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Here’s another LP as a fitting
tribute to the late Kenny Wheeler and one of my favourites. It is his third
album for ECM and one that is quite unique due to the help of some of the
finest Avant Garde/Free Jazz players of that time. On this LP Wheeler presents
six pieces of extraordinary beauty and the reed-work of Evan Parker proves to
be a creative addition to Wheeler’s great trumpet and flugelhorn sounds. Not to
overlook the importance of the rest of the sextet. All members add defining
qualities to showcase some of Wheeler’s most elegant of compositions. This rip
is from my LP. I managed to find some extra scans and photos from the web,
Enjoy!
Kenny Wheeler's third ECM
album as a leader is most notable for teaming his trumpet with the innovative
tenor and soprano of Evan Parker, a brilliant British avant-garde player who is
often overlooked in the U.S. With fine playing from trombonist Eje Thelin,
vibraphonist Tom Van Der Geld, bassist J.F. Jenny-Clark and drummer Edward Vesala,
the sextet performs six Wheeler originals that combine together advanced
swinging with fairly free explorations. Stimulating music. ~ Scott Yanow, AMG.
Like the wordplay of first cut
(“Mai We Go Round”) the album as a whole is twice removed: once from the
immediate expectations born of past projects, and once more from the often
earthly shapes of those projects. This time around, Wheeler is happy to tiptoe
over the clouds, reaching for the sun that illuminates their cauliflower
topsides. A pliant intro urges us down the rhythmic paths of J.F. Jenny-Clark
(bass) and Tom van der Geld (vibes), along which Wheeler crafts the tenderest
of songs. At heart a lullaby, it is lively on the surface, so that we always
remain half awake, our eyes glazed by an interest in the musical moment. All of
this stretches a diffuse canvas across which Parker splashes the enchanting
wisdom of an aurora borealis in fast forward. After this dip into limpid waters,
Wheeler breaks out the gorgeous “Solo One”. Floating on a studio echo with
great care, his tone is tender yet immovable, and moves like a human body after
an epic recovery. “May Ride” lays another solid foundation between bass and
vibes and the subterranean patter of Edward Vesala on drums. Wheeler stays
fairly centered, letting out the occasional squeal, and sets up a fantastic
solo - one of the album’s best - from trombonist Eje Thelin. After a few
doodles from the horns, “Follow Down” unfolds in a parabolic blade, thereby
tilling a nutrient-rich soil for Parker’s brilliance. Vibes curl their
reverberant fingers alluringly along the edge of our attention before horns and
arco bass fall into line. A splash of water dispels our reveries in the propulsive
“Riverrun.” Wheeler and Thelin swing from every branch with an unwavering sense
of play, granting Vesala a few moments in the spotlight before ending tenderly,
conservatively, with the ballad “Lost Woltz.” A lush and consistent album,
around 6 takes on a life of its own with every listen, and deserves a place in
any self-respecting jazz collection. ~ ecmreviews.com
ECM Records, ECM 1156, 1980
Recorded August 1979 at
Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg, Germany
Personnel:
Kenny Wheeler - Trumpet,
Flugelhorn
Evan Parker - Soprano &
Tenor Saxophones
Eje Thelin - Trombone
Tom van der Geld - Vibraharp
Jean-François Jenny-Clark -
Double-Bass
Edward Vesala - Drums
Track Listing:
A1. Mai We Go Round (10:30)
A2. Solo One (3:34)
A3. May Ride (7:26)
B1. Follow Down (11:37)
B2. Riverrun (7:36)
B3. Lost Woltz (5:22)
All Compositions by Kenny
Wheeler
Credits:
Producer - Manfred Eicher
Engineer - Martin Wieland
Cover Photo [from
"Onlookers", 1978] - Christian Vogt
Liner Photos - Signe Mähler
Design - Dieter Rehm
