Release date: 21 June 2019

Jonny Mansfield Vibes

James Davison Trumpet, flugelhorn

Tom Smith Alto, Tenor Sax & Flute

George Millard Tenor Sax, Bass Clarinet & Flute

Rory Ingham Trombone

Dominic Ingham Violin

Laura Armstrong Cello

Oliver Mason Guitar

Will Harris Double Bass & Electric Bass

Boz Martin-Jones Drums

Guest Personnel

Chris Potter Saxophone

Gareth Lockrane Flute

Kit Downes Hammond Organ

Elftet is the startling debut album from Kenny Wheeler Jazz Prize 2018 winner Jonny Mansfield. It’s an album that celebrates his musical journey, bringing together his favourite musicians and featuring teachers and mentors as well as superstar guests including the great Chris Potter! Based around the core of an 11-piece band, Elftet immediately demonstrates a distinctive talent for colour, dynamic and shape and echoes the influences of  Duke Ellington and Maria Schneider (who says of the album: ‘I listened and enjoyed it very much!  Great playing as well’) as well as Kenny Wheeler himself.

As Jonny explains, winning the Kenny Wheeler prize presents an incredible opportunity to showcase the music he is most passionate about:

The musicians involved in the album were the biggest influence on me while writing this music. Having said that, I can’t overlook Ellington, Joni Mitchell, Maria Schneider, Shirley Horn, Marcus Gilmore, Chris Potter, Norah Jones, Camila Meza and Kenny Wheeler for their continued inspiration. I will return to their music again and again. 

Elftet for Jonny is more than just a band:

For me, making music is about bringing people together to celebrate. Whether that is culture, family, friends, opportunities etc. Elftet is a celebration, bringing together ten of my closest friends to make music (largely dedicated to other people) and feature amazing teachers/mentors that I’ve been so fortunate to learn from. Writing for large ensemble is like mixing paints as a kid, the amount of colours you can create are endless. With Elftet, I try to write to everyone’s strengths and allow space for everyone to bring their own ideas, that’s where the fun really starts.

In general, the whole album is a celebration of the closest people in my life, both musically and socially. I tried to compose music using imagery and memories, creating cinematic short stories, with my friends and family as the main characters.