Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler OC, 14 January 1930-18 September 2014 was a Canadian composer, trumpeter and flugelhorn player who lived in the U.K. since the 1950s. His performances were mostly rooted in jazz but he also participated in free improvisation and contributed to some rock music recordings. Wheeler was an accomplished arranger, capable of arranging small and large ensembles. Wheeler was patron of the Royal Academy Junior Jazz Course. Wheeler was born in Toronto (Ontario) on 14 January 1930. He was a Toronto native who began playing the cornet when he was 12 years old and then became interested in jazz as a teenager. Wheeler studied composition for a year at the Royal Conservatory of Toronto in 1950. He moved to Britain in 1952. He was a member of Tubby Hayes’ and Tommy Whittle’s London jazz groups, which he later joined. He was part of Buddy Featherstonhaugh and Bobby Wellins’ quintet in the late 1950s. He worked with John Dankworth throughout the sixties and was also part of the (Eric Burdon) Animals’ Big Band, which made its first public appearance at the Fifth Annual British Jazz
