Bill Wells is a musician from Falkirk. He started out as a bass player in Social Clubs during the late seventies and early eighties, working in various cabaret bands in and around Central Scotland.
During the next decade he became more involved in the local jazz scene, backing artists such
as Bobby Wellins and Bruce Adams. In 1989 he formed the Bill Wells Octet, which went on to
feature most of Scotland's main jazz musicians as well as London based players such as Steve
Noble and Oren Marshall.
In 1995 he set up the label Loathsome Reels and released his first CD; The Bill Wells Octet Live '93 - '94. The following year he worked with trumpeter Harry Beckett at the Glasgow
International Jazz Festival winning the Scotrail Award for best Scottish based performer.It was during this time that he met Stephen Pastel who went on to introduce his music to a wider audience and this in turn led to him working with band such as the Pastels and other bands on the independent Glasgow scene.
In 1998 the album 'The Bill Wells Octet VS Future Pilot AKA' was released, to wide acclaim,on the Domino label. A track from this record was remixed by French DJ Kid Loco and was featured on the HBO TV series 'Six Feet Under'. He was a member of the 'House Band' for the BBC Choice series 'The Beat Room' backing artists such as Eugene Kelly(The Vaselines) and Chip Taylor (writer of 'Wild Thing") Incorrect Practice by the Bill Wells Trio was released on Glasgow based Geographic Records (an imprint of the Domino label)
In 2001 he worked (with the Pastels) on the soundtrack of (and appeared in) David
Mackenzie's film 'The Last Great Wilderness. The following year he supported Belle & Sebastian on the first leg of their European Tour (with Isobel Campbell), played in Germany with Backworld, recorded an Album with Jad Fair,did a remix with Norman Blake,was commissioned to write an arrangement for the Nationa....... more
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Optymizm, humor, melodia i eksperyment. Spotkanie legendarnego szkockiego pianisty i kompozytora Billa Wellsa, z japońskim zespołem Maher Shalal Hash Baz, kierowanym przez Tori Kudo odbywa się na całkowicie naturalnej i niewymuszonej płaszczyźnie. Nastrojowe i kompementarne zjednoczenie.
Nazwa Maher Shalal Hash Baz pochodzi z hebrajskiego i oznacza "bądź szybki, jeśli chcesz cos ukraść". Bill Wells oddał jednak swoją muzykę japończykom całkowicie dobrowolnie. Kompozycjom Wellsa, z niuansami całkowicie brytyjskiego humoru, interpetacje Maher Shalal Haz Bar dodają jeszcze więcej piękna i absurdu jednocześnie przez swoje niecodzienne improwizacje, melodyjność dęciaków i charakterystyczny śpiew. Szczególnie poruszające są "On The Beach Boys Bus" i "Time Takes Me So Back", śpiewane przez Reiko Kudo. Jej czysty, naturalny głos nadaje każdej piosence efektowną lekkość, która podkreśla i wzmacnia czar melodii.
Wśród utworów instrumentalnych wybija się szczególnie "Liquorice Tics", ze swoim toczącym się rytmem i kręcącymi się melodiami brzmi, jakby został nagrany na promie kołyszącym się między dwoma japońskimi wyspami.
"Po prostu czarujące" - De:Bug
Bill Wells is a musician from Falkirk. He started out as a bass player in Social Clubs during the late seventies and early eighties, working in various cabaret bands in and around Central Scotland.
During the next decade he became more involved in the local jazz scene, backing artists such
as Bobby Wellins and Bruce Adams. In 1989 he formed the Bill Wells Octet, which went on to
feature most of Scotland's main jazz musicians as well as London based players such as Steve
Noble and Oren Marshall.
In 1995 he set up the label Loathsome Reels and released his first CD; The Bill Wells Octet Live '93 - '94. The following year he worked with trump....... more