Vince Mendoza, London Symphony Orchestra – Epiphany

Styles: Post Bop
Year: 2002
Time: 62:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 142,6 MB
Art: Front

( 7:16) 1. Impromptu
(10:20) 2. Wheaten Sky
( 8:12) 3. Esperanza
( 6:03) 4. Ambivalence
( 9:06) 5. Sanctus
( 8:56) 6. Epiphany
( 7:44) 7. Barcelona
( 4:39) 8. Deep Song

In and out of print since its initial release in '99, composer/arranger Vince Mendoza's Epiphany represents one of the finest examples of orchestration in a jazz setting. While there have been other fine examples of large-scale blending, they have often simply retrofitted existing material, as was the case with last year's Promises Kept, where pianist Steve Kuhn's compositions were lushly interpreted by arranger Carlos Franzetti.

Mendoza is a composer in his own right who may not be known to a broader audience, but has been a favourite source for artists including Gary Burton, John Abercrombie and Charlie Haden since he emerged on the scene in the mid-'80s. He's also a well-respected arranger, having worn that mantle for artists as diverse as Joe Zawinul, Joni Mitchell and Bjork. So it's a good thing that Michael Watts Productions has seen fit to reissue this significant disc so that it can be revisited by a fresh audience.

Unlike some jazz ensemble-with-orchestra collaborations where clumsy transitions between the two do nothing more than highlight their stylistic disparities, this effort reflects Mendoza's views that all the instruments available to him are part of a larger palette. Consequently the entire affair feels completely organic and unforced. There are times when the focus is on the orchestra, other times where the ensemble is in the forefront, and still other occasions where the two meet on common ground. The integration is so seamless that one is often unaware of the remarkable way in which Mendoza shifts the emphasis.

Mendoza has used sequencers as part of the writing process in the past, something that remains evident even on his more recent compositions, where repetition of complex passages act as a backdrop for themes that are occasionally convoluted yet always memorable. But with the broader textures available from the orchestra, he is able to construct subtle rubato passages. On the title track, where the strings gently introduce the piece, drummer Peter Erskine finally and delicately establishes time as the ensemble gradually inserts itself and pianist John Taylor takes a well-constructed solo that seems to intuitively ebb and flow with the support of the orchestra.

And yet as complex as Mendoza's charts can clearly be, even when the meter is irregular, they feature nothing jarring or angular. The overall ambience is lush without being saccharine, tender without being overly sentimental, easy on the ears without losing the challenge that bears new experiences on repeated listens. A broader dramatic arc imbues the entire cycle; one might listen to individual tracks, but taken as a whole Epiphany yields an altogether richer experience. With only six albums to his name, Epiphany is an all-too-rare opportunity to hear Mendoza in his own element, focusing on his own compositions with the broadest possible range of available textures and an all-star cast of improvisers. A classic. By John Kelman
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/epiphany-vince-mendoza-michael-watts-production-review-by-john-kelman

Personnel: Vince Mendoza (composer, arranger, conductor), London Symphony Orchestra, John Abercrombie (guitar), Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone), Peter Erskine (drums), Marc Johnson (bass), Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone), John Taylor (piano), Kenny Wheeler (trumpet, flugelhorn)

Epiphany

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John Surman - Proverbs And Songs

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:32
Size: 114,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:11)  1. Prelude
(4:55)  2. The Sons
(6:41)  3. The Kings
(7:39)  4. Wisdom
(4:50)  5. Job
(7:42)  6. No Twilight
(5:00)  7. Pride
(4:06)  8. The Proverbs
(5:24)  9. Abraham Arise!

Multi-reedist John Surman returns to his chorister roots and lays bare his compositional prowess with this oratorio commissioned by the Salisbury Festival and premiered in June of 1996. The Salisbury Festival Chorus, founded in 1987 by Howard Moody (of whose compositions the Hilliard Ensemble and Trio Mediaeval have been strong proponents) approaches its Old Testament sources as the composer sets them: that is, with panache, a flair for syncopation, and raw intensity. Add to this pianist John Taylor in an unexpected turn on cathedral organ, and you’ve got a recipe for one of Surman’s most intriguing catalogue entries to date. Despite the forces assembled, it is he who dominates the palette. The “Prelude” immediately places his cantorial baritone amid a wash of organ in a free-flowing Byzantine mode, thereby establishing a rich narrative quality from the start. Our first foray into choral territory comes in the form of “The Sons,” a robust piece that works men’s and women’s voices in an iron forger’s antiphony toward genealogical harmony. At first, the thicketed singing feels more like a shoreline along which reed and pipes crash in pockets of light and bas-relief. Yet as the “The Kings” soon proves, it is capable of the jaunty togetherness at which Surman excels. “Wisdom” has its finger most firmly on this pulse of greater fellowship, for there is a wisdom of Surman’s own in the brushwork of his soprano, which dances for all the world like the world. This being a live BBC Radio 3 recording that was later mixed down at Oslo’s Rainbow Studio, the quality is rather compressed. 

