Ian Wheeler, left, performing with the Ken Colyer Jazzmen at the New Orleans Bier Bar, Dusseldorf, Germany, 1955.
Rated by his peers as one of the most creative and original reeds players in UK traditional jazz, Ian Wheeler, who has died aged 80, excelled on the clarinet, soprano and alto saxophones, and, more surprisingly perhaps, on blues harmonica and guitar. Best known for his lengthy stints with the bands of the trumpeter Ken Colyer and the trombonist Chris Barber, Wheeler stayed close to purist diktats in his approach to improvisation, yet enjoyed matching himself against such stylistically disparate performers as the modernist alto saxophonist Joe Harriott and the even more mercurial saxophonist-vocalist Louis Jordan.
Given the opportunity to record High Society, the celebrated testpiece for New Orleans clarinettists, alongside Edmond Hall, one of that city's finest reedmen, Wheeler earned the response from Hall, "He plays the clarinet part better than anyone I ever heard anywhere." Wheeler always cited the duet recording with Hall as his "greatest moment". Modest and quite shy, Wheeler found a way to play that suited him and stuck to it for over half a century, his throaty clarinet sound (influenced by Hall) and vivid attack at odds with the quietness of his personality.
Wheeler, who was born in Greenwich, south-east London, spent his first years in Blackheath and picked up the ukulele when he was 14, later moving over to the guitar. Having always yearned to fly, he joined the Royal Air Force as a trainee pilot but was invalided out after a year and then in 1949 joined the merchant navy – "I ran away to sea," he said – which he had to leave after a year due to ill-health brought on by "riotous living".
Following his recuperation and now fully committed to jazz, he joined the clarinettist Charlie Connor's jazz band as its guitarist. Liking what he heard in Connor's playing, Wheeler bought an old Albert system clarinet and set about learning the instrument, helped by Connor. Confident enough to found the River City Jazz Band in south-east London in 1952, he was then recruited by the trumpeter Mike Daniels, who said, "You're not much good yet, but you've got promise and I'll take a chance."
After two years with Daniels's Delta band, Wheeler turned professional with Ken Colyer's Jazzmen (replacing Acker Bilk) in late 1954. Colyer had netted an important two-month residency at the New Orleans Jazz Bar in Düsseldorf, this followed by similar periods in Hamburg and Luneberg. "We were the first (UK) jazz band to do the German scene," Wheeler recalled.
Their collective skills honed by their time in Germany, the Colyer band gained great prominence as the banner-carriers for the purist New Orleans cause in Britain, much of their success owed to the tight musical partnership developed between Wheeler and the trombonist Mac Duncan. The band's regular gigs at London's Studio 51 club were a magnet for enthusiasts who identified with the simpler realities of pure New Orleans jazz. The clarinettist George Lewis came over from New Orleans in 1957 to guest with the Colyer band, Wheeler recording alongside his hero and appearing with him on tour. "It was absolutely marvellous," he said, as it was when the full George Lewis band toured Britain with Colyer's men two years later.
When Duncan was fired by Colyer in 1960, Wheeler left too and formed the Sims-Wheeler band with the trumpeter Ken Sims, Duncan on trombone, this band again playing in Germany, where they recorded for a local label. After the clarinettist Monty Sunshine abruptly left the hugely popular Chris Barber Jazz and Blues Band later in 1960, Wheeler took over, eventually staying for seven successful years and featuring heavily on Barber's many albums. Sunshine had been something of a star and, inevitably, was a hard act to follow, but Wheeler had his own distinctive clarinet style, and his hot alto saxophone brought an additional solo voice to the band. When the blues harmonica player Sonny Boy Williamson toured with Barber, Wheeler took note and added the harmonica to his arsenal of instruments.
After moving to the west country, where he ran a scuba-diving business, Wheeler led his own band for three years from 1970, then joined up with the cornettist Rod Mason from 1973 to 1976, often performing in Germany. He was also associated with the trumpeter Keith Smith, another west country resident, the two men co-founding Hefty Jazz and recording some excellent albums, one of which featured the brilliant US pianist Dick Wellstood. In 1979, having briefly lived in Denmark and then taken a pub in Saltash, Cornwall, for a year, Wheeler rejoined Barber and stayed for 20 years.
