Record Reviews

KENNY WHEELER ~ KAYAK AH UM 012 (Barcode: 5017771001223) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1992 Released: 1992 This is a criminally little known album by the celebrated British Jazz trumpeter / composer Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist, released on the short-lived and sadly forgotten Ah UmFind albums on this label Records, owned by Nick PurnellFind albums by this artist. Wheeler leads a splendid ensemble, which comprises of the absolute crème de la crème of the British Jazz scene at the time: saxophonists Stan SulzmannFind albums by this artist and Julian ArguellesFind albums by this artist, French horn player John RookFind albums by this artist, trombonists Dave HorlerFind albums by this artist and Dave StewartFind albums by this artist, pianist John TaylorFind albums by this artist, bassist Chris LaurenceFind albums by this artist and American drummer Peter ErskineFind albums by this artist. Trombonist Chris PyneFind albums by this artist and pianist John HorlerFind albums by this artist are added on the four last tracks only. The album presents seven Wheeler originals, the last four of which create a suite. All the music was recorded during a one-day session, which is absolutely amazing considering the complexity of the arrangements, but of course all these musicians were absolute Masters of the trade. The music is obviously absolutely brilliant, as everything Wheeler ever created and most of it was never recorded by Wheeler again with other ensembles. He briefly describes the origin of all the compositions on the album in the liner notes, one of which is a wonderfully crafted tribute to Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist´s compositions, a rather unlikely connection, but nevertheless true. The playing is of course also magnificent from start to finish, with plenty of wonderful solos by the participants and a superb ensemble performance, typical of British Jazz at its absolute best. The music was also excellently recorded with wonderful separation and perfect sound quality, which of curse enhances the listening pleasure even more. Overall this is lost perfect gem which deserves a proud place in any serious British Jazz collection, and although quite difficult to come by these days, it is by all means worth the effort needed to hunt for it. Essential Kenny Wheeler! Side Note British composer / arranger Nick PurnellFind albums by this artist founded the short-lived Ah UmFind albums on this label label in 1989, which existed until 1993 and released a total of sixteen albums with some of the top British Jazz musicians of that period and a few American guests, which remain as of the finest recordings of that period. For some inexplicable reason all these albums are almost completely obsolete today, despite their excellent musical value, which is a shame, as they all deserve an honorable place in any decent British Jazz collection.

Updated: 11/02/2025Posted: 16/03/2019

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