Herb Geller

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Herb Geller (* 2. November 1928 in Los Angeles , † 19th December 2013 in Hamburg ) was an American jazz - musicians ( alto saxophone , soprano saxophone , tenor saxophone , clarinet , flute , and oboe , English horn , piccolo ), composer and arranger . Despite his idols Charlie Parker and Benny Carter, he has developed his own expressive and unmistakable style. Along with Bud Shank and Lennie Niehaus , he was one of the most important alto saxophonists on the West Coast . "Inspired solos, musical humor and extensive musical knowledge secured him the reputation of" musicians' musician "even after moving to Europe."

biography

He was probably born with musicality from his mother Francis, because in Hollywood she accompanied the silent films in the neighboring cinema with live piano music. With her he also had his first music lessons on the piano . Then, as an eight-year-old, he came across the alto saxophone rather by chance: Because the local music dealer, saxophone teacher and family friend at the same time had the instrument for sale and found grateful buyers in Herb's parents. After hearing Benny Carter at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles at the age of fourteen, Herb Geller decided to make the saxophone his profession. Only two years later he got his first professional engagement in the band of violinist Joe Venuti in 1946 . It was at this time that he discovered the music of Charlie Parker , who became his second great idol alongside Benny Carter.

In 1948 Herb Geller traveled to New York for the first time , where he played in the bands of Jack Fina , Claude Thornhill , Jerry Wald and Lucky Millinder . During these performances he met the pianist Lorraine Walsh in Los Angeles, who not only became his wife in New York, but also an important musical partner.

In 1952 the Gellers moved back to the west coast of the United States , where they worked together in smaller ensembles. Herb Geller also played in the bands of Billy May , Shorty Rogers , Maynard Ferguson , Dan Terry , Bill Holman and Chet Baker at the time .

In 1955 he won the New Star Award from Down Beat and gained worldwide recognition for his recordings with Clifford Brown . Herb Geller then worked in the bands of Shelly Manne , Louie Bellson , Tom Talbert and Benny Goodman .

In 1958 Lorraine Walsh-Geller died completely unexpectedly. During a Brazilian tour with the Benny Goodman Orchestra , Herb Geller decided not to return to the USA. He stayed in São Paulo for six weeks, playing bossa nova until he took a ship to Lisbon . Eventually he ended up in Paris , where he worked with Kenny Clarke and Kenny Drew as well as for French radio. At times he was a member of the legendary Kenny Clarke / Francy Boland Big Band , the most important European jazz big band of the sixties.

Herb Geller with Benny Carter

In 1962 he was offered a contract by the big band of the SFB in Berlin . He accepted the engagement and played there alongside other "Americans In Europe" like Benny Bailey , Joe Harris , Nat Peck and outstanding European musicians like Ack and Jerry van Rooyen. In Berlin he also met his second wife Christine Rabsch. Geller stayed there for three years until he signed a contract as lead artist in the big band of Norddeutscher Rundfunk in Hamburg. He was permanently engaged there for 28 years. During this time the NDR big band developed from a post-war dance orchestra to the NDR big band, one of the most interesting big bands in contemporary jazz. The endless list of musicians involved in the productions ranges from Joe Pass and Chet Baker to avant-garde musicians and includes many of the big names in European jazz.

In addition to his work for NDR, Herb Geller was always active in other line-ups, including his own projects and tours. During this time he has worked on record and musical productions , concerts and tours by well-known musicians such as Ray Charles , Ella Fitzgerald , Shirley MacLaine , Jerry Lewis , Peter Herbolzheimer R, C&B, Liberace , Udo Lindenberg , Marius Müller-Westernhagen , Paul Anka , George Gruntz , Bert Kaempfert , Bill Evans , Red Mitchell and many more participated.

In 1985 he composed the music for Otto's first film .

From 1986 Geller taught at the University of Music in Hamburg until his retirement. Herb Geller then gave saxophone lessons and held jazz seminars at various national and international music institutions. In 1994 he performed his musical Playin 'Jazz at the West Coast Festival in Los Angeles .

In his last years Herb Geller appeared regularly as a soloist at festivals and in various formations at home and abroad . He was also found as a guest at concerts by various (including amateur) big bands as well as various musicians such as Knut Kiesewetter , Bud Shank , Louie Bellson , Lennie Niehaus , Jiggs Whigham , Tony Scott , Buddy DeFranco , André Previn and others. In 2011 he performed with a rhythm section made up of pianist Paul Kirby, bassist Martin Zenker and drummer Rick Hollander . In December 2012 Geller was diagnosed with a brain tumor , which was successfully treated the following year. Ultimately, he died of pneumonia on his and his wife Christine 51st wedding anniversary.