He spent his final years running a pottery and gift shop in Polperro with Maria, his second wife, and taking freelance engagements, including occasional reunions with Barber, or making short tours, some in Germany. His Ian Wheeler at Farnham Maltings was voted the best new jazz recording of 1993 by the Music Retailers Association. A keen aero-modeller and sports car enthusiast, Wheeler is survived by Maria, his son, Chris and daughter, Emma.
• Ian Gordon Wheeler, jazz musician, born 13 January 1931; died 27 June 2011
Given the opportunity to record High Society, the celebrated testpiece for New Orleans clarinettists, alongside Edmond Hall, one of that city's finest reedmen, Wheeler earned the response from Hall, "He plays the clarinet part better than anyone I ever heard anywhere." Wheeler always cited the duet recording with Hall as his "greatest moment". Modest and quite shy, Wheeler found a way to play that suited him and stuck to it for over half a century, his throaty clarinet sound (influenced by Hall) and vivid attack at odds with the quietness of his personality.
Wheeler, who was born in Greenwich, south-east London, spent his first years in Blackheath and picked up the ukulele when he was 14, later moving over to the guitar. Having always yearned to fly, he joined the Royal Air Force as a trainee pilot but was invalided out after a year and then in 1949 joined the merchant navy – "I ran away to sea," he said – which he had to leave after a year due to ill-health brought on by "riotous living".
Following his recuperation and now fully committed to jazz, he joined the clarinettist Charlie Connor's jazz band as its guitarist. Liking what he heard in Connor's playing, Wheeler bought an old Albert system clarinet and set about learning the instrument, helped by Connor. Confident enough to found the River City Jazz Band in south-east London in 1952, he was then recruited by the trumpeter Mike Daniels, who said, "You're not much good yet, but you've got promise and I'll take a chance."
After two years with Daniels's Delta band, Wheeler turned professional with Ken Colyer's Jazzmen (replacing Acker Bilk) in late 1954. Colyer had netted an important two-month residency at the New Orleans Jazz Bar in Düsseldorf, this followed by similar periods in Hamburg and Luneberg. "We were the first (UK) jazz band to do the German scene," Wheeler recalled.
Their collective skills honed by their time in Germany, the Colyer band gained great prominence as the banner-carriers for the purist New Orleans cause in Britain, much of their success owed to the tight musical partnership developed between Wheeler and the trombonist Mac Duncan. The band's regular gigs at London's Studio 51 club were a magnet for enthusiasts who identified with the simpler realities of pure New Orleans jazz. The clarinettist George Lewis came over from New Orleans in 1957 to guest with the Colyer band, Wheeler recording alongside his hero and appearing with him on tour. "It was absolutely marvellous," he said, as it was when the full George Lewis band toured Britain with Colyer's men two years later.
When Duncan was fired by Colyer in 1960, Wheeler left too and formed the Sims-Wheeler band with the trumpeter Ken Sims, Duncan on trombone, this band again playing in Germany, where they recorded for a local label. After the clarinettist Monty Sunshine abruptly left the hugely popular Chris Barber Jazz and Blues Band later in 1960, Wheeler took over, eventually staying for seven successful years and featuring heavily on Barber's many albums. Sunshine had been something of a star and, inevitably, was a hard act to follow, but Wheeler had his own distinctive clarinet style, and his hot alto saxophone brought an additional solo voice to the band. When the blues harmonica player Sonny Boy Williamson toured with Barber, Wheeler took note and added the harmonica to his arsenal of instruments.
After moving to the west country, where he ran a scuba-diving business, Wheeler led his own band for three years from 1970, then joined up with the cornettist Rod Mason from 1973 to 1976, often performing in Germany. He was also associated with the trumpeter Keith Smith, another west country resident, the two men co-founding Hefty Jazz and recording some excellent albums, one of which featured the brilliant US pianist Dick Wellstood. In 1979, having briefly lived in Denmark and then taken a pub in Saltash, Cornwall, for a year, Wheeler rejoined Barber and stayed for 20 years.
He spent his final years running a pottery and gift shop in Polperro with Maria, his second wife, and taking freelance engagements, including occasional reunions with Barber, or making short tours, some in Germany. His Ian Wheeler at Farnham Maltings was voted the best new jazz recording of 1993 by the Music Retailers Association. A keen aero-modeller and sports car enthusiast, Wheeler is survived by Maria, his son, Chris and daughter, Emma.
• Ian Gordon Wheeler, jazz musician, born 13 January 1931; died 27 June 2011
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