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"Five Stars ... an elegy for a man whose every musical utterance was rich in harmonics ..." - Stereophile "... another legend may now have passed, but not before delivering an album that's not just as good a swan song as anyone could hope for, but a recording that stands amongst the rest of his discography as one of his absolute finest." - All About Jazz "... the poignant final album from revered trumpeter Wheeler ... showcases Wheeler’s impeccable compositions that always match strong melodies with intriguingly inventive structures, all of which is devoured by the vastly experienced band. Wheeler, playing flugelhorn throughout, sounds strong on material that’s surprisingly uptempo and driving ..." - Jazzwise Legendary jazz trumpeter Kenny Wheeler recorded this album nine months before his death in September 2014; it was released in January 2015 on what would have been his 85th birthday. An unassuming giant of modern jazz, a daring improviser and a writer of many beautiful and slyly unorthodox tunes, his recorded legacy includes albums now regarded as contemporary jazz classics. Songs for Quintet, an inspirational session featuring Wheeler compositions of recent vintage (plus a fresh approach to 1997's Nonetheless), was recorded at Abbey Road Studios with four of Wheeler's favourite players: Stan Sulzmann, John Parricelli, Chris Laurence and Martin France, who work together marvellously as an interactive unit, solo persuasively and provide support for the tender and lyrical flugelhorn of the bandleader.