Then again, so is the music, the message of which is as dense as its King James texts. The album’s space is left to Taylor, its images to the voices, its method to Surman’s winds. There is a rusticity to the album’s sound that matches the unadulterated emotions of the music. We hear this especially in “Job,” which like its scripture upholds divine reason in the face of hardship. The chanting here is a form of punctuation, the snaking baritone lines its restless grammar. “No Twilight” continues to unravel the sopranic weave in what amounts to the heart of the album, both in spirit and in execution, and places the voices at the slightest remove to haunting effect. Surman’s streaks of sunlight here the voices of reason add depth of field to this vision, so that the whimsical shallows of “Pride” emphasize the frivolity and fragility of their eponym. The truth comes out in the ruminative organ solo that epilogues the piece. “The Proverbs,” with its ominous recitation, is the freest and builds eddies of judgment and self-reflection (note Surman’s brilliant evocation of the dissenter) until the rays of sacrifice blind with “Abraham Arise!” In light of the stellar body of choral work that ECM has produced, Surman’s forays into the same are not life-changing, if only because they are about unchanging life. True to the lessons at hand, it is more descriptive than it is aesthetic. Its juxtaposition of distinct sonic color schemes is pure Surman, and represents not a detour from but a dive into the kaleidoscope of his discography…and one well worth taking, at that. https://ecmreviews.com/2013/02/15/proverbs-and-songs/

Personnel: John Surman baritone and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet; John Taylor organ

Proverbs And Songs

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Kenny Wheeler Quintet - Butterfly Flutter By

Styles: Flugelhorn, Cornet Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:33
Size: 112,4 MB
Art: Front

(9:33)  1. Everybody's Song But My Own
(5:11)  2. We Salute The Night
(9:21)  3. Miold Man
(8:51)  4. Butterfly Flutter By
(8:23)  5. Gigolo
(7:14)  6. Little Fella

Recorded at a time when trumpeter Kenny Wheeler was playing regularly in bassist Dave Holland's band, this quintet outing with Holland, Stan Sulzman (who switches between soprano, tenor and flute), pianist John Taylor and drummer Billy Elgart features six of Wheeler's originals, some of which were written quite a few years before. "Everybody's Song But My Own" and "Flutter By, Butterfly" are probably the most memorable of the compositions but each of the performances (which feature consistently rewarding solos) are worth hearing.

 ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/flutter-by-butterfly-mw0000197545

Personnel: Kenny Wheeler - flugelhorn, cornet; Stan Sulzmann - soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute; John Taylor - piano; Dave Holland - bass; Billy Elgart - drums

Butterfly Flutter By

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Kenny Wheeler - Kayak

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:18
Size: 129,2 MB
Art: Front

( 7:21)  1. 5 4 6
(11:03)  2. Gentle Piece - Old Ballad
( 9:16)  3. Kayak
( 6:09)  4. Sea Horse
( 6:01)  5. Sea Lady
(10:29)  6. C Man
( 5:55)  7. C.C. Signor!

Jazz trumpeter and flügelhornist Kenny Wheeler was one of the most advanced voices on his instrument. Blessed with a full, lovely tone and an astounding range, Wheeler sounded equally at home in fiery free jazz explorations or softer, more lyrical post-bop meditations. Wheeler was born in 1930 in Toronto, Ontario, and began playing trumpet at age 12. After studying at Toronto's Royal Conservatory, he moved to London in 1952, where he gigged with swing and dance bands. He appeared with John Dankworth's orchestra at the 1959 Newport Festival and remained with that group until 1965. In 1966, Wheeler discovered free jazz, and, fascinated, joined John Stevens' Spontaneous Music Ensemble for the next four years. In addition, he played jazz-rock fusion with the Mike Gibbs Orchestra from 1969-1975, and joined Tony Oxley's sextet (along with free jazz giants like Derek Bailey and Evan Parker) from 1969-1972. Through the latter, Wheeler was invited to join German pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach's groundbreaking free jazz big band the Globe Unity Orchestra in 1970, an association Wheeler maintained for years to come. During the first half of the '70s, Wheeler played with Anthony Braxton, which became his primary focus. In 1975, he signed with the ECM label and recorded the well-received Gnu High, which established him as a solo artist of note; the following year, he left Braxton and joined the trio Azimuth. Wheeler turned out a series of excellent ECM albums, including 1977's Deer Wan and 1983's Double, Double You (that year, Wheeler also began a four-year run with the Dave Holland Quintet). Several more generally fine outings followed in the '90s, including the ECM dates Music for Large and Small Ensembles and The Widow in the Window (both recorded in 1990), plus other recordings for Justin Time and Soul Note later in the decade. During the 2000s and 2010s, he recorded several dates for CAM Jazz, including 2008's Other People with the Hugo Wolf String Quartet and 2011's One of Many with Steve Swallow. Wheeler died on September 18, 2014 after a brief illness. His final studio session, the Manfred Eicher-produced Songs for Quintet, was released in 2015 on what would have been Wheeler's 85th birthday. ~ Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/artist/kenny-wheeler-mn0000767652/biography

