Günter Kiesant

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Günter Kiesant (born March 8, 1932 ) is a German jazz musician ( drums , composition ). He is considered the nestor of East German jazz drumming.

Live and act

Kiesant received his first music lessons (violin) at the age of eleven, and began playing drums at the age of 16. Living in Potsdam, he studied music at the Municipal Conservatory in West Berlin from 1949–51 , then with the drummer of the Berlin Philharmonic, Kurt Ladentin. In 1950 he appeared in the entertainment orchestra of his father, senior music master Erich Kiesant. In the 1950s he was a member of various Berlin jazz groups, such as the Spree City Stompers , the Lem Acron Combo and the Harry Seeger Quintet. During this time he played a. a. also with Sahib Shihab , Rolf Kühn , Hans Koller , Illinois Jacquet and Nelson “Cadillac” Wilson.

In West Berlin he recorded under the pseudonym Tom “Eminenz” Roberts in 1953 with Frank “Big Boy” Godie , in 1955/56 with the quintet by Michael Naura and the Johannes Rediske Trio. From the late 1950s he was part of the Leipzig Radio Dance Orchestra for a total of 30 years under the direction of Kurt Henkels and (from 1959) Gerhard Kneifel , Walter Eichenberg and Eberhard Weise . He also played in the Günter Oppenheimer Trio ("Amiga Blues") in East Berlin . With Oppenheimer, Horst Schütze, Dieter Resch and Peter Sterzel, he presented the Amiga LP Die Schange Drahtkommode in 1966 , to which he contributed the title “Stadtpfeifer Parade”. In 1969 he performed the "Suite for Two Drummers" by Eberhard Weise together with Pierre Favre .

He also worked in Friedhelm Schönfeld's septet and in various GDR jazz formations such as the radio jazz combo , the Mainstream Quintett Leipzig , the Harry Nicolai Quartet, Eckart Gleim Trio, a joint quintet with Günter Hörig and in 1988 with a formation under his own name ("Günter Kiesant Swing Connection"). On the recommendation of Ed Soph Kiesant became a member of the "Percussive Arts Society" in 1984. In 1986 he recorded in Leipzig with George Gruntz , Franco Ambrosetti and the Leipzig Radio Big Band. In the field of jazz he was involved in 13 recording sessions between 1953 and 1986. In addition to his work as a musician, he taught at the Leipzig District Music School from 1963–92 and at the Leipzig University of Music from 1988–93; In connection with teaching, he submitted four drum textbooks.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ entry (jazz calendar)
  2. ↑ Music corps of the Air News Regiment of the Commander in Chief of the Air Force
  3. ↑ Tom Lord The Jazz Discography (online, accessed March 12, 2018)
personal data
SURNAME Kiesant, Günter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German jazz musician (drums)
DATE OF BIRTH March 8, 1932