The hr-Bigband is the

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...

Hessischer Rundfunk Hessischer Rundfunk (HR; "Hesse Broadcasting") is the German state of Hesse's public broadcasting corporation. Headquartered in Frankfurt, it is a member of the national consortium of German public broadcasting corporations, ARD. Studios Do ...

, the public broadcasting network of the German state of

Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are Dar ...

. Founded 1946 as Tanz- und Unterhaltungsorchester des Hessischen Rundfunks it was renamed to hr Big Band in 1972. Since 2005 it is written hr-Bigband. For international tours and CD releases it is also named Frankfurt Radio Bigband. In the first decades mainly used to provide popular music for radio and TV shows it changed into a Jazz Big Band in the 1970s. The hr-Bigband plays approximately 50 concerts a year, covering a wide range of jazz styles and also crossing the boundaries to pop, classical, world and electronic music. After three years as artist in residence Jim McNeely became chief conductor in 2011.

Chief conductors

* Willy Berking (1946–1972) * Heinz Schönberger (1972–1989) * Kurt Bong (1989–2000) * Jörg Achim Keller (2000–2008) * Örjan Fahlström (2008–2011) * Jim McNeely (2011–present)Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
28. Juni 2011

Discography

*2013 :''Wunderkammer XXL'' - Michael Wollny, Tamar Halperin & hr-Bigband; Ltg.:Jörg Achim Keller :''Rise & Arrive'' - Christian Elsässer & hr-Bigband *2012 :''Songs I Like a Lot'' - John Hollenbeck, Kate McGerry, Theo Bleckmann & hr-Bigband :''composed & arranged'' - Oliver Leicht & hr-Bigband *2010 :''Out of the Desert Live at Jazzfest Berlin'' -

Joachim Kühn Joachim Kurt Kühn (born 15 March 1944) is a German jazz pianist. Biography He was born in Leipzig, Germany. Kühn was a musical prodigy and made his debut as a concert pianist, having studied classical piano and composition, with Arthur Schmid ...

Trio & hr-Bigband (unter der Leitung von Ed Partyka; ausgezeichnet mit dem

Echo Jazz The Echo Jazz (stylized as ECHO JAZZ) was a German music prize, an Echo Music Prize for personalities and production of jazz. It was awarded annually by the between 2010 and 2018. The awards had been given in 30 categories, including ensemble of ...

2012) :''It's Only Love -

Tania Maria Tania Maria (born May 9, 1948) is a Brazilian artist, singer, composer, bandleader and piano player, singing mostly in Portuguese or English. Her Brazilian-style music is mostly vocal, sometimes pop, often jazzy, and includes samba, bossa, Afro ...

und die hr-Bigband live'' (geleitet von Jörg Achim Keller) *2009 :''Money Jungle – Ellington reorchestrated'' (Neubearbeitung von Duke Ellingtons '' Money Jungle'' durch Jörg Achim Keller;

Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik The Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik ("German Record Critics' Award") was established in Germany in 1963 by publisher Richard Kaselowsky with the aim of setting the "most rigorous standards for supreme achievement and quality" in the field ...

) :''Viva o Som! - The Music of

Hermeto Pascoal Hermeto Pascoal (born June 22, 1936) is a Brazilian composer and multi-instrumentalist. He was born in Lagoa da Canoa, Alagoas, Brazil. Pascoal is a significant figure in the history of Brazilian music, mainly known for his abilities in orches ...

'', arrangiert von Steffen Schorn :''A Single Sky'', composed Dave Douglas, conducted and arranged Jim McNeely, with Christian Jaksjø :''Visions of Miles'', arranged

Colin Towns Colin William Towns (born 13 May 1948 in West Ham, London) is an English composer and keyboardist. He was noted for playing in bands formed by ex-Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan, and later worked extensively in composing soundtracks for film, telev ...

*2008 :''music for bigband vol. 1'', featuring Jonas Schoen :''Limbic System Files'', featuring nuBox, DJ Illvibe and Ed Partyka (Arranging, Conducting) *2007 :''hr-Bigband feat. Jack Bruce - arranged and conducted by Jörg Achim Keller'', feat.

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of British rock band Cream. After the group disband ...

(Bass, Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Composition) *2006 :''Meeting of the Spirits - A Celebration of the Mahavishnu Orchestra'', feat.

