Herbert Arnold Geller (November 2, 1928 – December 19, 2013) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

saxophonist, composer and arranger. He was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, United States.

Early life

His mother, Frances ''(née'' Frances Mildred Fullman, also known as Fannie Fullman; 1899–1980), worked at the

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

neighborhood cinemas playing piano, accompanying

silent movies A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

. At the age of 8, Geller was presented with an alto saxophone, purchased from a local music store owner and music teacher who was also a family friend and had a used instrument for sale. Two years later, he started playing the clarinet. Geller attended

Dorsey High School Susan Miller Dorsey High School is a high school located in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles, California. It is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. The school serves Baldwin Hills, Baldwin Village, Jefferson Park, West Adams a ...

in the southwestern part of Los Angeles and joined the school band which among others included the musicians

Eric Dolphy Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist and flautist. On a few occasions, he also played the clarinet and piccolo. Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gai ...

and

Vi Redd Elvira "Vi" Redd (born September 20, 1928) is an American jazz alto saxophone player, vocalist and educator. She has been active since the early 1950s and is known primarily for playing in the blues style. She is highly regarded as an accomplis ...

. At the age of 14, he heard

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

perform at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles and was so impressed that he decided to pursue a career in music, specializing on the alto saxophone. Two years later, he had his first professional engagement in the band of jazz violinist

Joe Venuti Giuseppe "Joe" Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978) was an American jazz musician and pioneer jazz violinist. Considered the father of jazz violin, he pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie La ...

. A short time later, he discovered the music of

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

, who became an important idol along with

and

Johnny Hodges Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on soprano ...

. In 1949, Geller went to New York City for the first time, where he performed in the bands of

Jack Fina Jack Fina (August 13, 1913 – May 14, 1970) was a bandleader, songwriter, and pianist. Fina was born in Passaic, New Jersey, and educated at the New York College of Music and was a student of August Fraemcke and Elsa Nicilini. He started out pla ...

, (with

Paul Desmond Paul Desmond (born Paul Emil Breitenfeld; November 25, 1924 – May 30, 1977) was an American jazz alto saxophone, alto saxophonist and composer, best known for his work with the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for composing that group's biggest hit, " ...

also in the sax section),

Claude Thornhill Claude Thornhill (August 10, 1908 – July 1, 1965) was an American pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. He composed the jazz and pop standards "Snowfall" and "I Wish I Had You". Early years Thornhill was the son of J. Chester Thornhill ...

Jerry Wald Jerome Irving Wald (September 16, 1911 – July 13, 1962) was an American screenwriter and a producer of films and radio programs. Life and career Early life Born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, he had a brother and sons who were act ...

, and

Lucky Millinder Lucius Venable "Lucky" Millinder (August 8, 1910 – September 28, 1966) was an American swing and rhythm-and-blues bandleader. Although he could not read or write music, did not play an instrument and rarely sang, his showmanship and musical ...

. During this time, he met pianist Lorraine Walsh in Los Angeles. Geller and Walsh got married in New York and she became an important musical partner, in addition to pursuing her own solo career.

Career

After three years in New York, Geller joined the

Billy May Edward William May Jr. (November 10, 1916 – January 22, 2004) was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music for ''The Green Hornet'' (1966), ''The Mod Squad'' (1968), ''Batman'' (with '' Batgirl'' them ...

orchestra in 1952 and, following an engagement in Los Angeles, the Gellers returned there to live. Among the groups Geller worked and recorded with were

Shorty Rogers Milton "Shorty" Rogers (born Milton Rajonsky; April 14, 1924 – November 7, 1994) was an American jazz musician, one of the principal creators of West Coast jazz. He played trumpet and flugelhorn and was in demand for his skills as an arran ...

Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...

, Bill Holman,

Shelly Manne Sheldon "Shelly" Manne (June 11, 1920 – September 26, 1984) was an American jazz drummer. Most frequently associated with West Coast jazz, he was known for his versatility and also played in a number of other styles, including Dixieland, s ...

Marty Paich Martin Louis Paich (January 23, 1925 – August 12, 1995) was an American pianist, composer, arranger, record producer, music director, and conductor. As a musician and arranger he worked with jazz musicians Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Kento ...