Personnel:  Kenny Wheeler: trumpet and flugelhorn;  John Rook: french horn;  Stan Sulzmann: soprano and tenor saxophones, flute;  Julian Argüelles: soprano and tenor saxophones;  Dave Horler: trombone;  Chris Pyne: trombone;  Dave Stewart: bass trombone and tuba;  John Taylor: piano;  John Horler: piano;  Chris Laurence: bass;  Peter Erskine: drums

Kayak

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Jan Garbarek - Places

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:35
Size: 112,0 MB
Art: Front

(15:10)  1. Reflections
( 7:52)  2. Entering
(14:15)  3. Going Places
(11:17)  4. Passing

A fairly sleepy ECM date, this outing matches Jan Garbarek on tenor, soprano and alto with guitarist Bill Connors, John Taylor (doubling on organ and piano) and drummer Jack DeJohnette for lengthy explorations of four of his originals. With such titles as "Reflections," "Entering" and "Passing," it is not surprising that the music has plenty of space, is introspective, and often emphasizes long tones. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/places-mw0000193162

Personnel: Jan Garbarek (saxophone); John Taylor (piano, organ); Bill Connors (guitar); Jack DeJohnette (drums).

Places

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Jan Garbarek - Works

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1984
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:10
Size: 117,3 MB
Art: Front

( 8:14)  1. Folk Song
( 1:33)  2. Skrik + Hyl
(11:21)  3. Passing
( 2:23)  4. Selje
( 5:40)  5. Viddene
( 4:31)  6. Snipp, Snapp, Snute
(12:26)  7. Beast of Komodo
( 4:59)  8. Svevende

Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek's icy tone and liberal use of space and long tones has long been perfect for the ECM sound and, as a result, he is on many recordings for that label, both as a leader and as a sideman. He had won a competition for amateur jazz players back in 1962, leading to his first gigs. Garbarek worked steadily in Norway throughout the remainder of the '60s, usually as a leader but also for four years with George Russell (who was in Scandinavia for a long stretch). Garbarek began recording for ECM in the early '70s and, although he had opportunities to play with Chick Corea and Don Cherry, his association with Keith Jarrett's European quartet in the mid-'70s made him famous, resulting in the classic recordings My Song and Belonging. In the '80s, Garbarek's groups included bassist Eberhard Weber and at various times, guitarists Bill Frisell and David Torn. Garbarek, whose sound has remained virtually unchanged since the '70s, collaborated with the Hilliard Ensemble in 1993 (a vocal quartet singing Renaissance music) and the result was a surprisingly popular recording. Visible World followed in 1995, and four years later he resurfaced with Rites. In April of 1999, Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble returned with Mnemosyne. He issued In Praise of Dreams in 2004, and finally released his first live album as a leader, Dresden, in 2009. In 2012, ECM released the live archival recording Magico: Carta de Amor, by the Magico trio that also included guitarist Egberto Gismonti and bassist Charlie Haden. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/jan-garbarek-works/id272061988

Personnel:  Saxophone [Soprano], Flute – Jan Garbarek;  Bass – Charlie Haden;  Guitar – Egberto Gismonti;  Drums – Jack DeJohnette;  Guitar – Bill Connors;  Organ – John Taylor;  Bass – Arild Andersen.

