Kurt Weil

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Kurt Weil (born January 6, 1932 ; † December 12, 2012 in Zurich ) was a Swiss jazz musician ( vibraphone , trombone, piano, drums) and music manager.

Life

Weil received piano lessons from childhood; later he learned drums and trombone. After completing his commercial diploma, Weil worked as a businessman, but also worked as an amateur musician. In 1952 he moved to the camp of professional musicians when he worked in the dance orchestra of Rio de Gregori . With this band he came to Sweden for the first time, where he played with Poul Hindberg, settled in 1955 and became a member of the jazz formation of tenor saxophonist Gunnar “Hacke” Björksten. In his band he accompanied American musicians such as Stan Getz , Herbie Mann and Tony Scott . The band won the 1956 Musicians Poll as the best Swedish jazz group in 1956, but broke up when two of their musicians were called up for military service. Since 1957, Weil directed his own bands, in which u. a. played as pianist George Gruntz , Francy Boland , Peter Jacques or Cedar Walton and as drummers Alex Bally , Daniel Humair , Charly Antolini or Marc Hellman . He performed with this band in Scandinavia, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. As a guest soloist, he accompanied Zoot Sims , Sonny Stitt , Benny Bailey and Sarah Vaughan . For two years he had his own live jazz radio show on Swedish radio. With his group Roundhouse he played jazz rock from the late 1960s . He was involved in numerous recordings for radio and record industry.

In 1972 he gave up his active music career and went as a Promotion / A & R Manager first to Metronome Records , then to EMI Records Switzerland . From 1977 to 1980 he directed his own music production; In 1983 he produced a video series with musicians such as Billy Cobham , Herbie Hancock , Ron Carter , Gil Evans and the Brecker Brothers . At the same time he was editor-in-chief of the music magazine Music Scene for three years . He had his own jazz show on Radio 24 for eight years. From 1984 onwards, as European Marketing Director for the US record label GRP Records, he built up its sales network until 1992, when he was involved in building up TCB Music SA . In 1994 he founded his own music consulting office in Hegnau . He also taught music history and music business at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Zurich. Weil was editor-in-chief of the Swiss jazz magazine Jazz'n'more and wrote for jazz publications such as Down Beat . Since the turn of the millennium he has appeared again increasingly as a vibraphonist, u. a. in his own band Vibes Revisited as well as with Géo Voumard and Robi Weber .

Weil died on December 12, 2012.

Discography

literature

  • Bruno Spoerri (Hrsg.): Biographical Lexicon of Swiss Jazz CD supplement to: Spoerri, Bruno (Hrsg.): Jazz in Switzerland. History and stories . Chronos-Verlag, Zurich 2005, ISBN 3-0340-0739-6
  • New Grove Dictionary of Jazz Macmillan, 2002
personal data
SURNAME Because Kurt
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss jazz musician and music manager
DATE OF BIRTH January 6, 1932
PLACE OF BIRTH Zurich
DATE OF DEATH December 12, 2012
Place of death Zurich