Jazz Articles about Bobby Wellins

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Bobby Wellins Sextet: Homage To Caledonia

by Jack Kenny
October 2, 2024

Bobby Wellins said about the composition of “The Culloden Moor Suite:" “It was something that came to me after reading John Prebble's book about the Battle of Culloden and the way he described events leading up to it and the dreadful aftermath... I wanted to capture, not just the terrible sadness that must have resulted from what was a pretty horrific event, but also the sense of expectancy and celebration, even if it turned out to be misplaced, in the ...

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Bobby Wellins Quartet: What Was Happening

by Chris May
March 19, 2024

In 1965 tenor saxophonist Bobby Wellins made an indelible mark on jazz history with his contribution to pianist Stan Tracey's Jazz Suite Inspired By Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood (Columbia). The exquisite “Starless And Bible Black" is the most frequently cited track (check the YouTube below) and is indicative of the album's overall beauty. For a while, things looked good for the Glasgow-born, London-based Wellins, but by the end of the decade “health problems" closed down his career until around ...

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Stan Tracey Quartet: Jazz Suite Inspired By Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood

by Chris May
May 9, 2023

Pianist and composer Stan Tracey's Under Milk Wood, released in 1966, was among the first albums to prove that British jazz could, on a good day, stand as tall as its American parent. Over a decade would pass, however, before that fact was widely accepted by jazz lovers in either America or Britain. Indeed, it is only now, in 2023, following the international breakthrough of London-based stylists such as Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings, that British jazz has taken its ...

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Bobby Wellins and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra: Culloden Moor Suite

by Bruce Lindsay
September 15, 2014

It's over 268 years since the Battle of Culloden and yet the event continues to resonate in contemporary Scotland (which votes on independence just a few days after this album is released). Tenor saxophonist Bobby Wellins wrote his Culloden Moor Suite in 1961, inspired by John Prebble's book, Culloden, released in the same year. The composition gets a new lease of life with this big band recording, from May 2013, which brings Wellins together with the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. ...

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Bobby Wellins and Kate Williams: Smoke And Mirrors

by Bruce Lindsay
June 21, 2012

A title such as Smoke And Mirrors suggests there's trickery afoot: musical shortcuts, electronic skullduggery and all manner of subterfuge. There isn't: this is simply 45 minutes of beautiful acoustic music from two talented players who are, without wishing to sound too clichéd, in perfect harmony.Tenor saxophonist Bobby Wellins has been one of the UK's major jazz instrumentalists for over 50 years (he first recorded in 1956, aged 20). He is still a vital member of the UK ...

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Bobby Wellins: When the Sun Comes Out

by Bev Stapleton
March 3, 2006

It's a cliché of jazz commentary that live is best, yet frequently the recorded evidence of a recalled performance can be disappointing. The impact of atmosphere, personal mood and other extraneous factors in enhancing the enjoyment of a concert can often be overlooked.

When the Sun Comes Out was recorded at the Appleby Jazz Festival in July, 2005. I was lucky enough to be there and was delighted to find this recording lived right up to my pleasant memories. It ...