Works

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Kenny Wheeler - All the More

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:03
Size: 144,9 MB
Art: Front

( 6:31)  1. Phrase One
( 6:00)  2. All the More
(10:14)  3. Mark Time
( 6:53)  4. Introduction to No Particular Song
( 9:36)  5. The Imminent Immigrant
( 6:04)  6. Nonetheless
( 8:24)  7. Kind of Bill
( 9:17)  8. Summer Night

Kenny Wheeler's gorgeous trumpet anchors these tracks, but also attracting attention here is the understated beauty and subtle adventurousness of John Taylor's piano. With that kind of combination in his playing, Taylor is a perfect match for Wheeler, who has straddled a few divides in his time. Much of this disc features the ethereal ECM-ish music Wheeler has made his trademark, but some of it harks back to Wheeler's earlier days as a pillar of the English "free music" scene along with John Stevens, Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, and another refugee from the edge, bassist Dave Holland. On "All the More" Wheeler plays with fire and resorts here and there to some of the expanded techniques that those musicians were and are searching for. Here, of course, such effects are thoroughly integrated into the fabric of conventional jazz form, so that they do not jar but add an emotional fire to the musiTo hear Wheeler's immense sound in full glory, don't miss "Summer Night," where it is washed in the ebbs and flows of Joe LaBarbera's drums but still comes through sharply, clearly, beautifully. ~ Robert Spencer ttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/all-the-more-kenny-wheeler-soul-note-review-by-robert-spencer.php

Personnel: Kenny Wheeler (trumpet, flugelhorn); John Taylor (piano); Furio Di Castri (bass); Joe La Barbera (drums).

All the More

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Kenny Wheeler & John Taylor - Where Do We Go From Here?

Styles: Trumpet And Piano Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:14
Size: 124,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:20)  1. Summer night
(5:03)  2. For Tracy
(5:01)  3. Mabel
(4:31)  4. Au Contraire
(5:25)  5. Cancer N.1
(5:56)  6. Squiggles
(6:44)  7. One Two Three
(5:12)  8. Where do we go from here?
(3:38)  9. Dance
(6:20) 10. Fordor

Over the past thirty years, pianist John Taylor has clearly been trumpeter Kenny Wheeler's accompanist of choice. Cerebral yet quietly passionate, intuitive and supportive, with a musical personality rooted in Bill Evans that has, nevertheless, long since evolved beyond comparative considerations, Taylor's ability to get inside Wheeler's often melancholic compositions is without equal. From big band records to intimate settings like this new CamJazz release, Where Do We Go From Here? , Taylor is the perfect foil for Wheeler, and neither have sounded better. Consisting of one standard, two Taylor compositions and seven mostly-new Wheeler compositions, this particularly warm recording finds Wheeler, always an inward-looking player with just the occasional flare for expressionism, in a particularly introverted mood. His tone is warm, and he avoids, for the most part, the signature intervallic leaps into the stratosphere that mark his more outgoing work. "Mabel" sits somewhere between the more rhythmically-informed version on Wheeler's '84 ECM quintet recording, Double Double You , and Taylor's more abstract reading on his own ECM trio release, '03's Rosslyn. By taking a technique often used more for effect and turning it into another musical expression of the instrument, Taylor opens "Canter N. 1" by plucking and strumming the piano strings in a way that is far more conceptually developed.

While the overall emphasis of the programme is on impressionistic chamber jazz, it is not all moody abstraction. The aforementioned "Canter No. 1" relies on a steady rhythmic pulse from Taylor, while even the darker Taylor composition "Dance" moves along insistently. Still, more open-time pieces like "Forder" and the poignant title track rely more on ambience and harmony than rhythm. All too often standards within a mainly original set seem out of place, but here Al Dubin and Harry Warren's "Summer Night," with its bittersweet and plaintive melody, fits in perfectly with the rest of the programme. What makes Where Do We Go From Here? such an outstanding recording is the remarkable empathy between Wheeler and Taylor. Years of performing together will typically build a good chemistry between capable players, but Wheeler and Taylor go beyond mere comfort into a level of telepathy that finds them completely attuned to each other. The two are so much a part of each other's playing that the smallest nuance, the tiniest phrase from one can spark a response from the other that moves things in another unexpected direction. Yet their responses to each other are so subtle, so graceful, that these unpredictable shifts feel completely natural, smooth and seamless. Wheeler and Taylor have a substantial shared discography and have explored intimate settings in the past on Moon , which found them in a trio with Italian clarinetist Gabriele Mirabassi, and Overnight , where they shared the bill with bassist Ricardo Del Fra, but never have they sounded so completely simpatico as on Where Do We Go From Here? , an album that clearly raises the bar for musical interaction by making it so delicate and elegant as to be almost elusive. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/where-do-we-go-from-here-kenny-wheeler-cam-jazz-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Kenny Wheeler: trumpet, flugelhorn; John Taylor: piano.

Where do we go from here?

