We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Ken Wheeler: Some Gnu Ones

by Chris Laurence

/
  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Brand new recordings. Beautifully packaged 180g 12" 45rpm vinyl. Flip-back sleeve. Strictly limited pressing run of 500 copies worldwide. Liner notes by Chris Laurence and Pete Churchill
    EU distribution. No customs tax for EU customers.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Ken Wheeler: Some Gnu Ones via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 4 days
    edition of 500 
    Purchasable with gift card

      £18.99 GBP or more 

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Brand new recordings. Strictly limited to 500 copies. Digipak with liner notes by Chris Laurence and Pete Churchill.
    EU distribution. No customs tax for EU customers.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Ken Wheeler: Some Gnu Ones via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 4 days
    edition of 500 
    Purchasable with gift card

      £8.99 GBP or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      £6 GBP  or more

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 43 Jazz In Britain releases available on Bandcamp and save 30%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of What Was Happening, Double Exposure, On Loan With Gratitude, E, The Art Is In The Rhythm Volume 2, First Light, No Blues – The Complete Hopbine ‘65, For Future Reference, and 35 more. , and , .

    Excludes subscriber-only releases.

    Purchasable with gift card

      £153.27 GBP or more (30% OFF)

     

1.
2.
3.
4.
C-Man 08:06
5.

about

These three brand new recordings made between 2020-21 were all written specifically for bassist Chris Laurence by his close friend and long-time colleague, the late great jazz trumpeter and composer Kenny Wheeler.

Of the three, Piece for Double Bass and Low Strings and Baroque Piece have never previously been recorded in any form. C-Man first appeared in this form on Kenny’s album ‘Kayak’ but was also rearranged and retitled as Ma Belle Hélène for his album ‘The Widow In The Window’.


Whilst Kenny obviously does not appear on these sessions in person, his composing style is so idiosyncratic and instantly identifiable that his spirit is inextricably woven into the recordings, to such an extent that it is very easy to forget that he isn’t actually there.

We feel that ‘Some Gnu Ones’ represents a fitting tribute to both Kenny’s supreme compositional skills and to Chris’ extraordinary virtuosic and emotive musicianship.


A word from Chris:

Two of these pieces were given to me in manuscript form by Ken some time ago, but it’s only now that I have managed to record them. Ken was not only a prolific writer of jazz music, but was also extremely interested in all forms of composition. The ”Piece For Double Bass and Low Strings” and “Baroque Piece” are examples of his skill. He always liked me to play with the bow, to give the music another dimension.

C-Man was a piece he wrote when I first had a C-string extension fitted to my bass, and featured it on the album “Kayak". “Baroque Piece" was probably in his mind for us to perform together, unfortunately we never got the chance! I would like to thank all the great musicians that performed on this project. This recording has been made during lockdown, with all the restrictions and limitations that came with it!

Hopefully it hasn’t affected the result?

With the assistance, great engineering skills and patience of Darren Williams, I hope we’ve got a recording that Ken would have approved of? Everybody involved has a special place in my musical life, particularly Frank Ricotti, Rita Manning, John Parricelli, Martin France and of course Pete Churchill, who managed to realise Ken’s handwritten score of the string piece, plus all the other players who contributed their musicality!

Chris Laurence



Piece for Double Bass and Low Strings - Kenny Wheeler - A realisation:

I first heard Ken’s music when I was a student at the Guildhall (35 years ago!) and was completely smitten… we all were. So when Chris Laurence sent me a short score of a piece Kenny had written especially for him, and asked me if I could make sense of it with a view to getting it recorded, I jumped at the chance.

The original hand-written score consisted of two complete movements and then the beginnings of a final section that seemed to tail off - almost as though Ken had been interrupted. Thankfully he had returned to the score at some point and left us half a page of sketches for the last movement. So I set about the task of completing this piece for Chris - keenly aware of the responsibility.

Daunting as the task may have seemed, it was made easier because the fragments Ken had left were so fertile. It became clear that the best approach was to let these sketches develop the way they wanted to go - if I could just get myself out of the way the music would complete itself. At times the process was almost mystical.

This wonderful piece was Kenny Wheeler’s gift to Chris Laurence, a testament to their long friendship and musical relationship - and this resonates through every single note. It has been an immense privilege to be part of the team that has helped to bring it all to life.

Pete Churchill
July 2021

'Jazz In Britain who’ve worked with Laurence to release this, describe it as a fitting tribute to Wheeler and indeed it is. The triumph of this recording however is not as a retrospective salute, it is that it is fresh, living, bittersweet, happy-sad, joyous: Kenny Wheeler is present in this music.' Mike Collins - London Jazz News 12/2021

londonjazznews.com/2021/12/11/chris-laurence-kenny-wheeler-some-gnu-ones/

credits

released November 1, 2021

Piece for Double Bass and Low Strings:
Frank Ricotti - Vibraphone, Martin France - Drums, Rita Manning - Violin, Bill Hawkes & Katie Wilkinson - Violas, Nick Cooper & Ian Burdge - Cellos, Chris Laurence - Double Bass

C-Man:
Frank Ricotti - Vibraphone, John Parricelli - Guitar, Martin France - Drums, Chris Laurence - Double Bass

Baroque Piece:
Tom Walsh - Flugel Horn, John Parricelli - Guitar, Chris Laurence - Double Bass

All tracks composed by Kenny Wheeler. ℗ 1-3 & 5 Copyright Control, 4 Budde Music UK

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Darren Williams 2020-2021 @ The Den Studios, Harpenden and Livingston Studios, London

Executive producers - John Thurlow & Matt Parker

Cover artwork - Brenda Goddard Designs
The cover picture depicts Kenny’s music room in his house in Wallwood Road, East London. Here he would play the trumpet, piano and compose, surrounded by manuscripts, books, cassettes, CD’s, his trumpet and flugelhorn. The album title is written in Kenny's own hand.

Producer - Chris Laurence

© 2021 Jazz In Britain Ltd.

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Jazz In Britain Holmfirth, UK

A not-for-profit organisation, whose aim is to collect, curate, preserve, celebrate and promote the legacy of British jazz musicians. The archive collects, curates and preserves off-air and other recordings of British jazz performances.
The organisation will publish books, release vinyl, CDs and downloads, working in partnership with musicians and their families.
... more

contact / help

Contact Jazz In Britain

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like Ken Wheeler: Some Gnu Ones, you may also like: