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bargajazz 2007

  Bargajazz Festival 2007 – Kenny Wheeler – regulations here  …

 

Bargajazz Festival 2007 – Kenny Wheeler – regulations here 

“The Wheeler sound is one of the most distinctive in the history of the jazz trumpet. A thin, overblown note is followed by a florid flurry, the high squeal by a long low note he rolls around his mouth like a chewy mint. Although his phrases are bordered, like blotting paper in ink, with romanticism, the comforting phrase is superseded by the querulous, a moment of tenderness by a scream of panic. He has his trademark tics, but is incapable of producing a hackneyed phrase. Like words from a prophet, every note counts.”

This year the BargaJazz Festival is host not only to one of the world’s most important contemporary trumpet players; but a musician who is also one of the foremost jazz composers and arrangers of the last forty years. Kenny Wheeler, born in Canada in 1930 and resident in England from the age of twenty two, is encouraged by his trombone playing father and studies trumpet, composition and harmony at the Toronto Conservatoire. Initially influenced by Buck Clayton and Roy Eldridge he rapidly crosses over into bebop, following in the footsteps of Miles Davis and Fats Navarro. After the move to London Wheeler alternates between his job as a dance orchestra musician and other, personal projects. In 1959 he opens at the Newport Jazz Festival with the Johnny Dankworth Band together with whom he records his first album as leader: ‘Windmill Tilter’ – a collection of big band compositions based on Cervantes’ Don Quixote.

The year 1966 is a pivotal one in his career when, thanks to a meeting with drummer John Stevens, he gravitates towards free-jazz and collaborates with Stevens’ Spontaneous Music Ensemble and the Tony Oxley band. Saxophonist Evan Parker and guitarist Derek Bailey introduce Kenny to the Globe Unity Orchestra, the German big band directed by pianist Alexander von Schlippenback, with which he begins a lengthy collaboration. In 1971 Anthony Braxton invites him to join his band, where he remains until 1976. In the mean time Wheeler records the 1975 Melody Maker Album Of The Year ‘Song For Someone’, bringing together free elements and jazz, and also one of the critics all time favourite albums: ‘Gnu High’, with Keith Jarrett, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette.

He records for ECM with the Azimuth trio (Wheeler, John Taylor and Norma Winstone) and, in 1977, ‘Deer Wan’ together with Jan Garbarek, John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette and Ralph Towner. In 1979 he joins the Dave Holland Quintet, recording in 1983 ‘Double, Double You’ together with Michael Brecker, John Taylor, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette. His 1988 tour with a new quintet comprising John Abercrombie, John Taylor, Dave Holland and Peter Erskine is greeted with enthusiasm by both the press and the public. He records another two masterpieces in 1990: ‘The Widow in the Window’ and ‘Music for Large and Small Ensemble’. The latter, in particular, displays Wheeler’s extraordinary qualities and absolute originality as an arranger. His prolific output and search for new musical experiences has not diminished since the 1990s. He records ‘Angel Song’ together with the new and highly original line-up of Bill Frisell, Lee Konitz and Dave Holland . His latest recording for ECM, ‘A Long Time Ago’, brings together a brass ensemble and the trio comprising Wheeler, John Taylor and the guitarist John Parricelli – thus combining classic timbres with the jazz trio.

Still very active on the concert scene, in 2005 Kenny Wheeler celebrates his seventy-fifth birthday with a series of concerts performed together with Lee Konitz, Norma Winstone and Dave Holland in some of the most important English theatres. Constantly balancing tradition with the avant-garde, Wheeler is without doubt one of the most important points of reference for the latest generation of trumpet players.

During this year’s Barga Jazz Festival, as well as playing together with the BargaJazz Orchestra the original arrangements of his compositions submitted by competitors, he will present ‘Kenny Wheeler’s Little Sweet Suite for 13 elements’ on the 19th of August.

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Bargajazz Festival 2007 – Kenny Wheeler – regolamento here 

 Il Concorso di BargaJazz ospita quest’anno uno dei più importanti dei più importanti trombettisti contemporanei oltre che uno dei massimi compositori e arrangiatori di Jazz degli ultimi quarant’anni.
Kenny Wheeler, nato in Canada nel 1930, in Inghilterra dall’età di ventidue anni, incoraggiato dal padre suonatore di trombone, studia tromba, armonia e composizione al Conservatorio di Toronto. Inizialmente influenzato da Buck Clayton e Roy Eldrige passa rapidamente al bebop sulle orme di Miles Davis e Fats Navarro. Trasferitosi a Londra, Wheeler alterna al lavoro come musicista in orchestre da ballo, progetti originali; nel 1959 debutta al Jazz Festival di Newport con la Johnny Dankworth band con cui registra il suo primo album come leader Windmill Tilter, caratterizzato da composizioni per big band basate sul Don Quixote di Cervantes.

Il 1966 per W. è l’anno della svolta quando, grazie all’incontro con il batterista John Stevens, si avvicina al free-jazz collaborando con l’Ensemble di Musica Spontanea di Stevens e col gruppo di Tony Oxley. Grazie al sassofonista Evan Parker e al chitarrista Derek Bailey, Kenny viene introdotto nella Globe Unity Orchestra, la big band tedesca diretta dal pianista Alexander von Schlippenback, con cui avvierà una lunghissima collaborazione. Nel 1971 Anthony Braxton, lo invita ad entrare a far parte del suo gruppo dove rimane fino al 1976. Nel frattempo Wheeler registra Song For Someone, un disco che unisce elementi free e jazz (diventato Melody Maker Album Of The Year nel 1975), e Gnu High, con Keith Jarrett, Dave Holland e Jack DeJohnette  considerato dalla critica uno  dei migliori di tutti i tempi.

Per ECM incide con il trio Azimuth (Wheeler, John Taylor e Norma Winstone) e nel  1977 Deer Wan con Jan Garbarek, John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette e Ralph Towner. Nel 1979 Wheeler entra a far parte del Dave Holland Quintet con cui realizza Double, Double You nel 1983 con Michael Brecker, John Taylor, Dave Holland e Jack DeJohnette.

Nel 1988  è in tour con il suo nuovo quintetto composto da John Abercrombie, John Taylor, Dave Holland e Peter Erskine accolto con entusiasmo da stampa e pubblico. Del 1990 altri due capolavori The Widow in the Window e Music for Large and Small Ensemble. Il secondo in particolare rivela le straordinarie qualità e l’assoluta originalità di Wheeler come arrangiatore. La sua prolificità e la voglia di nuove esperienze non si arresta dali anni 90 fino ad oggi. Angel Song è inciso con una formazione inedita e originalissima con Bill Frisell, Lee Konitz e Dave Holland. Nella sua ultima sua incisione per la ECM A Long Time Ago unisce un ensemble di ottoni al trio composto dallo stesso Wheeler, John Taylor e il chitarrista John Parricelli combinando sonorità di tipo classico al trio jazz.

Ancora in piena attività concertistica Kenny Wheeler ha festeggiato nel 2005 il settantacinquesimo compleanno con una serie di concerti assieme a Lee Konitz, Norma Winstone, Dave Holland, in alcuni dei più importanti teatri inglesi. Costantemente in bilico tra tradizione e avanguardia Wheeler un punto di riferimento tra i più importanti per i  trombettisti di nuova generazione.

A Barga Kenny Wheeler oltre a suonare con la BargaJazz Orchestra le sue composizioni negli arrangiamenti dei concorrenti, presenterà il 19 agosto Kenny Wheeler’s Little Sweet Suite per 13 elementi.

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