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Kenny Wheeler - Six for Six

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:01
Size: 132,9 MB
Art: Front

( 8:18)  1. Seven, Eight, Nine (Part 1)
( 5:06)  2. Canter N. 6
( 5:55)  3. The Long Waiting
( 8:06)  4. Four, Five, Six
( 7:24)  5. Ballad N. 130
( 5:34)  6. Seven, Eight, Nine (Part 2)
( 6:56)  7. The Imminent Immigrant
(10:38)  8. Upwards

When artists move into their eighties, every new album is a gift. It's difficult enough for any octogenarian musician to maintain his/her game, but especially horn players, for whom embouchure and breath are so essential to tone and reach. Six for Six is, however, a curious gift from expat Canadian trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, who's made Britain his home since the mid-'50s. Recorded in 2008, it's his first sextet recording since 2003's Dream Sequence and even that album only featured one piece for all six players. What that really means, then, is that Six for Six is Wheeler's first real sextet date since 1980's Around 6, and his very first with a lineup consisting, in addition to his inimitable horn work, of two saxophones, piano, bass and drums. It's a curious program: a full six of its eight tracks were heard just last year on Wheeler's superb big band outing, The Long Waiting (Cam Jazz, 2012), but they couldn't be more different, demonstrating just how malleable Wheeler's charts can be. Recorded in 2011, The Long Waiting, "Seven, Eight, Nine" was a relatively concise, mid-tempo swinger that featured just one solo (Wheeler); here, it's broken into two parts spread across the record. The album-opening "Part 1" opens with a powerful a cappella intro from drummer Martin France that sets the tone for an album that's Wheeler's most flat-out incendiary since Double, Double You (ECM, 1984). Unlike The Long Waiting's mixed meter reading of 7/8, 6/8 and 4/4, "Part 1" here sticks with a constant 4/4, but at a much brighter clip and with plenty more solo space for Wheeler, tenor saxophonist Bobby Wellins and soprano saxophonist Stan Sulzmann.

Excising the original's second theme for further extrapolation, "Seven, Eight, Nine (Part 2)," is taken at a slightly slower pace than "Part 1" (but still considerably brighter than the big band version) and, while significantly shorter, still leaves room for impressive solos from Sulzmann (this time on tenor), Taylor and Wheeler, with Laurence a firm but pliant anchor and France, once again, playing with fire and unfettered freedom throughout this bright 6/8 take. Wellins is the only new face here, with Sulzmann, pianist John Taylor and bassist Chris Laurence all longtime Wheeler collaborators; and, although France only made his first recorded appearance with Wheeler on The Long Waiting, he's been gigging with the trumpeter for some time, and has been a member of Taylor's trio since the pianist's superb Angel of the Presence (Cam Jazz, 2006). Still, with Wellins an alumnus of British luminaries like Stan Tracey and Tubby Hayes, it's unlikely that this is the first time he and Wheeler have broken musical bread together. On the flip side to more powerful tracks like "Upwards," which more closely mirrors the energy of The Long Waiting's version, albeit with a significantly altered arrangement, Six for Six's fresh look at "The Long Waiting," with its spare duo intro from Wheeler and Taylor, is taken at a slower pace, while the more amiable pulse of the big band's "Four, Five Six" is deserted here for a shorter version that still manages to squeeze in another piano/trumpet intro, a fiery rubato exchange between Sulzmann and Wellins and, finally and at a faster clip space for concise but high octane solos from Wellins, Taylor, Wheeler and France.

It's not just because, with the exception of The Long Waiting, Six for Six is Wheeler's first Cam Jazz recording to feature a drummer though France certainly lights one heckuva fire underneath his band mates, while still proving capable of a gentler disposition on more subdued fare like "Ballad N. 130" and the brighter, but lighter-textured "The Imminent Immigrant," making its first appearance since Wheeler's quartet date All the More (Soul Note, 1997). In a career now approaching its sixth decade, Wheeler's writing has not lost any of the unmistakable lyricism that's been a defining touchstone since early recordings like the classic Gnu High (ECM, 1976), but even as he's passed the 83 mark this year, Wheeler's lost neither his tone nor his remarkable reach his closing, stratospheric note at the end of "Four, Five, Six" being something to which many trumpeters half his age still aspire. Not since Double, Double You has Wheeler released an album as exhilarating as Six for Six. With a sextet capable of delivering both the firepower and the poetry, hopefully this won't be another of the one-shot deals that have defined the rest of Wheeler's nevertheless impressive discography. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/kenny-wheeler-six-for-six-by-john-kelman.php
 

Personnel: Kenny Wheeler: trumpet, flugelhorn; Stan Sulzmann: tenor and soprano saxophone; Bobby Wellins: tenor saxophone; John Taylor: piano; Chris Laurence: bass; Martin France: drums.

