarian, Lee
Konitz, told a Bath audience that
"Kenny Wheeler is your George Gershwin".
ORDESA
‘When I first heard of this trio, I wondered
if the lack of a traditional rhythm section would limit it.
But after this uncompromising concert, I’d venture that
this may be the strongest new band in Britain today.’
Independent August 2002
Internationally recognised ECM favourite Kenny
Wheeler joins forces with two of the UK’s extraordinarily gifted
musicians - Stan Sulzmann’s distinctive and masterly saxes and
the consistently lauded guitars of John Parricelli. Three composers
who perform - three performers who compose.
Kenny Wheeler (trumpet/Flugelhorn)
John Parricelli (Electric/Acoustic Guitars
& Guitar Synth)
Stan Sulzmann (soprano/tenor saxophones
flute)
Website:www.stansulzmann.co.uk
QUINTET with Liam Noble (piano), Mark Hanslip
(saxes), Oli Hayhurst (bass), Dave Smith (drums)
This new quintet with Liam Noble brings together
some of the hottest young talent on the jazz scene.
Liam Noble
“…a brilliant pianist…”
John Fordham, The Guardian
"Liam Noble, a musician who just keeps getting
better" James Griffiths Monday April 4, 2005 The Guardian
After studying music at Oxford University and
the postgraduate course at the Guildhall, Noble became the regular
pianist with Stan Sulzmann (in both duo and quartet settings)
on John Taylor’s recommendation. He went on to work in
the bands of Anita Wardell, Harry Beckett, Tim Whitehead and
John Stevens as well as recording and touring with cult minimalist
composer Moondog. During this period, he also performed with
John Taylor (as part of Stan Sulzmann’s two piano quintet),
Kenny Wheeler and Lol Coxhill.
Three years after leaving the Guildhall, Noble
recorded the solo piano album “Close Your Eyes”,
which featured free improvisations, compositions and interpretations
of tunes by (amongst others) Ornette Coleman, Annette Peacock
and Richard Rodgers.
In Jazz Journal, Richard Palmer referred to him
as “…a writer of considerable idiomatic and emotional
range …he knows the instrument’s pantheon from Tatum
to Taylor…”
In 1997, he joined the Bobby Wellins Quartet,
a band that combines a standard repertoire with a contemporary
sense of interaction. A CD, “The Best is Yet to Come”
is available on Jazzizit Records. He is also a member of the
Christine Tobin Band and the Randy Brecker English Sextet, with
whom he recently performed at Cheltenham Festival. A duo project
with Paul Clarvis playing music from West Side Story combines
well-known material with a “stream of consciousness”
improvisatory angle.
In April 2002, a commission from Birmingham Jazz
resulted in a song cycle based on Japanese Death Poetry featuring
the contrasting voices of Kelsey Michael (vocalist with the
High Llammas) and Christine Tobin, with Dave Wickins and Chris
Biscoe. Noble plays keyboards and samples throughout, marking
a new foray into electronica inspired by artists such as Aphex
Twin and Arto Lindsay. He is also a regular member of the Julian
Siegel Group and appears on Siegel’s much acclaimed recent
album “ Close Up ” (mactwo).
In his new album, "In the Meantime",
Noble’s compositions are highly individual, quirky, sometimes
humorous or intensely lyrical and demonstrate his continuing
interest in combining unorthodox structural design with improvisation
using an ensemble of highly contrasting players. Focusing on
the multi-reed front line of Stan Sulzmann and Chris Biscoe
(on the rarely heard alto clarinet), the rhythm section features
Paul Clarvis and Mick Hutton. Four years of gigging have established
a symbiotic relationship between written and improvised material,
and an almost orchestral use of colour & space. Influenced
by “downtown” New Yorkers such as Wayne Horvitz
and Bill Frisell, the compositions also reflect an interest
in longer forms derived from studying Stravinsky and other classical
composers.
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BASHO
MUSIC
