Ingrid Jensen @ Jazz Standard 10/20/11

Is it weird that I never heard of Kenny Wheeler before?  He's being honored at this year's Festival of the New Trumpet (FONT).  Somewhere toward the end of the set, he came up to sit in and he's a phenomenal player.  They also played his compositions the entire set.  Apparently, he composes every single day.

The orchestra was impressive, Ingrid Jensen and Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet.  There may have been one more trumpet, I was on the side so I couldn't see as well.  The trombone was great.  Ingrid said he plays the trombone like the trumpet, which is why she has him.

Jennifer Wharton was on bass trombone at first.  At the time, I forgot she was listed as playing tuba.  It was sitting on a stand next to her.  However, in my trumpet-focused state, I actually thought it was some kind of enormous, super contra-bass trumpet.  I was trying to figure it out. I never saw a tuba standing up like that.  When she picked it up to play it, at first I thought it was a euphonium, then I remembered the listing and realized it was indeed a tuba.  The tuba is a bronze color while the euphonium is silver.  She was great on both the tuba and the trombone.

I was very impressed with the bass player.  The basses are really doing it for me lately.  The drummer was listed as Matt Wilson but ended up being Ingrid's husband, Jon Wikan.  He was good, I liked when he played the cochon.

Dave Douglas came out to play with Ingrid, Kenny Wheeler, and a London trumpet.  Everyone else left the stage except the rhythm section, including piano.  I enjoyed the piano a lot during the whole set.  After that piece, Dave and the London guy left, Kenny stayed, and the rest of the orchestra came back up.  They proceeded to do two more before ending just before 11.

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Under the direction of founder Dave Douglas, FONT salutes trumpeter and composer Kenny Wheeler with four gala nights of music. Born 1930 in Toronto, Wheeler has written over one hundred composi­tions and is a skilled arranger for small groups and larger ensembles. He has released some 30 albums as a leader since Windmill Tilter in 1968, many for the prestigious ECM label; and also has recorded with Paul Gonsalves, Dave Holland, and Joni Mitchell, among others.

The Festival marks a rare New York appear­ance by this legendary musician. “Although I have played in New York a few times over the years, every time I come back I still feel the same excitement I felt that first time I visited all those years ago,” says Kenny Wheeler. “For me, New York is the place to play.”
The Festival of New Trumpet Music is a nonprofit founded in 2003 by trumpeters Dave Douglas and Roy Campbell, Jr. FONT will present its “Award of Recognition” to Kenny Wheeler during the week’s run at Jazz Standard; previous recipients include Wadada Leo Smith and Bobby Bradford.

 INGRID JENSEN + BRASS featuring KENNY WHEELER

• Ingrid Jensen, Kenny Wheeler, Jonathan Finlayson, Tony Kadleck – trumpets
  Shelagh Abate – French horn
  Elliot Mason – trombone
  Jennifer Wharton – tuba
  Kevin Hays – piano
  Matt Clohesy – bass
  Matt Wilson – drums
  Featuring: Kenny Wheeler – trumpet
  

Building a bridge of brass that spans the generations is the quintet led by Ingrid Jensen (a principal soloist with the Maria Schneider Orchestra) with special guest Kenny Wheeler. “Ingrid plays trumpet and flugel­horn with all the brilliance and fire of a true virtuoso, following the spirit of the muse as she cre­ates… Warm, sensitive, exciting, and totally honest!” (Marian McPartland)