Six for Six

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Kenny Wheeler & John Taylor - On The Way To Two

Styles: Trumpet And Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:43
Size: 108,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. Canter#2
(5:54)  2. Fedora
(1:42)  3. Sketch No. 1
(5:47)  4. Quiso
(4:33)  5. Who Knows?
(2:57)  6. Sketch No. 2
(5:05)  7. Clore To Mars
(3:22)  8. Fortune's Child
(2:45)  9. Sketch No. 3
(8:22) 10. Flower Is A Lovesome Thing

Trumpeter/flugelhornist Kenny Wheeler's death in September, 2014 led to the posthumous release on ECM of the beautiful and moving Songs For Quintet. However, since 2004, Wheeler recorded on CAM Jazz label, many times with the pianist who seems to be everywhere, John Taylor, starting with the duo-recording Where Do We Go From Here?.  2005 found Wheeler recording two albums with Taylor, a quartet record, What Now? and a second duo record 2005 Other People.  It turns out that there was a third recording in 2005, the understated, beautiful and moving duo recording with Taylor, On The Way To Two. Making this release especially poignant is the fact that during the album's production Taylor wrote these words to Wheeler in the liner notes:

To my friend Kenny,

I want to tell you what a joyful and exhilarating time I have had listening to this music that we made a decade ago. You sound so alive and brilliantly creative inspiring me all the way. The new pieces are beautiful and your playing of them breathtaking. I should have asked how you did it and also how you managed to cope with some of my rather oblique comping throughout the session! I remember we were not so convinced of our efforts at the time  which was often the case of course but the passage of time has allowed me a more objective view.  It was a privilege and joy to play with you for most of my life and I wish you were here now to listen to this music again with me. All thanks and love, John.

Unfortunately, Taylor himself passed before the album's production was finished. On the short side, with just under forty-five minutes of music, the core individual musical attributes of Wheeler and Taylor, as well as their remarkable communication is on display for all to hear. Of the ten tracks, five are Wheeler compositions, with three improvisatory "Sketches," one Taylor composition, and ending with the longest track, Billy Strayhorn's "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing." Recorded spaciously, the music is quite intense in the sense of there being absolutely nothing extra, requiring concentration; this is not background music. In juxtaposition and in contradiction to this intensity is the music's low heat that works delightfully with the composed/improvised lines that manage to be unpredictable while feeling inexorably logical. The one Taylor composition, "Close To Mars," has the mournfulness of a Wheeler composition, but with a clearer construction, making this track feel a bit more grounded, while the three "Sketches," which include some inside-the-piano sounds, provide some aural palate cleansing and a bit of relaxation. Everything comes together with the magnificent rendition of the Strayhorn tune. Wheeler's sound, pitch choices and the way he plays each note differently are completely apropos for this tune, as is Taylor's lush accompaniment and close reactions to Wheeler. On The Way To Two is just about perfect and is a fine musical document to the memories of Kenny Wheeler and John Taylor. ~ Budd Kopman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/on-the-way-to-two-kenny-wheeler-john-taylor-cam-jazz-review-by-budd-kopman.php
 

Personnel:  Kenny Wheeler: trumpet, flugelhorn;  John Taylor: piano.

On The Way To Two

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Kenny Wheeler - One of Many

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:26
Size: 120,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:12)  1. Phrase 3
(5:25)  2. Anticipation
(5:59)  3. Aneba
(3:16)  4. Any How
(4:05)  5. Canter #5
(3:06)  6. Ever After (Duo version)
(5:13)  7. Now and Now Again
(6:58)  8. Old Ballad
(6:26)  9. Fortune's Child
(5:41) 10. Even After

In a 2001 Norma Winstone interview, the British vocalist referred to Kenny Wheeler as "the Duke Ellington of our time." Wheeler, whose reputation has grown almost in spite of his own quiet humility, may not possess Ellington's populist cachet, but that doesn't mean the trumpeter's music is any less distinctive or groundbreaking, and with no small reach: his music, studied in detail at universities around the world; his large ensemble work, grist for many a big band. Not being a household name needn't mean lack of significance, with Wheeler's place in jazz history long since assured as one of the most important composers of the last half century. Equally influential on his instrument with immaculate control facilitating the peppering of his unmistakably melancholic lyricism with sudden leaps into the stratosphere there's no denying the harsh realities of age. The 81 year-old Wheeler may be predisposed to the middle range of his flugelhorn on One of Many, but he can still surprise, executing thrilling intervallic leaps during "Anticipation," the second of nine charts appearing, for the first time, on this, Wheeler's fifth recording for the Italian Cam Jazz label since the sublime delicacy of his duo debut with pianist of choice, John Taylor, Where Do We Go From Here? (2004).

