Heinz Bigler (musician)

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Heinz Bigler (born August 18, 1934 in Worb ) is a Swiss jazz musician ( clarinet , alto saxophone , piano ).

Life

Bigler already appeared at the Zurich Jazz Festival in 1951 (in addition to his bank apprenticeship from 1951 to 1954 in Bern), where he received regular awards as clarinet and saxophonist from 1955. Around 1954, Heinz Bigler began playing bebop with the pianist and vibraphonist René Zedi in Bern as the first . Only with drummers like Peter Giger or Marc Hellman was he able to play modern jazz in a combo in Bern . In 1958 Bigler performed as an alto saxophonist in Vienna with Fatty George , where Joe Zawinul encouraged him to apply for a scholarship at Berklee College of Music . Bigler is one of the first Europeans to study jazz in Boston. After returning from Boston, Bigler founds “The Quintet” with Franz Biffiger (p), Umberto Arlati (tp), Kurt Schaufelberger (dr) and alternating bassists ( Isla Eckinger , Peter Stumpp, Roger Pfund).

In 1964 he was a member of the "Swiss All Stars". Bigler initiated the Swiss Jazz School in 1967 and became its first director. He made international appearances with the group “Four for Jazz” (with Joe Haider , Eckinger and Giger), which consists of the school's teaching staff . In 1973 he ended his collaboration with the group for religious reasons and resigned as head of the Swiss Jazz School. He played but later with Sammy Price and the European Allstars of Oscar Klein and was at its International Chicago Jazz Orchestra involved. (CD 1992) Occasionally he continues to appear as a clarinetist in the field of hot jazz (with Jean-Pierre Bionda , Mike Goetz, Rolf Rebmann and also with the Red Hot Peppers ).

Discographic notes

  • Heinz Bigler Quartet: This Thing Called Love (with Vince Benedetti , Eric Peter and Isla Eckinger, Billy Brooks ) (1973)
  • Four for Jazz: Best of Four for Jazz (with Joe Haider, Benny Bailey , Isla Eckinger, Peter Giger) (1970-71)

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Bigler, Heinz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH August 18, 1934
PLACE OF BIRTH Worb