Prizes and awards

Geller won the Down Beat Critics' Poll as a New Star in 1955 . In 1976 he was awarded the German Record Prize as Artist of the Year . In 1988 he received the German Record Critics' Prize for his album Birdland Stomp (1986) . On November 26th, 2005 he was defeated at Ronneburg Castle by Prince Johann-Georg zu Ysenburg and Büdingen for his services to jazz as the "Knight of the Ronneburg". As always, modestly, Herb Geller commented on this honor: "My friends still call me Herb".

On November 24, 2008, Herb received the " Louis Armstrong Memorial Prize 2008" from the "Swinging Hamburg" society for his achievements in jazz, which recognized his support and training of young talent and his services as an ambassador for swinging jazz in Hamburg.

Discography

Albums

  • 1954 The Herb Geller Sextets - EmArcy
  • 1955 Outpost Incident - EmArcy
  • 1955 The Gellers - EmArcy
  • 1957 Fire In The West - Jubilee
  • 1959 Gypsy Capitol
  • 1963 Herb Geller - alto saxophone - Josie
  • 1975 Rhyme and Reason / Herb Geller Octet Featuring Mark Murphy & Earl Jordan - Atlantic
  • 1975 American In Hamburg - Nova
  • 1984 Hot House - Circle
  • 1986 A Jazz Songbook - Enja
  • 1989 Stax Of Sax - Fresh Sound - (reissue from 1958)
  • 1990 That Geller Feller - Fresh Sound - (reissue from 1957)
  • 1993 Herb Geller Quartet - VSOP
  • 1996 Birdland Stomp - Fresh Sound
  • 1996 Herb Geller Plays (Import-Japan Remastered-Limited Edition) - Verve
  • 1996 Plays The Al Cohn Songbook - HEP
  • 1997 Playing Jazz - Fresh Sound
  • 1998 You're Looking At Me - Fresh Sound
  • 1998 I'll be back - HEP
  • 1999 Hollywood Portraits - HEP
  • 2002 To Benny And Johnny - HEP
  • 2005 The Herb Geller Sextette - Membran Music - (reissue from 1954)
  • 2005 The Gellers - Membran Music - (reissue from 1955)
  • 2006 Herb & Lorraine Geller: Two Of A Kind - Complete Recordings 1954–1955 - (reissue)
  • 2006 Plays The Arthur Schwartz Songbook - HEP
  • 2007 Herb Geller At The Movies - HEP
  • 2010 Herb Geller - Wolfgang Köhler Duo: Moon Mist - Phonector
  • 2011 Herb Geller in concert with Charlie Mariano and Thomas Biller & Burkhard Braune - Halle Opera House 2002 - HEP
  • 2013 An American in Hamburg - Herb Geller - The View from Here - Tramp Records - (reissue from 1975)
  • 2014 An Evening With Herb Geller & The Roberto Magris Trio - Live In Europe 2009 - JMood

