Kenny Wheeler
Biography
Kenny Wheeler was born and raised in Canada in a musical family. He studied trumpet and harmony at the Toronto Conservatory of Music before moving to England in 1952. In England he began working professionally with big bands led by Vic Lewis, Johnny Dankworth and others. While with The Johnny Dankworth Orchestra he received his first regular work as a composer and arranger.
From the mid 1960's he began playing with such bandleaders as Ronnie Scott, Joe Harriot, Tubby Hayes, Friedrich Gulda and The Clarke-Boland Orchestra. At the same time he began working with bands that were involved in free (abstract) improvisation such as The Spontaneous Music Ensemble of John Stevens and The Tonly Oxley Sextet. In the late 1960's he began working with Mike Gibbs, The Globe Unity Orchestra and Anthony Braxton. In the late 1970's he joined John Taylor and Norma Winstone in forming the trio Azimuth and in 1979 he became a member of The United Jazz and Rock Ensemble.
From 1983 until 1988 he was a member of The Dave Holland Quintet. Since then he has been freelancing in Europe, Canada and the USA. From 1989 until 1992 he occasionally led a quintet consisting of John Taylor, John Abercrombie, Peter Erskine and Palle Danielson. He is now leading a quartet with John Taylor, Chris Laurence and Adam Nussbaum. In 1977 he won several prizes for his CD Angel Song.