Glasgow born Wellins, long associated with Stan Tracey’s 1960s classic recording of Under Milk Wood, will be the leading voice on tenor saxophone for the SNJO (Scottish National Jazz Orchestra), Europe’s finest large scale jazz ensemble.  Bobby is well known for finding musical inspiration in great Scottish historical events and literature.  His Culloden Moor Suite is an eloquent and moving lament for the fallen in battle and a beautiful celebration of one of Scotland’s most haunting historical locations. Written in 1964, this rarely visited masterpiece deserves a wider audience.

His Caledonian Suite, originally inspired by James Barke’s books about Robert Burns, richly evokes the sounds of Scotland’s landscape and life at that time.  The piece has been specially rearranged for the SNJO by some of the world’s finest jazz musicians – Florian Ross (Germany), Geoffrey Keezer (USA), Chris Greive (Australia),  Christian Jacob (France) and Tommy Smith (Scotland)

Culloden Moor Suite – Arranged by Florian Ross

The Gathering

The March

The Battle

Aftermath

Epilogue

Caledonian Suite

Song In The Green Thorn Tree – Arranged by Florian Ross

The Wind That Shakes The Barley – Arranged by Geoffrey Keezer

Bonnie Jean – Arranged by Chris Greive

The Tartan Rainbow – Arranged by Christian Jacob

Dreams of Free – Arranged by Tommy Smith

Tommy Smith, the director of the SNJO,  chose German pianist and arranger FLORIAN ROSS to arrange the epic Culloden Moor Suite for Bobby Wellins because he has been a guest director of the SNJO in the past.  In 2002 he played piano, directed and presented his brilliant brass work Lilacs & Laughter and the 50 minute work Tommy commissioned from him entitled A Day in the Life of…

Since 2002 Tommy has commissioned him regularly, as he thinks he is a wonderful arranger; always finding unique ways of making a song sound original, with unexpected twists and turns for the audience and musicians. SNJO regulars will remember Ross’s A Day in the Life and his brilliantly imaginative arrangements of Giant Steps, Crepuscule with Nellie and Humpty Dumpty for SNJO’s Coltrane, Monk and Corea tributes, along with Wayne Shorter and John Scofield arrangements.

Bobby’s composition’s are extremely melodic and the arrangements are pure jazz.

SNJO website

Tour details: OCTOBER 2011 – All concerts start at 7.30pm with pre-concert talk at 6.45pm

THURS 27 ABERDEEN : MUSIC HALL 01224 641122 www.boxofficeaberdeen.com

FRI 28 EDINBURGH : QUEEN’S HALL 0131 668 2019 www.thequeenshall.net

SAT 29 GLASGOW : ROYAL CONSERVATOIRE of SCOTLAND – 0141 332 5057 www.rcs.ac.uk

SUN 30 INVERNESS : EDEN COURT 01463 234234 www.eden-court.co.uk

Sponsors: Creative Scotland, Arts and Business, RCS, Grasshoppers Hotel, Glasgow

Source: SNJO