Song for Someone
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Trumpeter and composer Kenny Wheeler (1930–2014) was one of the most enigmatic and influential musicians in recent memory. His instantly recognisable sound was a driving force within every major innovation in modern European jazz during the last half of the 20th century.
More importantly, his life provides us with a profound example of the way music can manifest itself in the most unlikely of vessels. As a lonely and shy teenager in Canada, he sought refuge from his difficult home life in the friendships he forged through a mutual love of bebop. After an unexpectedly bold move to London at the age of 22, he struggled with his confidence for years before making his first big break with the John Dankworth Orchestra. Kenny would soon find his voice in a triumvirate of musical communities: straight-ahead jazz, the burgeoning free scene, and in the busy recording studios.
Throughout his life, he constantly pursued personal growth while investing in his friends from every corner of the music business who would bring the inimitable beauty, precision, and chaos in his compositions to life. And in an artform where individuality represents the highest level of expression, Kenny was peerless. Indeed, few jazz artists of any era developed such a fingerprint in one area, let alone becoming immediately identifiable as virtuoso instrumentalists, improvisors, and composers.
Kenny Wheeler’s life is a compelling – and fundamentally human – story. This book brings together over 130 original interviews and new archival and biographical research on Wheeler’s life and music, chronicling his journey from small town Canada to international acclaim. It is as much a perspective on the history and development of jazz in Britain and Europe as it is the extraordinary tale of this improbable pioneer.
Published: Feb 14, 2025
Series
| Section | Chapter | Authors |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | ||
| Introduction | Brian Shaw, Nick Smart | |
| Chapter 1 | ||
| A Long Time Ago | Brian Shaw, Nick Smart | |
| Chapter 2 | ||
| The Imminent Immigrant | Brian Shaw, Nick Smart | |
| Chapter 3 | ||
| Everybody’s Song But My Own | Brian Shaw, Nick Smart | |
| Chapter 4 | ||
| Song For Someone | Brian Shaw, Nick Smart | |
| Chapter 5 | ||
| Gnu High | Brian Shaw, Nick Smart | |
| Chapter 6 | ||
| Music for Large and Small Ensembles | Brian Shaw, Nick Smart | |
| Chapter 7 | ||
| Angel Song | Brian Shaw, Nick Smart | |
| Chapter 8 | ||
| The Long Waiting | Brian Shaw, Nick Smart | |
| Epilogue | ||
| Present Past, Past Present: The Musical Legacy of Kenny Wheeler | Brian Shaw, Nick Smart | |
Reviews
Although I had the honour and pleasure of spending countless hours talking with him about life and music over a period of about 45 years, this lovingly created biography by Nick and Brian revealed many details about Kenny’s life that were unknown to me and gave me a new understanding of the man, the musician and his lifelong commitment to more perfectly express himself through his music and share it with us all.
Dave Holland
This exemplary biography covers a lot of ground and covers it well. It manages to take in its stride the vast amount of work Wheeler undertook in a long career, and to cast light on the individuality of his playing and writing styles.
What is particularly appreciated is that the authors, both of them noted trumpeters, manage to convey verbally the effect of Wheeler's playing and what makes it remarkable, both from a musical and a technical
viewpoint. All written in a language that won't challenge the understanding of non-performers, and which certainly merits the appreciation of both lay readers and fellow musicians alike.
Jazzwise
A formidably well-researched account of Wheeler’s life and times.
The book probably gets as near the heart of the music as writing can.
UK Jazz News
Song for Someone does a stoutly professional and highly readable job at describing the man behind that sound who made such an impact on so many in his lifetime and long beyond.
Marlbank
Song For Someone is a ground-breaking account of a major jazz figure whose importance will continue to grow as his achievements are further recognized.
All About Jazz
That this hefty tome never feels bloated is both a reflection of Wheeler's standing as an influential creative force, and a testament to the care that the authors clearly invested in their task. Their exhaustive research and boundless dedication have rendered a biography of a modern jazz great that feels definitive.
Ian Patterson, All About Jazz