Contribution to other publications

  • Nils Gessinger / Pass-ion - 2011
  • Clifford Brown / The Ultimate Clifford Brown - Verve - 1998
  • Bravissimo II - 50 Years NDR Bigband - ACT - 1998
  • Clifford Brown / Best Coast Jazz - Verve / Japan - 1996
  • Mel Torme / Mel Torme Collection - Rhino - 1996
  • Ella Fitzgerald / Love Songs: Best of the Verve Song Books - Verve - 1996
  • Nils Gessinger / Ducks 'N' Cookies - GRP - 1995
  • Inga Rumpf with the NDR Big Band / It's A Man's World - Extra Records And Tapes - 1995
  • Wolfgang Schlueter With the NDR Big Band / Good Vibrations - Extra Records And Tapes - 1995
  • Jan Lundgren Trio with Herb Geller / Stockholm Get Together - Fresh Sound 1994
  • Anita O'Day / Compact Jazz - Verve - 1993
  • The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Various Artists) Verve - 1993
  • Dinah Washington / First Issue: The Dinah Washington Story (The Original Recordings) Verve - 1993
  • Blue Night Special (Blue Night Special) Milan - 1993
  • Clifford Brown / Jazz Round Midnight - Verve - 1993
  • Rolf Kühn / Big Band Connection - Milan - 1993
  • Dinah Washington / Jazz round Midnight - Verve - 1993
  • Compact Jazz: Best of the Jazz Vocalists (Various Artists) PolyGram - 1992
  • RCA Victor Jazz: the First Half-century - the Twenties through the Sixties (Various Artists) RCA - 1992
  • Chet Baker / The Best of Chet Baker Plays - Capitol - 1992
  • Quincy Jones / This Is How I Feel About Jazz - ABC-Paramount / GRP - 1992
  • Chet Baker / Gray December - Capitol - 1992
  • Dinah Washington / Complete Dinah Washington on Mercury, Vol. 3 (1952-1954) - Verve - 1992
  • Anita O'Day / Anita O'Day Sings the Winners - Verve - 1991
  • Clifford Brown / Compact Jazz: Clifford Brown - Verve - 1991
  • Benny Goodman / Yale Recordings, Vols. 1-6 - Musicmasters - 1991
  • Marty Paich / The Picasso of Big Band Jazz - Candid - 1990
  • Phil Wilson / The Wizard of Oz Suite - Capri - 1989
  • Benny Carter / Over the Rainbow - Musicmasters - 1988
  • Chet Baker / My Favorite Songs Vols. 1 and 2: The Last Great Concert - Enja - 1988
  • Chet Baker / My Funny Valentine - Philology
  • Chet Baker / My Funny Valentine - Capitol
  • Chet Baker / My Funny Valentine - West Wind Jazz - 1980
  • Marius Müller-Westernhagen - Bittersweet - 1976
  • Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass / Wide Open - MPS - 1973
  • Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass / Peter Herbolzheimer Masterpieces - MPS
  • The Alpin Power Plant recorded In Switzerland - MPS - 1972
  • Klaus Weiss Orchestra / I Just Want to celebrate - BASF - 1971
  • Clarke - Boland Big Band / Change Of Scenes - Ex Libris - 1971
  • Americans In Europe - Vol. 1 - Impulse - 1963
  • Dinah Washington / Dinah - Verve - 1962
  • Benny Goodman Orchestra / Santiaga De Chile 1961 - TCB Records
  • Art Pepper + Eleven: Modern Jazz Classics - Original Jazz Classics - 1959
  • Art Pepper / Plus Eleven - Analogue Productions - 1959
  • Bob Florence And His Orchestra / Name Band: 1959 - Fresh Sound
  • All That Jazz (The Hi-Los) Collectors' Series - 1959
  • Barney Kessel and his Orchestra / Barney Kessel Plays Carmen - OJC Fantasy - 1959
  • Ella Fitzgerald / The First Lady of Song - Verve - 1958
  • Bill Holman / In a Jazz Orbit - VSOP - 1958
  • Jimmy Rowles / Weather In a Jazz Vane - VSOP - 1958
  • Benny Goodman / Yale Recordings, Vol. 8: Never Before Released Recordings from Benny Goodman's Private - Musicmasters - 1957
  • John Williams / Here's What I'm Here For - Discovery / Antones - 1957
  • Manny Albam Jazz Lab. Vol. 12 - MCA Coral - 1957
  • Don Fagerquist / Music to Fill a Void - VSOP - 1957
  • Chet Baker / Pacific Jazz Years (Chet Baker) - Capitol
  • Mel Tormé / Mel Torme sings Fred Astaire - Bethlehem Records - 1956
  • Anita O'Day / Pick Yourself up with Anita O'Day - Verve - 1956
  • Benny Goodman / BG World Wide - TCB Music - 1956
  • Dinah Washington / Dinah Jams - Verve - 1955
  • Jack Millman / Jazz Lab. Vol. 11 - MCA Coral - 1955
  • Bill Holman / The Bill Holman Octet - Capitol - 1954
  • Herbie Fields / Jazz Lab. Vol. 9 - MCA Coral - 1954
  • Lorraine Geller / Lorraine Geller Memorial - Fresh Sound - 1954
  • Clifford Brown / Clifford Brown Allstars - Emarcy - 1953
  • The Best of Chess Jazz (Various Artists) MCA - 1950
  • Best of the Big Bands: Compact Jazz (Various Artists) Verve
  • Jazz round Midnight (saxophone) Verve
  • Benny Goodman / Swing Swing Swing, Vol. 1-5 Musicmaster
  • Ralph Peña / Master Of The Bass - VSOP
  • Manny Albam / Jazz Greats of our time Vol. 2 - Coral
  • John Graas Septet And Nonet Jazz Lab. Vol. 19 - MCA Coral
  • Gene Krupa and His Orchestra / That Drummers Band - Verve
  • Shelly Manne & His Men Play Peter Gunn - OJC - Fantasy
  • Shorty Rogers and His Giants / A Portrait Of Shorty - RCA
  • Howard Rumsey ’s Lighthouse Allstars - OJC - Fantasy
  • Stan Kenton's Small Group / Plays Bob Graettinger : City Of Glass - Capitol
  • Klaus Weiss Orchestra / Live at the Domicile - ATM Records
  • Bill Smith Quintet / Americans In Europe - Impulse
  • Roberto Magris Europlane feat. Herb Geller - Il bello del Jazz ( Soul Note , 2003)

Lexical entries

Web links

Commons : Herb Geller  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Doug Ramsey : Obituary in Rifftides
  2. ↑ Martin Kunzler, Jazz-Lexikon, p. 417
  3. ↑ daughter of Edgar Rabsch
  4. ↑ Saxophone legend Herb Geller dies (SRF)
personal data
SURNAME Geller, Herb
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz musician, composer and arranger
DATE OF BIRTH November 2, 1928
PLACE OF BIRTH los Angeles
DATE OF DEATH 19th December 2013
Place of death Hamburg