Willy Berking

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Willy Berking (born June 22, 1910 in Düsseldorf ; † May 21, 1979 in Frankfurt am Main ) was a German jazz trombonist , band leader , composer and arranger .

Live and act

Willy Berking studied music (piano, composition) in Düsseldorf and then in Berlin , where he founded his first big band at the age of 18 . He was dedicated to jazz and especially swing . Of the Nazis , jazz was but a nigger music rejected by official sources. He remained true to his style of leading an American-style swing orchestra, however. The pieces of music had to be disguised as German dance music with German titles and German lyrics. Typical of him in the 1940s was a full big band sound like the one found in his own composition Kein Problem, recorded in Berlin in 1943 . As a trombonist, he toured with various dance and entertainment orchestras at the time, including the “Golden Sieben” and the Telefunken Swing Orchestra under Heinz Wehner (with whom he went to Berlin in 1934). From 1934 he studied the trombone; In 1937 he played with The Lanigiros , in 1938 he led a studio orchestra for the Imperial record brand ("Berking top series"). Under this name he brought out his own compositions that were committed to hot jazz, such as the recording Rhythm! . He also recorded with Adalbert Lutter , Michael Jary and Hans Rehmstedt and was active in the propaganda big band " Charlie and His Orchestra ". Berking was often able to win Rudi Schuricke , who sang for many swing orchestras, for his studio recordings .

After the Second World War , in 1946 he took over the management of the newly founded dance orchestra of the Hessischer Rundfunk , from which the Great Dance and Entertainment Orchestra of the Hessischer Rundfunk emerged . With this orchestra Willy Berking celebrated his greatest successes in the 1950s. He wrote hits and instrumental titles such as Mixed Pickles and Trumpet Jump as well as the five-part suite Brasiliana . His compositions were sung by the renowned interpreters of the time. In 1957, he received a gold record for one million records sold . Willy Berking became a national celebrity through the TV show EWG with Hans-Joachim Kulenkampff .

After a heart attack , Willy Berking had to give up the direction of the orchestra in 1972; his successor was Heinz Schönberger from the ranks of the orchestra . Berking died in 1979 of cancer.

Honors

Memorial stone for Willy Berking in the main cemetery in Frankfurt am Main, with the original grave slab of the grave that was lifted

In the Praunheim district of Frankfurt, a street called "Willy-Berking-Straße" is named after him. A memorial stone is located in the main cemetery , Gewann E on wall 339a.

Arrangements (selection)

  • Pardon, I was late , 1939 (L. Brühne) Willy Berking with his dance orchestra
  • Señor and Señorita , 1940 (music: Peter Kreuder / text: Hans Fritz Beckmann) Willy Berking with his soloists; Singing: Rudi Schuricke
  • For a night full of bliss , 1940 - (Music: Peter Kreuder / Text: Günther Schwenn) Willy Berking with his soloists; Singing: Rudi Schuricke
  • The men are already worth the love! , 1940 (Adolf Steimel / Ralph Maria Siegel) Willy Berking with his soloists; Singing: Rudi Schuricke
  • Darling, what will become of us now? , 1941 (music: Schröder / text: Hans Fritz Beckmann) Willy Berking and his orchestra; Singing: Heinz Müller
  • Evening sun , 1943 - (L. Templin) Willy Berking with his dance orchestra
  • Do you hear the sea , 1943 (S. von Stollberg) Willy Berking with his dance orchestra
  • Tonight we want to go shopping , 1943 ( Franz Kleindin ) Willy Berking with his dance orchestra
  • A star fell from the sky , 1943 (music: Peter Kreuder) Willy Berking with his dance orchestra
  • Hallo Fräulein , from the sound film "A man with principles", April 1943, (music: Michael Jary ; Imperial 17423, matrix KC29495)

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ No problem , 1936 (music: Willy Berking) Willy Berking with his dance orchestra, Imperial 17440, matrix number: KC 29868.
  2. ↑ Imperial, Berking tip series no.6, die number: KC 29025, 17 375
  3. ↑ a b Reclams Jazzführer 1970, p. 72
personal data
SURNAME Berking, Willy
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German orchestra leader, trombonist and composer
DATE OF BIRTH June 22, 1910
PLACE OF BIRTH Dusseldorf
DATE OF DEATH May 21, 1979
Place of death Frankfurt am Main