Barney Kessel Barney Kessel (October 17, 1923 – May 6, 2004) was an American jazz guitarist born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Known in particular for his knowledge of chords and inversions and chord-based melodies, he was a member of many prominent jazz groups a ...

André Previn André George Previn (; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. His career had three major genres: Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. In each he achieved ...

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

Wardell Gray Wardell Gray (February 13, 1921 – May 25, 1955) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist who straddled the swing and bebop periods. Biography Early years Gray was born in Oklahoma City, the youngest of four children. He spent his early chi ...

Jack Sheldon Beryl Cyril Sheldon Jr. (November 30, 1931 – December 27, 2019), known professionally as Jack Sheldon, was an American singer, musician, and actor. He performed on ''The Merv Griffin Show'' and participated in episodes of the educational music ...

and

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

. Lorraine worked as the house pianist at the Lighthouse Jazz Club, and played with

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of ...

Zoot Sims John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman's big ...

Jack Teagarden Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (August 20, 1905 – January 15, 1964) was an American jazz trombonist and singer. According to critic Scott Yannow of Allmusic, Teagarden was the preeminent American jazz trombone player before the bebop era of the 19 ...

, Bill Holman and was the accompanist for the singer

Kay Starr Katherine Laverne Starks (July 21, 1922 – November 3, 2016), known professionally as Kay Starr, was an American singer who enjoyed considerable success in the late 1940s and 1950s. She was of Iroquois and Irish heritage. Starr performed multip ...

. Geller recorded three LPs as a leader for

Emarcy EmArcy Records is a jazz record label founded in 1954 by the American Mercury Records. The name is a phonetic spelling of "MRC", the initials for Mercury Record Company. During the 1950s and 1960s, musicians such as Max Roach, Clifford Brown ...

plus some with

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz Jazz drumming, drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in h ...

Clifford Brown Clifford Benjamin Brown (October 30, 1930 – June 26, 1956) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. He died at the age of 25 in a car accident, leaving behind four years' worth of recordings. His compositions "Sandu", "Joy Spring", an ...

Clark Terry Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator. He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948–51), Duke ...

, and

Kenny Drew Kenneth Sidney "Kenny" Drew (August 28, 1928 – August 4, 1993) was an American-Danish jazz pianist. Biography Drew was born in New York City, United States, and received piano lessons from the age of five.Feather, Leonard, & Ira Gitler (2 ...

. In 1955, he won the "New Star Award" from ''

DownBeat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...

'' magazine and achieved worldwide recognition through his recordings with

. Later, Geller worked in the bands of

Louie Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer, ...

and

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...

. Lorraine Geller died of an acute asthma attack in 1958. Deeply depressed, Herb Geller decided during a tour through Brazil with the Benny Goodman Orchestra not to return to the United States, but instead, to stay in São Paulo for six weeks playing

bossa nova Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovativ ...

music at a local club and then depart on a ship to Europe.

Europe

Arriving in Paris, Geller played with

Kenny Clarke Kenneth Clarke Spearman (January 9, 1914January 26, 1985), nicknamed Klook, was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. A major innovator of the bebop style of drumming, he pioneered the use of the ride cymbal to keep time rather than the hi-ha ...

, the French pianist

Martial Solal Martial Solal (born August 23, 1927) is a French jazz pianist and composer. Biography Solal was born in Algiers, French Algeria, to Algerian Jewish parents. He was persuaded to study clarinet, saxophone, and piano by his mother, who was an opera ...

, and Belgian guitarist René Thomas among others, and also toured with a French radio show, ''Musique Aux Champs-Elysées''. In 1962, he was offered a job with 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 an ...

of the Radio in the American Sector ( RIAS) station in Berlin. He accepted this engagement and performed there along with other Americans expatriates in Europe such as

Benny Bailey Ernest Harold "Benny" Bailey (August 13, 1925 – April 14, 2005) was an American jazz trumpeter. Biography A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Bailey briefly studied flute and piano before turning to trumpet. He attended the Cleveland Institute ...

