UW’s Wheelock’s WHEE3TRIO to Release Debut Record Oct. 25

Led by drummer Andy Wheelock, a University of Wyoming Department of Music associate professor, WHEE3TRIO, with guest guitarist Gilad Hekselman, is slated to release its debut record, "In the Wheelhouse," on the OA2 record label Friday, Oct. 25.

Other members of the trio are Walter Gorra, piano, and Gonzalo Teppa, bass.

WHEE3TRIO has been invited to South Korea for a record release tour where trio members will perform and teach throughout the country, including at Seoul National University and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. The trio will be on tour from Sept. 25-Oct. 5.

"Traveling the world while playing music with your closest friends is truly amazing," Wheelock says. "The fact that I get to do that, in conjunction with the performance and release of my newest music in a country that I have always wanted to visit, is a feeling that is hard to put into words … so I will just have to play about it."

"In the Wheelhouse," a play on Wheelock's last name, is inspired by a combination of his favorite musical styles, along with many of his fondest memories.

The music for the record was written from behind his gyil, a traditional West African mallet instrument. Wheelock also notes that the creation of the record was heavily impacted by his studies of West African, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban and jazz drumming.

Wheelock is an active jazz drummer and percussionist, as well as director of Jazz Studies and percussion area coordinator at UW. He directs the Wyoming Jazz Ensemble, the UW Percussion Ensemble, the UW Samba Bateria and the UW jazz combos. He also teaches percussion and jazz lessons.

Wheelock received his doctorate and master's degree in jazz studies from the University of Illinois. He also holds a bachelor's degree in music education from Central Michigan University.

To learn more, visit www.andywheelock.com or email Wheelock at [email protected].