Henri René

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Henri René (born December 29, 1906 in New York City as Harald Manfred Kirchstein , † April 25, 1993 in Houston ) was an American jazz and entertainment musician ( banjo , guitar , piano , arrangement , composition , orchestral direction ) and music producer .

Live and act

René, whose parents were of German and Polish origins, studied at the Music Academy in Berlin and then worked in American dance orchestras. In 1926 he led an American dance orchestra on a European tour and then stayed in Berlin, where he collaborated on sound film and recordings, for example by Arthur Briggs and Dajos Béla , before he became known as a composer and arranger. In 1934 he was - still as Harald Kirchstein - with Willi Stech the founder and initially the driving force of the Golden Seven . He also wrote the music for the propaganda film People Without a Fatherland . Despite lavish reviews in the press, he was brought down because of his Jewish-sounding name and because he was unable to provide “ Aryan evidence ”. In 1937 he returned to the United States, where he soon became a producer for Victor Records . In 1941 he led a musette orchestra with which he recorded numerous albums. After completing his military service, he worked for Victor again from 1946; he accompanied soloists with studio bands and recorded numerous records with jazz, easy listening , musical and pop music . He has worked with Harry Belafonte ( Calypso ), Perry Como , Maurice Chevalier , Ella Fitzgerald ( Hello Dolly ), Eartha Kitt , Connie Francis , Al Hirt and Dinah Shore, among others . Then Henri René was the artists and repertoire manager for Victor on the American west coast . In 1959 he settled in San Francisco . Among other things, he composed a California Suite . He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame .

Discographic notes

  • Sirocco , from the film " Togger " (interpretation: Die Goldene Sieben , February 1937, EG3878, die ORA1794-1)
  • Eccentricity , from the film "Togger" (interpretation: Die Goldene Sieben, February 1937, EG3S73, die ORA1796-2)
  • Compulsion to Swing (RCA)
  • Riot in Rhythm (RCA)
  • White Heat (Imperial)
  • The Swinging '59 (Imperial)

Lexical entries

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Michael H. Kater Daring Game. Jazz under National Socialism . Kiepenheuer and Witsch, Cologne 1995, p. 72
  2. ↑ Michael H. Kater Daring Game . P. 86f.
personal data
SURNAME René, Henri
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kirchstein, Harald Manfred; Kirchstein, Harald M.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz and entertainment musician and music producer
DATE OF BIRTH December 29, 1906
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City
DATE OF DEATH April 25, 1993
Place of death Houston