Volker Kriegel (24 December 1943 – 14 June 2003)[1] was a German jazz guitarist and composer who was a founding member of the United Jazz + Rock Ensemble. He was also an author and a cartoonist.
Volker Kriegel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 24 December 1943 Darmstadt, Germany |
| Died | 14 June 2003 (aged 59) Spain |
| Genres | Jazz, Jazz rock, jazz fusion |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, author, cartoonist |
| Instrument | Guitar |
| Years active | 1962–2003 |
| Labels | MPS, Mood |
| Formerly of | Mild Maniac Orchestra, United Jazz + Rock Ensemble |
Biography
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Kriegel was born in Darmstadt on 24 December 1943.[2] He began to play the guitar at the age of 15.[2]
Kriegel studied sociology with Theodor Adorno, but in 1962 was already playing in a band with Albert and Emil Mangelsdorff in Frankfurt, and abandoned his studies.[2][3] He was then in a fusion band led by an American expatriate, vibraphonist Dave Pike, and recorded the album Noisy Silence – Gentle Noise (1969).[3] Concurrent with his work with Pike, Kriegel started Spectrum, and in 1975 also formed the Mild Maniac Orchestra.[3] He recorded with Don "Sugarcane" Harris on the album Keep on Driving (MPS, 1970), then signed with MPS and released the jazz-rock album Spectrum (1971).[3] Five years later he started the United Jazz + Rock Ensemble, a shifting collective that at various times included Charlie Mariano, Albert Mangelsdorff, Ack van Rooyen, and Barbara Thompson.[3] In 1977 Kriegel co-founded the label Mood Records, which released his own music and that of the United Jazz + Rock Ensemble.[2]
Kriegel drifted from music and started writing children's books.[3] "During the 1990s, he ceased his activities as a leader and concentrated instead on working as a composer and on his longstanding second career as a cartoonist; his illustrations appeared in newspapers, magazines, books, and animated films."[2] Manchmal ist es besser, man sagt gar nix, a book containing some of his cartoons and writings on jazz and other topics, was published in 1998.[2] He reunited the Ensemble for a tour in 2002.[3] He died of cancer[3] in Spain on 15 June 2003.[2]
Discography
editAs leader
edit- With a Little Help from My Friends (Liberty, 1968) with Peter Trunk, Günter Lenz, Peter Baumeister, Claudio Szenkar
- Spectrum (MPS 1971, re-released 2003) with John Taylor, Peter Trunk, Cees See, Peter Baumeister
- Inside: Missing Link (MPS, 1972) with Albert Mangelsdorff, Alan Skidmore, Heinz Sauer, John Taylor, Eberhard Weber, John Marshall, Peter Baumeister, Cees See
- Lift! (MPS, 1973) with Zbigniew Seifert, Stan Sulzmann, Eberhard Weber, John Taylor, John Marshall
- Mild Maniac (MPS, 1974) with Rainer Brüninghaus, Eberhard Weber, Peter Giger, Joe Nay
- Topical Harvest (MPS, 1975) with Rainer Brüninghaus, Hans Peter Ströer, Ray Mantilla, Peter Giger, Joe Nay, Albert Mangelsdorff, Peter Coura
- Octember Variations (MPS, 1976)
- Elastic Menu (MPS, 1977)
- Houseboat (MPS, 1978) with Wolfgang Schlüter
- Long Distance (MPS, 1979)
- Schöne Aussichten (Mood, 1983)
- Palazzo Blue (Mood, 1992)
- Journal (Mood, 1992)[4]
With United Jazz + Rock Ensemble
- Live in Schützenhaus (Mood, 1977)
- Teamwork (Mood, 1978)
- The Break Even Point (Mood, 1979)
- Live in Berlin (Mood, 1981)
- United Live Opus Sechs (Mood, 1984)
- Round Seven (Mood, 1987)
- Na endlich! (Mood, 1992)
- Die neunte von United (Mood, 1996)
As sideman
editWith Klaus Doldinger
- Doldinger Goes On (1967)
- Doldinger Jubilee Concert, Passport (1974)
- Keep on Driving (1970)
- Got the Blues (1972)
- New Violin Summit (1972)
- Keyzop (1975)
- Flashin' Time (1976)
With Dave Pike
- Noisy Silence – Gentle Noise (1969, MPS)
- Four Reasons (1969, MPS)
- Live at the Philharmonie (1969, MPS)
- Album (1971, MPS)
- Infra Red (1972, MPS)
- Salomao (1973, MPS)
With others
- Emil Mangelsdorff: Swinging Oil Drops (1966)
- Kühn Brothers & The Mad Rockers (1969)
- Jonny Teupen: Harpadelic (1969, MPS)
- Curt Cress Clan: CCC (1975)
Sources
edit- Carr, Ian; Fairweather, Digby; Priestley, Brian. Jazz: The Rough Guide, Penguin, 1995, ISBN 1-85828-137-7
References
edit- ^ "Volker Kriegel". Bibliothèque Nationale de France (in French). Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Boulton, Heidi; Gammel, Marcus; Kernfeld, Barry (2003). "Kriegel, Volker". Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J252500.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Ankeny, Jason. "Volker Kriegel". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ "Volker Kriegel: Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
External links
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