, Joe Harris, and

Nat Peck Nathan Peck (January 13, 1925 – October 24, 2015) was an American jazz trombonist. Early life Peck was born in New York City on January 13, 1925. His father was a cinema projectionist. Peck began playing the trombone as a teenager. Later life a ...

, as well as European musicians like

Jerry van Rooyen Jerry van Rooyen (31 December 1928 in The Hague – 14 September 2009 in Goor) was a Dutch trumpeter, conductor, and composer. His works have appeared in films such as Free Enterprise and the British television series Spaced. Biography B ...

Åke Persson Åke Persson (February 25, 1932 – February 5, 1975) was a Swedish bebop jazz trombonist. Biography Persson was born in Hässleholm, southern Sweden and started his music career by playing valve trumper in school. Persson, known as "the Comet" ( ...

, and

Francy Boland François Boland (6 November 1929 – 12 August 2005) was a classically trained Belgian jazz composer and pianist. He first gained notice in 1949 and worked with Belgian jazz greats like Bobby Jaspar, and in 1955 he joined Chet Baker's quintet. M ...

. In Berlin, he met his second wife, Christine Rabsch. Geller stayed there for three years and then accepted a contract to play lead alto and also arrange for the big band of NDR in Hamburg. Here, he was engaged for 28 years and made Hamburg his home. During this time, the NDR big band developed from a post-war dance orchestra into a leading modern jazz ensemble. The endless list of participating musicians ranged from

Don Byas Carlos Wesley "Don" Byas (October 21, 1912 – August 24, 1972) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, associated with swing and bebop. He played with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Art Blakey, and Dizzy Gillespie, among others, and also led ...

Joe Pass Joe Pass (born Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalaqua; January 13, 1929 – May 23, 1994) was an American jazz guitarist. Pass is well known for his work stemming from numerous collaborations with pianist Oscar Peterson and vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, an ...

Slide Hampton Locksley Wellington Hampton (April 21, 1932 – November 18, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. As his nickname implies, Hampton's main instrument was slide trombone, but he also occasionally played tuba and flugelho ...

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

Red Mitchell Keith Moore "Red" Mitchell (September 20, 1927 – November 8, 1992) was an American jazz double-bassist, composer, lyricist, and poet. Biography Mitchell was born in New York City. His younger brother, Whitey Mitchell, also became a jazz ba ...

Art Farmer Arthur Stewart Farmer (August 21, 1928 – October 4, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet–flugelhorn combination especially designed for him. He and his identical twin brother, double ...

Georgie Fame Georgie Fame (born Clive Powell; 26 June 1943) is an English R&B and jazz musician. Fame, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still performing, often working with contemporaries such as Alan Price, Van Morrison and Bill Wyman. Fame is the on ...

, and

to ''

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

'' musicians and rock/fusion, and included nearly all the big names of European jazz. During his work at NDR, Geller was also busy with other things, including his own productions and tours. During this time, he also participated in recordings and worked with such famous artists as

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

Peter Herbolzheimer Peter Alexandru Herbolzheimer (31 December 1935 – 27 March 2010) was a Romanian-German jazz trombonist and bandleader. Biography Herbolzheimer was born to a Romanian mother and a German father in Bucharest, Romania. His family emigrated in 1 ...

, and

George Gruntz George Gruntz (24 June 1932 – 10 January 2013) was a Swiss jazz pianist, organist, harpsichordist, keyboardist, and composer known for the George Gruntz Concert Big Band and his work with Phil Woods, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Don Cherry, Chet Baker, ...

among others. During his tenure at NDR, he also learned and performed on other

woodwind instruments Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and re ...

, including clarinet, flute,

alto flute The alto flute is an instrument in the Western concert flute family, the second-highest member below the standard C flute after the uncommon flûte d'amour. It is the third most common member of its family after the standard C flute and the ...

bass flute The bass flute is a member of the flute family. It is in the key of C, pitched one octave below the concert flute. Despite its name, its playing range makes it the tenor member of the flute family. Because of the length of its tube (approximate ...

piccolo flute The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

, and

English horn The cor anglais (, or original ; plural: ''cors anglais''), or English horn in North America, is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe, making it essentially an alto ...