Billy Cobham William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was inducted into the ''Mode ...

(Drums), arranged + directed by Colin Towns :''Once in a Lifetime'', feat.

Joey DeFrancesco Joey DeFrancesco (April 10, 1971August 25, 2022) was an American jazz organist, trumpeter, saxophonist, and occasional singer. He released more than 30 albums under his own name, and recorded extensively as a sideman with such leading jazz perfo ...

(Hammond Organ), Jeff Hamilton (Drums), Jörg Achim Keller (Ltg.) :''Here's to Life, Here's To Joe'', Jörg Achim Keller (Ltg.), Bill Ramsey (voc.) *2005 :''Pictures at an Exhibition / Echoes of Aranjuez'', Jörg Achim Keller, Bill Holman (Ltg.), Clare und Brent Fisher *2004 :''Do It Again - Three Decades of Steely Dan'', Fred Sturm (Ltg.), Ryan Ferreira (Git.) *2003 :''Two Suites: Tribal Dances / Cottacatya'', Ralf Schmid, Martin Fondse (Ltg.) :''Scorched'' (

Mark-Anthony Turnage Mark-Anthony Turnage CBE (born 10 June 1960) is a British composer of classical music. Biography Turnage was born in Corringham, Essex. He began composing at age nine and at fourteen began studying at the junior section of the Royal College of ...

) mit

John Scofield John Scofield (born December 26, 1951), sometimes referred to as "Sco", is an American guitarist and composer whose music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention in th ...

John Patitucci John Patitucci (born December 22, 1959) is an American jazz bassist and composer. Biography John James Patitucci was born in Brooklyn, New York. When he was 12, he bought his first bass and decided on his career. He listened to bass parts in R ...

Peter Erskine Peter Erskine (born June 5, 1954) is an American jazz drummer who was a member of the jazz fusion groups Weather Report and Steps Ahead. Early life and education Erskine was born in Somers Point, New Jersey, U.S. He began playing the dru ...

Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt The Frankfurt Radio Symphony (german: hr-Sinfonieorchester) is the radio orchestra of Hessischer Rundfunk, the public broadcasting network of the German state of Hesse. From 1929 to 1950 it was named ''Frankfurter Rundfunk-Symphonie-Orchester''. F ...

unter

Hugh Wolff Hugh MacPherson Wolff (born October 21, 1953, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) is an American conductor. Biography Born in France while his father was serving in the U.S. Foreign Service, Wolff spent his primary-school years in London. He received his ...

(Ltg.) :''¡Libertango! - Hommage an

Astor Piazzolla Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (, ; March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed '' nuevo tango'', incorporating elements fro ...

'', Enrique Tellería (

Bandoneon The bandoneon (or bandonion, es, bandoneón) is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It is a typical instrument in most tango ensembles. As with other members of the concertina family, the bandoneon is held be ...

), Fred Sturm (Arr.), Jörg Achim Keller (Ltg.) *2002 :''Swinging Christmas'', Marjorie Barnes (Voc.), Frits Landesbergen (Vibraphon), Jörg Achim Keller (Ltg.) *2001 :''American Songs of Kurt Weill'', Silvia Droste, Jeff Cascaro (Voc.), Jörg Achim Keller (Ltg.) :''The Three Sopranos'',

Buddy DeFranco Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco (February 17, 1923 – December 24, 2014) was an Italian-American jazz clarinetist. In addition to his work as a bandleader, DeFranco led the Glenn Miller Orchestra for almost a decade in the 1960s and ...

, Rolf Kühn,

Eddie Daniels Eddie Daniels (born October 19, 1941) is an American musician and composer. Although he is best known as a jazz clarinetist, he has also played saxophone and flute as well as classical music on clarinet. Early life, family and education Daniel ...

(Klarinette), Kurt Bong (Ltg.) :''Futter für die Seele'',

Jazzkantine Inspired by Guru's Jazzmatazz project, the German formation Jazzkantine was founded in 1993 in Braunschweig. Their first album ''Jazzkantine'' won them the " Echo Award" in 1996,Laith Al-Deen, Rolf Stahlhofen, Edo Zanki

References

External links

hr-Bigband official website

hr-Bigband official website english information

hr-Bigband YouTube channel
{{Authority control Musical groups established in 1946 German jazz ensembles Hessischer Rundfunk