Record Reviews

BOBBY WELLINS / KENNY WHEELER QUINTET ~ THE ENDANGERED SPECIES JAZZ IN BRITAIN 78 (Barcode: 5060774190920) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1982 Released: 2025 This is an archival 3CD album, put together by the good people of the Jazz In BritainFind albums on this label label, which presents both studio (on CD1) and live (on CD2 & CD3) material recorded in 1982 by the quintet led by British Jazz saxophonist / composer Bobby WellinsFind albums by this artist, which included trumpeter Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist, pianist Pete JacobsenFind albums by this artist, bassist Kenny BaldockFind albums by this artist and drummer Spike WellsFind albums by this artist (the last living witness of these proceedings). Percussionist Chris KaranFind albums by this artist plays on the first three tracks of the studio recording. The album’s title refers to the three-part suite, composed by Wellins, dedicated to endangered British bird species, which appears here on CD1 in its original version, which is previously unreleased, as is all the material on this album. A different version of this suite recording, with added string arrangements, was released in 1989 as “Birds Of BrazilFind albums with this title” (reissued in 2012). All the story about the change of name and other details about the music appear in the attached booklet, which is, as usual, meticulously researched. In addition to the a.m. studio recording of the suite, the album presents two live recordings of it, one of which does not include Wheeler. In addition, there is one original composition by Wheeler and a bunch of standards, two of which appear twice with alternate takes. The music is, as expected, absolutely Godly and considering the fact that it can be heard here for the first time, is no less than sensational. For Wheeler followers (including yours truly) this is over three hours of Wheeler’s delight, arriving unexpectedly out of the blue. But all the members of the quintet perform exceptionally well, and this music is everything one might hope for, as far as archival recordings of British Jazz are concerned. Overall, this is another triumphant achievement by the Jazz In Britain label, which appears to be unstoppable in its quest to unearth lost musical treasures and bring them back to life. The quality of the live recordings is obviously not as pristine as that of the studio takes, but it is definitely still perfectly audible and sparks with energy and excellent musicianship. This is another must have to all avid British Jazz collectors, who must be truly grateful to the people behind the scenes, for their stamina and dedication to the cause.

Updated: 09/09/2025Posted: 09/09/2025

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