. On flute, he played and recorded with

and Brazilian guitarist Baden Powell. He also composed the music and lyrics to two musicals: ''Playing Jazz'' (a musical autobiography) and ''Jazzy Josie B.'' (based on the life of

Josephine Baker Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; naturalised French Joséphine Baker; 3 June 1906 – 12 April 1975) was an American-born French dancer, singer and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in her adopted Fran ...

). In 1996, the Senate of the

Government of Hamburg The government of Hamburg is divided into Executive (government), executive, Legislature, legislative and judiciary, judicial branches. Hamburg is a city-state and municipality, and thus its governance deals with several details of both state and ...

gave him the title of "Professor". He taught at the

Hochschule für Musik A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger in ...

in Hamburg until his retirement. He continued teaching jazz improvisation and composition, occasionally doing seminars at various national and international institutes. He wrote a method of improvisation called "crossover" for Schott and Sons. Geller performed regularly in Germany and abroad as a soloist at festivals and clubs in various formations including some big bands as well as with such diverse artists as

Knut Kiesewetter Knut Kiesewetter (13 September 1941 – 28 December 2016) was a German jazz musician, singer, songwriter, and producer. Kiesewetter was born in Stettin (Szczecin). He began his career in the age of 14, playing trombone and singing. He issued h ...

Lennie Niehaus Leonard Niehaus (June 1, 1929 – May 28, 2020) was an American alto saxophonist, composer and arranger on the West Coast jazz scene. He played with the Stan Kenton Orchestra and served as one of Kenton's primary staff arrangers. He also played ...

Jiggs Whigham Jiggs Whigham (born Oliver Haydn Whigham III; August 20, 1943) is an American jazz trombonist. Biography Born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, he began his professional career at the age of 17, joining the Glenn Miller/Ray McKinley orchestra ...

Rolf Kühn Rolf Kühn (29 September 1929 – 18 August 2022) was a German jazz clarinetist and saxophonist. He was the older brother of the pianist Joachim Kühn. He lived in the United States from 1956 to 1959. John Hammond favourably compared him with ...

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 ...

Lew Soloff Lewis Michael Soloff (February 20, 1944–March 8, 2015) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and actor. Biography From his birth place of New York City, United States, he studied trumpet at the Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard Sc ...

Charlie Mariano Carmine Ugo Mariano (November 12, 1923 – June 16, 2009) was an American jazz saxophonist who focused on the alto and soprano saxophone. He occasionally performed and recorded on flute and nadaswaram as well. Biography Mariano was born in ...

Jan Lundgren Jan Lundgren, born on 22 March 1966 in Olofström, Blekinge, and resident in Ystad since 2005, is an internationally active Swedish jazz musician. He is a pianist, composer, and senior lecturer at the Malmö Academy of Music, where he has taug ...

, and

Roberto Magris Roberto Magris (born 19 June 1959) is an Italian jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Early life Magris was born in Trieste, Italy, on 19 June 1959. He had piano lessons between the ages of four and sixteen. He became interested in jazz after h ...

. He was very proud of his friendship with Benny Carter, his adolescent hero, with whom he recorded and performed. Geller participated at the

Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...

celebrations for Carter's ninetieth birthday in 1997. In 2008, he was featured on the

Berlin Jazz Orchestra The Berlin Jazz Orchestra is a 17 piece concert jazz orchestra based in Berlin, Germany. The orchestra has been critically acclaimed by prominent periodicals such as the :de:Der Tagesspiegel, Berliner Tagesspiegel, :de:Märkische Allgemeine, Mä ...

, music DVD ( Polydor/Universal) ''

Strangers In Night - The Music Of Bert Kaempfert ''Strangers in the Night - The Music of Bert Kaempfert'' is the Berlin Jazz Orchestra's first home video, released on DVD September 21, 2012 by Polydor Records, Polydor/Universal Entertainment. The DVD is a live recording from the Alte Oper on Feb ...

'' which was released in 2012. Geller died of pneumonia in a hospital in

Hamburg, Germany (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

, aged 85, on December 19, 2013. He had been undergoing treatment the past 12 months for a form of

lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlar ...

. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...

Discography

As leader

* 1955: ''Herb Geller Plays'' (

EmArcy EmArcy Records is a jazz record label founded in 1954 by the American Mercury Records. The name is a phonetic spelling of "MRC", the initials for Mercury Record Company. During the 1950s and 1960s, musicians such as Max Roach, Clifford Brown ...

) * 1955: ''The Herb Geller Sextette'' (EmArcy) * 1955: ''Outpost Incident'' (EmArcy) * 1955: ''The Gellers'' (EmArcy) * 1958: ''Fire in the West'' (

Jubilee A jubilee is a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term is often now used to denote the celebrations associated with the reign of a monarch after a milestone number of y ...

) * 1959: ''Gypsy'' (

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

) * 1963: ''Alto Saxophone'' ( Josie) – reissue of ''Fire in the West'' * 1975: ''Rhyme and Reason'' / ''Herb Geller Octet Featuring Mark Murphy & Earl Jordan'' (Atlantic Records) * 1975: ''American in Hamburg'' (Nova) * 1984: ''Hot House'' (

Circle A circle is a shape consisting of all points in a plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the centre. Equivalently, it is the curve traced out by a point that moves in a plane so that its distance from a given point is const ...

) * 1984: ''Fungi Mama'' (Circle) * 1986: ''A Jazz Songbook'' (

Enja Enja Records is a German jazz record company and label based in Munich which was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971. The label's first release was by Mal Waldron, and early releases included European and Ja ...

) * 1989: ''Stax of Sax'' (

Fresh Sound Fresh Sound, or Fresh Sound New Talent, is a jazz record label established in Barcelona, Spain, by Jordi Pujol. The label was initially founded as a reissue label. The catalog includes work by musicians both major and minor that was recorded be ...

) – reissue of ''Fire in the West'' * 1990: ''That Geller Feller'' (Fresh Sound) – reissue of ''Fire in the West'' * 1993: ''Herb Geller Quartet'' (V.S.O.P.) * 1996: ''Birdland Stomp'' (Fresh Sound) * 1996: ''Plays the Al Cohn Songbook'' ( Hep) * 1997: ''Playing Jazz'' (Fresh Sound) * 1998: ''You're Looking at Me'' (Fresh Sound) * 1998: ''I'll Be Back'' (Hep) * 1999: ''Hollywood Portraits'' (Hep) * 2002: ''To Benny and Johnny'' (Hep) * 2005: ''The Herb Geller Sextette'' (Membran) (reissue from 1954) * 2005: ''The Gellers'' (Membran) (reissue from 1955) * 2006: ''Herb & Lorraine Geller: Two of a Kind'' Complete Recordings 1954–1955 (reissue) * 2006: ''Plays the Arthur Schwartz Songbook'' (Hep) * 2007: ''At the Movies'' with

Don Friedman Donald Ernest Friedman (May 4, 1935 – June 30, 2016) was an American jazz pianist. He began playing in Los Angeles and moved to New York in 1958. In the 1960s, he played with both modern stylists and more traditional musicians. Early life Fr ...

(Hep) * 2009: '' An Evening with Herb Geller & The Roberto Magris Trio – Live in Europe 2009'' (JMood, 2014)

As sideman

With

Manny Albam Manny Albam (June 24, 1922 – October 2, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, record producer, and educator. Early life A native of the Dominican Republic, Albam grew up in New York City. He was attracted to jazz at an ea ...

* ''Jazz Greats of Our Time'', Vol. 2. (Coral) * ''Jazz Lab Vol. 12'' (MCA Coral, 1957) With

* ''

The Trumpet Artistry of Chet Baker ''The Trumpet Artistry of Chet Baker'' is an album by jazz trumpeter Chet Baker recorded in 1953 and 1954 and released on the Pacific Jazz label.

'' (Pacific Jazz, 1953) * '' Grey December'' (Pacific Jazz, 1953; reissued 1992) * ''My Favourite Songs Vols. 1 and 2: The Last Great Concert'' (Enja, 1988) * ''My Funny Valentine '' (Philology) With

*''

The Brilliant Bellson Sound ''The Brilliant Bellson Sound'' is an album by American jazz drummer Louis Bellson featuring performances recorded in 1959 for the Verve label.

