| Kenny Wheelers is Undoubtedly One of the Grestest Living Players of the Trumpet and Flugel Horn. Vocalist Norma Winstone, is a Marvelous Interpreter of Lyrics. John Taylors Delicate Piano, Gorgeous and Evocative If you mainly associate Kenny Wheeler with quiet, reflective chamber jazz (such as his wonderful Angel Song album on ECM), you're in for a big surprise with this album. Kenny and frequent collaborators Norma Winstone and John Taylor produce some wild'n'crazy music with a superb university band that swings really, really hard (and plays in tune for good measure). The "Siren" bit appears to be a reference to the way he uses wordless (mostly) female vocals as additional instruments in the band, frequently with breath-taking effect. You might even be reminded of Claude Debussy's use of female voices in his third nocturne for orchestra, subtitled something like "Sirenes". This is a recording I think will remain one of my favorites for a long time, possibly even a candidate for a desert island list. |