Taylor is back for One of Many, bringing the kind of comfortable chemistry the two have shared dating back to Wheeler's early large ensemble recording, Song for Someone (Psi, 1973). But the wildcard in this trio set is surely Steve Swallow, who last collaborated with Taylor on New Old Age (Egea, 2005). Swallow has intersected with Wheeler before, but this is the first time he's appeared on one of the trumpeter's recordings and the first time Wheeler has used an electric bass on any of his Cam or ECM releases. More than the obvious change in complexion especially with Swallow's instrument, whose warm, full-bodied tone also possesses a unique clarity in the upper register it's the bassist's comfortable dual-role as contrapuntal melodist and rhythmic and harmonic anchor that makes One of Many stand out in Wheeler's discography. Nowhere is this more evident than on "Now and Now Again," reprised from The Widow in the Window (ECM, 1990). On that quintet session, Dave Holland's robust double-bass kept things firmly in ballad territory; here, Swallow keeps it equally simple, but occasionally moves seamlessly into a double-time feel, lending the track a different kind of swing. Wheeler sticks to flugelhorn throughout this elegant, largely low-to-mid-tempo set, though the trio does turn the heat up on "Anticipation," where Swallow's upper-register playing intertwines with Wheeler for its serpentine melody, leaving Taylor largely responsible for maintaining forward motion. Returning to more straightforward blowing after the string-driven Other People (CAM Jazz, 2008) doesn't mean less compositional weight, only that there's greater emphasis on the trio's interpretive interaction. Another superb entry in the discography of an artist whose career has been marked by consistency and the sound of surprise, One of Many is, well, one more reason why comparing Wheeler to Ellington is astute and right on the money.~John Kelman http://www.allaboutjazz.com/one-of-many-kenny-wheeler-cam-jazz-review-by-john-kelman.php
 

Personnel: Kenny Wheeler: flugelhorn; John Taylor: piano; Steve Swallow: electric bass.

One of Many

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Kenny Wheeler - What Now?

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:54
Size: 151,6 MB
Art: Front

(10:02)  1. Iowa City
( 8:16)  2. One Two Three
( 6:20)  3. March Mist
( 7:43)  4. The Lover Mourns
( 8:48)  5. The Sweet Yakity Waltz
( 7:47)  6. What Now?
( 6:19)  7. For Tracy
( 9:35)  8. Verona

When trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and pianist John Taylor toured Canadian festivals in the summer of '03, the clear high point was their performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival, where they were joined by bassist Dave Holland and saxophonist Chris Potter. Wheeler and Taylor go back many years, working together in a variety of contexts since the '70s. They've also worked with Holland over the years, most notably on Wheeler's ECM recordings The Widow in the Window, Music for Large & Small Ensembles and Double, Double You. Wheeler also had the opportunity to play with Potter on Italian pianist Enrico Pieranunzi's '03 session for Fellini Jazz (CAM Jazz, 2004).  But the performance in Montreal marked the first time everyone had ever worked together as a quartet, and the empathy was so immediate that it just begged to be recorded. A year later this would finally happen, and the result is What Now?, the followup to Wheeler and Taylor's first duo recording for CAM Jazz, Where Do We Go From Here?, and a title that is typical of Wheeler's dry humour and self-effacing personality. In fact, when commenting on this quartet session's lack of a drummer, Wheeler remarked to Ira Gitler, who contributes the liner notes, "This CD could be a Music Minus One for drummers. 

True enough, but with the impeccable time of both Holland and Taylor driving the session rhythmically, there's no way a drummer is missed. And, while Wheeler has worked with Holland in a drummer less configuration before Angel Song, with saxophonist Lee Konitz and guitarist Bill Frisell this session is far more propulsive and outgoing, and considerably less of a chamber jazz outing than that '97 release.  This programme consists of mopstly new Wheeler compositions the jazz waltz "One Two Three and melancholy ballad "For Tracy were also on Where Do We Go From Here? and "The Sweet Yakity Waltz" first surfaced on Guest, a recording by the European Music Orchestra that featured Wheeler. One can only be in awe of Wheeler, who at 75 continues to create new music that is distinctive in its somewhat bittersweet texture, consistently harmonically rewarding but also wholly accessible.

It's also remarkable that one can so easily intuit the potential for his material to be interpreted in a variety of contexts, from small group to large ensemble. With only a two-horn frontline on What Now?, Wheeler's counterpoint is so vivid that there's invariably the implication of a larger section. With Wheeler heard only on flugelhorn, there's a richer warmth and smoother blend between his instrument and Potter's tenor. And while the overall approach is lyrical, that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of excitement every solo on the driving yet relaxed swing of "Iowa City is alive with ever so slightly-contained energy. With the chemistry and sheer magic of their first meeting in Montreal now documented, one can only hope that What Now? is but the first of many future collaborations.~John Kelman http://www.allaboutjazz.com/what-now-kenny-wheeler-cam-jazz-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Kenny Wheeler (flugelhorn), Chris Potter (tenor saxophone), John Taylor (piano), Dave Holland (double-bass)

What Now?