'' (Verve, 1959) *''

Louis Bellson at The Flamingo ''Louis Bellson at The Flamingo'' is a live album by American jazz drummer Louis Bellson featuring performances recorded in Las Vegas in 1957 for the Verve label.

'' (Verve, 1959) With

*''

Best Coast Jazz ''Best Coast Jazz'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown featuring tracks recorded in 1954 and released on the EmArcy label.Joe Maini Joe Maini (February 8, 1930 – May 7, 1964) was an American jazz alto saxophonist. Maini was born February 8, 1930 in Providence, Rhode Island. Early in his career Maini played in the big bands of Alvino Rey, Johnny Bothwell, and Claude Thornhil ...

Walter Benton Walter Benton (September 8, 1930 in Los Angeles – August 14, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Benton first began playing saxophone as a high schooler in Los Angeles. After three years of service in the Army in the early 1950s, he ...

*''

Clifford Brown All Stars ''Clifford Brown All Stars'' (also released as ''Caravan'') is an album by American jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown featuring tracks recorded in 1954 but released on the EmArcy label posthumously in 1956.Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...

* ''

Jam Session featuring Maynard Ferguson ''Jam Session featuring Maynard Ferguson'' is an album by Canadian jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson featuring tracks recorded in early 1954 and released on the EmArcy Records, EmArcy label.Dimensions In physics and mathematics, the dimension of a mathematical space (or object) is informally defined as the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify any point within it. Thus, a line has a dimension of one (1D) because only one coordina ...

'' (EmArcy, 1955) * ''

Maynard Ferguson Octet ''Maynard Ferguson Octet'' is an album by Canadian jazz trumpeter/trombonist Maynard Ferguson featuring tracks recorded in 1955 and released on the EmArcy label.Around the Horn with Maynard Ferguson ''Around the Horn with Maynard Ferguson'' is an album led by Canadian jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson featuring tracks recorded in 1955 and 1956 and released on the EmArcy label.Minn, M.Maynard Ferguson discographyaccessed October 30, 2015 Rece ...

'' (EmArcy, 1956) With

* ''B.G. World Wide'' (TCB/SWI, 1956) * ''Santiaga De Chile 1961'' (TCB) * ''Swing Swing Swing'', Vol. 1- 5 (Musicmasters) * ''Yale Recordings'', Vols. 1- 6 (Musicmasters, 1991) * ''Yale Recordings'', Vol. 8 (Musicmasters, 1957) With

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appe ...

* ''Anita O'Day Sings the Winners'' (Verve, 1991) * ''Pick Yourself up with Anita O'Day'' (Verve, 1956) With

* ''

Shorty Rogers Courts the Count ''Shorty Rogers Courts the Count'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter, composer and arranger Shorty Rogers, released on the RCA Victor label in 1954.Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers'' (RCA Victor, 1957) * ''

Portrait of Shorty ''Portrait of Shorty'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter composer and arranger Shorty Rogers which was released on the RCA Victor label in 1958. Reception Allmusic awarded the album 3 stars. On All About Jazz Jack Bowers stated "there’s p ...

'' (RCA Victor, 1957) * ''

Afro-Cuban Influence ''Afro-Cuban Influence'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter and arranger Shorty Rogers which was released by RCA Victor in 1958.The Wizard of Oz and Other Harold Arlen Songs ''The Wizard of Oz and Other Harold Arlen Songs'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter and arranger Shorty Rogers performing songs composed by Harold Arlen including several from '' The Wizard of Oz''. The album was issued by RCA Victor in 1959 ...

'' (RCA Victor, 1959) with

*''

Dinah Jams ''Dinah Jams'' is the second studio album by vocalist Dinah Washington. It was recorded live In Los Angeles in 1954. ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' in 1955 wrote: "The instrumental solos are excellent and the entire package is well recorded ...

'' (EmArcy, 1954) *''

Jam Session A jam session is a relatively informal musical event, process, or activity where musicians, typically instrumentalists, play improvised solos and vamp over tunes, drones, songs, and chord progressions. To "jam" is to improvise music without exte ...

