Kenny Wheeler

Kenny Wheeler
Kenny Wheeler in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler
Born	(1930-01-14)14 January 1930 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died	18 September 2014(2014-09-18) (aged 84) London, England
Genres	Jazz, avant-garde jazz, chamber jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Trumpet, flugelhorn
Years active	1950–2014
Labels	ECM, Fontana, FMP, Soul Note, PSI, CAM Jazz
Associated acts	John Dankworth, Evan Parker, John Taylor, Azimuth, Anthony Braxton, Dave Holland, Globe Unity Orchestra, Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra

Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC (14 January 1930 – 18 September 2014) was a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards.

Most of his performances were rooted in jazz, but he was also active in free improvisation and occasionally contributed to rock music recordings. Wheeler wrote over one hundred compositions and was a skilled arranger for small groups and large ensembles.

Wheeler was the patron of the Royal Academy Junior Jazz course.

Wheeler was born in Toronto, Ontario, on 14 January 1930. Growing up in Toronto, he began playing cornet at age 12, and became interested in jazz in his mid-teens. Wheeler spent a year studying composition at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto in 1950. In 1952 he moved to Britain. He found his way into the London jazz scene of the time, playing in groups led by Tommy Whittle, Tubby Hayes, and Ronnie Scott.

In the late 1950s, he was a member of Buddy Featherstonhaugh's quintet together with Bobby Wellins. Throughout the sixties, he worked with John Dankworth, and also formed part of (Eric Burdon and) the Animals' Big Band that made its only public appearance at the 5th Annual British Jazz & Blues Festival in Richmond (1965) with tenors Stan Robinson, Dick Morrissey and Al Gay, baritone sax Paul Carroll, and fellow trumpets Ian Carr and Greg Brown. In 1968, Wheeler appeared on guitarist Terry Smith's first solo album, Fall Out.