Jiří Verberger

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Jiří Verberger (born May 28, 1913 in Prague ; † November 2, 1973 ibid) was a Czech jazz pianist , singer, arranger and composer .

Life

Verberger studied at the Charles University in Prague . He began his musical career in Jan Rychlík's band Blue Music and between 1935 and 1937 in the Orchester Gramoklubu by Emanuel Uggé and Jan Šíma, with whom he was also involved in several recordings. He then played in Emil Ludvík's orchestra , in 1940/41 in his Hot Kvintet . Ludvik was considered the "uncrowned king of Czech hot jazz", who had the best musicians of the time in his band, alongside Jiri Verberger also the bass player Jan Hammer senior, the father of Jan Hammer .

In 1939 and again between 1943 and 1945 Verberger was a member of Karel Vlach's orchestra . Then he played for Jan Hammer senior. From 1962 to 1967 he worked in Ladislav Bezubka's orchestra . Verberger composed numerous jazz titles, such as the Když Hrají Blues and Improvisace , which he recorded under his own name with Karel Slavik's band.

Appreciation

Jiří Verberger is considered to be a stride pianist influenced by Fats Waller , and belongs to the group of Czech artists such as Jiří Traxler and Jan Rychlík, who pursued their own paths as musicians and composers in the swing era apart from commercial interests . Mike Heffley characterized Verberger as a virtuoso improviser in his book on European jazz; John Hammond called the pianist, whom he met in Prague in 1947, “ a white Negro ”.

Discographic notes

further reading

  • Piano v jazzu Milan Šolc, Jiří Verberger Státní hudební vydavatelství, Praha 1966

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Josef Škvorecký Talkin 'Moscow Blues 1990, p. 157
  2. ^ Catalog of copyright entries of the Library of Congress . Copyright Office, United States. Dept. of the Treasury, 1959
  3. ↑ Český Jazz 1920-1960 (Schulhoff discography)
  4. ↑ cf. Jazz Forum, Vol. 118 (1983)
  5. ^ Martin Vorisek: Czech Jazz up to 1948
  6. ^ Mike Heffley: Northern Sun, Southern Moon: Europe's Reinvention of Jazz . Yale University Press, 2005, p. 178
personal data
SURNAME Verberger, Jiří
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Czech jazz pianist, singer, arranger and composer
DATE OF BIRTH May 28, 1913
PLACE OF BIRTH Prague , Austria-Hungary
DATE OF DEATH 2nd November 1973
Place of death Prague , Czechoslovakia