Kenny Wheeler's captivating ECM debut as a bandleader, "Gnu High," was recorded in New York in 1975 and produced by Manfred Eicher. This reissue on vinyl is part of the audiophile Luminessence series. On the album, Kenny Wheeler leads an outstanding quartet including Keith Jarrett, Dave Holland, and Jack DeJohnette. The music is distinguished by a passionate performance and a profoundly lyrical compositional style that earned Wheeler international acclaim. The four musicians are renowned as excellent improvisers, their shared musical understanding honed in the bands of Miles Davis. Jack DeJohnette emphasizes that the spontaneity of the moment is clearly audible in the recordings. Dave Holland highlights how successfully Kenny's melodic and harmonic structures are combined with a free-flowing interpretive approach. The album's gatefold sleeve also features new liner notes by Nick Smart, a close friend, colleague, and biographer of Kenny Wheeler.
