Kenny Wheeler’s Sweet Sister Suite

SNJO Sweet Sister Suite

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra are delighted to announce that our CD,  Sweet Sister Suite featuring Laura Jurd and Irini Arabatzi is  available to purchase on the Spartacus Record label.

A New Chapter In Jazz from SNJO: Kenny Wheeler’s ‘Sweet Sister Suite’

The history of jazz is littered with tales of unsung heroes and overlooked genius. It could be argued that trumpeter and composer, the late Kenny Wheeler was one such musician. He moved almost invisibly through the mainstream milieu, yet, he was universally admired by his peers for his important contributions to jazz composition.

A great Review for our latest CD: Kenny Wheeler’s “Sweet Sister Suite”

In 1996, the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra’s director, Tommy Smith commissioned the late Kenny Wheeler to write a suite which, some twenty years on, has been recorded by the seventeen-piece big band. Joining the all-star line-up on this Spartacus Records’ album are Laura Jurd (trumpet) and Irini Arabatzi (voice).

Another fabulous review of our newest CD “Sweet Sister Suite”

SNJO Sweet Sister Suite

THE Scottish National Jazz Orchestra is making a habit of championing under-sung heroes. Firstly, with its reworking of Bobby Wellins’ long neglected Culloden Moor Suite and now with this piece, which SNJO director Tommy Smith commissioned from the great British-Canadian trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, the orchestra has paid tribute to two musician-composers, neither of whom would […]

The Herald: A 5* Review for SNJO’s Porgy & Bess and Sketches of Spain

There will be jazz orchestra concerts that create much bigger musical storms and specifically Scottish National Jazz Orchestra concerts that feature more familiar instrumentation. This one, though, has to go down as particularly special. It was the sort of occasion that illustrates how there’s no substitute for being in the room where and when the […]

Porgy & Bess and Sketches of Spain: a 5* Review

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra stopped off at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh tonight as part of an all too short performance schedule performing “Sketches of Spain” and “Porgy & Bess”.  These two visionary collaborations between Miles Davis and Gil Evans marked a watershed point in the critics’ and public’s perception of Jazz as a […]

SNJO prepare to take on Miles Davis’ interpretations of jazz classics

SNJO Porgy & Bess, Sketches of Spain

Porgy and Bess / Sketches of Spain: A concert preview. The SNJO covered both albums with Gerard Presencer early in its history. This time around, the now internationally celebrated orchestra features another guest trumpeter, plus a stalwart of their own, with Sketches being fronted by the acclaimed young player Laura Jurd, currently a BBC New […]

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