Royal Academy of Music Jazz Department “All Stars” play the music of Kenny Wheeler

To mark the end of a year-long exhibition at the Royal Academy of Music celebrating the life and work of jazz legend Kenny Wheeler, the Academy's jazz department have assembled an all-star line up to perform material most closely associated with Kenny. Led by the Head of Jazz, trumpeter Nick Smart, the quintet also features a brilliant line up drawn from the teaching department at RAM, including pianist Nikki Iles and bassist Tom Herbert along with former student James Maddren and guest lecturer U.S. sax star John Gunther. Nick Smart is a terrific Jazz trumpeter who has established himself in the varied worlds of both small group and big band jazz as well as becoming a leading light in UK jazz education. As a player he includes work with the likes of George Russell, Bob Brookmeyer, the New York Voices and Mike Gibbs as well as most of the leading names on the UK jazz scene and is a regular soloist with the James Taylor Quartet. Nick is also a member of the Kenny Wheeler Big Band, with whom he has had a long association, and is widely recognised as an expert on Kenny’s music. As an Educator he was invited to create and direct the Royal Academy of Music Junior Jazz Course before being appointed Jazz Co-ordinator and then Bmus Tutor at the Royal Academy. He is also on the faculty at the Guildhall School of Music and Middlesex University, as well as a regular tutor on various Jazz summer schools. His latest band, Trogon, merges contemporary jazz sounds with Afro Cuban concepts and their album "Tower Casa" was released on Babel Records in November 2013. John Gunther. John holds a BM in Music Performance from Berklee College of Music and a Ph.D. from New York University where his research examined incorporating techniques of serial music with improvisation. Currently Professor of Jazz Studies at Colorado University John has performed or recorded with the likes of Christian McBride, Bobby Watson, Wallace Roney, Larry Goldings, Tom Harrell, Dewey Redman, Joe Williams, John Abercrombie, Dizzy Gillespie, The Woody Herman Orchestra and The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Prior to his appointment at CU he taught at New York University and as part of New York City's "downtown" music scene for many years he produced five recordings for Creative Improvised Music Projects (CIMP) as a leader and is co-founder of the new music group, "Spooky Actions". In 2007 he created the Boulder Laptop Orchestra to further explore the intersection between music, performance, art, and technology. Nikki Iles is a multi-Award winning performer, teacher and composer, widely regarded as one of the finest modern jazz pianists in Europe (see Tue 22nd). Completing the rhythm section will be bass tutor Tom Herbert, who includes work with iconic UK bands Polar Bear and Acoustic Ladyland and award-winning young drummer James Maddren, whose already highly impressive CV includes Gwilym Simcock, Kit Downes, Marc Copland, Seamus Blake, Will Vinson and Phronesis. Highly recommended.

“Smart’s playing was strong and lyrical, his soloing on ballads a real feature…he blew with an unreserved intimacy….fresh and innovative yet, thankfully, never straying too far from….joyous simplicity” Jazzwise
“John Gunther…voluble lyric invention…a fluent composer-performer who is redefining mainstream Jazz” Cadence Magazine
“Iles…A formidable UK jazz presence… intelligent, sharp and very musical” Guardian