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Richard Fairhurst & John Taylor - Duets

Size: 119,7 MB
Time: 52:09
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Epitaph To Sabbo (5:58)
02. 3 P's Piece Part I (3:56)
03. 3 P's Piece Part II (2:10)
04. Open Book (4:15)
05. Epitaph To Kenny (2:20)
06. Sly Eyes (4:44)
07. Evans Above (7:26)
08. Very Early (3:34)
09. Turn Out The Stars (6:30)
10. Re Person I Knew (6:02)
11. Growth In An Old Garden (5:08)

Whilst this record pays tribute to three musicians, with tracks dedicated to, and tunes by, Kenny Wheeler, Pete Saberton and Bill Evans, it now also stands, sadly, as an epitaph to John Taylor, who died so suddenly last month. Listening to it, at first I was filled with sadness at the loss of such a talent, tempered by the feeling of hope at the legacy he has left behind, not least through his influence on younger musicians - such as Richard Fairhurst, Taylor's junior by more than three decades. And yet this is above all an album of optimistic, thought-provoking and sometimes upbeat music.

Fairhurst and Taylor had played live several times together since they first collaborated in 2010, and before recording this album in September 2013. Fairhurst's sleevenotes explain some of the process they went through to reach the stage of recording, with the aim of achieving "a blend within the overall sound of the music that had the unity of one instrument being heard - two pianos as one." This they achieved: some might be able to separate the sound of the two musicians, but my ears aren't up to the task. The instruments they used were two Steinway pianos - it was for the Steinway Two Pianos Festival that they first got together, and Steinway (Fairhurst is an endorsee) seem to have been instrumental in the recording in more ways than one.

The pianists share composition credits on two numbers, Epitaph to Sabbo, which precedes two pieces written by Pete Saberton, and Epitaph to Kenny (though it was recorded before Kenny Wheeler's death), which precedes Wheeler's Sly Eyes. These two epitaphs sound improvised, created as the pianists rehearsed together. Epitaph to Sabbo feels abstract in nature, with perhaps a hint to Erik Satie.

There are four tracks which together form a suite dedicated to Bill Evans, an ever-present influence on Taylor's music, which starts with Taylor's "Evans Above" and continues with three of Evans' tunes. Though these may be familiar, Fairhurst and Taylor explore them together, taking us to some unexpected places.

Fairhurst contributes two compositions, Open Book and the rather lovely, gentle Growth in an Old Garden, which closes the CD.

The music throughout has a reflective quality, as if the pianists were having a conversation and seeing where it would take them. There are hints of them holding back, a gentle trepidation as if they were leaving some space to allow themselves to think. It is a fine CD. ~by Patrick Hadfield

Duets

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John Taylor - Demons And Angels

Size: 74,3 MB
Time: 31:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Folk/Rock
Art: Front

01. The Day I Said Goodbye (2:11)
02. Bible In The Drawer (4:07)
03. Promised Land (3:12)
04. Taste The Rain (2:55)
05. Streetlights (2:49)
06. Autumn (3:30)
07. Heavens Collide (3:17)
08. I Will Be Your Friend (2:40)
09. Different Ways (4:06)
10. The Last Gunfight (2:43)

This is John’s fifth studio album with a new collection of songs following in the footsteps of past releases with some stripped back acoustic songs and some with a full band.

Scottish acoustic singer/songwriter John Taylor was born and raised in Glasgow where he played in many bands before going solo as a singer/songwriter. John Released his first album “Bring the stars alive” in 2009, “A place called Paradise” in 2010 and “Sorrow and Sunshine” in 2011 and plans to release his fourth album in 2012.

John's song "Pull you through" was placed in Golden globe and Emmy winning show "Californication" and sent it into the itunes singer/songwriter charts around the world including No 1 in Sweden, the top 5 in Canada, France, Norway and the Netherlands and the top 10 in Germany, Spain, and Switzerland and no12 in the USA. John released his fourth album in California in June 2012 where he also made his TV debut on the CBS network and shot two music videos as part of a documentary filmed by Bruce Springsteens photographer Joseph Quever. video's of John's song "Pull you through" had more than 500,000 hit's on youtube after the show.

In August 2013 John had his song "Break my bones" placed in hit USA TV show Necessary Roughness and again in December 2013 and March 2014 in the Hit show Revenge reaching viewing figures of over ten million. Safe to say John is on his way up as an independant artist and will release his latest album on September 5th 2014.

Demons And Angels

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