'' (EmArcy, 1954) – with

*''

Dinah! ''Dinah!'' is a daytime variety talk show that was hosted by singer and actress Dinah Shore. The series was distributed by 20th Century Fox Television and premiered on October 21, 1974, in syndication. In 1979, the show became known as ''Dinah ...

'' (EmArcy, 1956) With others * ''The Alpin Power Plant Recorded in Switzerland'' ( MPS, 1972) * ''Bravissimo II – 50 Years NDR Bigband'' (ACT, 1998) * ''Blue Night Special'' (Milan) (1993) *

Buddy Bregman Louis Isidore "Buddy" Bregman (July 9, 1930 – January 8, 2017) was an American arranger and conductor. Biography Bregman was born in Chicago. His father was an executive in the steel industry. His uncle was songwriter Jule Styne. He spe ...

Swinging Kicks ''Swinging Kicks'' is a 1957 album by the jazz arranger Buddy Bregman. The album was released as ''I Love Listening to Buddy Bregman'' by HMV in the United Kingdom. Reception Scott Yanow reviewed the album for AllMusic and wrote that it was "Bec ...

'' (Verve, 1957) *

'' Over the Rainbow'' (MusicMasters, 1989) *

Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band The Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band was a jazz big band co-led by American drummer Kenny Clarke and Belgian pianist Francy Boland, François "Francy" Boland. They were one of the most noteworthy jazz big bands formed outside the United States, ...

Change of Scenes ''Change of Scenes'' is an album by saxophonist Stan Getz, Francy Boland and the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band which was released on the Verve label in 1971.

'' (Verve, 1971) *

Don Fagerquist Donald Alton Fagerquist (February 6, 1927 – January 23, 1974) was a small group, big band, and studio jazz trumpet player from the West Coast of the United States. Career Fagerquist was a featured soloist with several major bands, including M ...

, ''Music to Fill a Void'' (V.S.O.P., 1957) * Herbie Fields, ''Jazz Lab. Vol.9'' (Coral, 1954) *

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook ''Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book'' is a 1956 studio double album by American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, accompanied by a studio orchestra conducted and arranged by Buddy Bregman, focusing on the songs of Cole Porter. Background ...

'' (Verve, 1956) * Bob Florence And His Orchestra, ''Name Band: 1959'' (Fresh Sound) * Lorraine Geller, ''Lorraine Geller Memorial'' (

, 1954) * Nils Gessinger, ''Ducks N Cookies'' (GRP, 1995) * Nils Gessinger, ''Pass -ion'' (2011) * John Graas Septet And Nonet ''Jazz Lab Vol. 19'' (Coral) *

Rhythm Combination and Brass, ''Wide Open'' (MPS, 1973) * Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination and Brass ''Peter Herbolzheimer Masterpieces'' (MPS) * Bill Holman, ''The Bill Holman Octet'' (

,1954) * Bill Holman, ''In a Jazz Orbit'' –(V.S.O.P., 1958) *

, ''This Is How I Feel About Jazz'' (ABC Paramount/ GRP, 1992) *

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...

This Modern World ''This Modern World'' is a weekly satirical comic strip by cartoonist and political commentator Tom Tomorrow (real name Dan Perkins) that covers current events from a left-wing point of view. Published continuously for more than 30 years, ''This M ...

'' (Capitol, 1953); reissued on ''Plays Bob Graettinger: City Of Glass'' (Capitol, 1995) *

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...

'' (Contemporary, 1959) *

, ''Big Band Connection'' – (Milan) (1993) *

Trio with Herb Geller, ''Stockholm Get Together'' – (Fresh Sound) (1994) *

Europlane feat. Herb Geller – '' Il Bello del Jazz'' (

Soul Note Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz. History Black S ...

, 2006) *

, '' Shelly Manne & His Men Play Peter Gunn'' (Contemporary, 1959) * Jack Millman, ''Jazz Lab. Vol. 11'' (Coral, 1955) *

, ''The Picasso of Big Band Jazz'' ( Candid, 1990) * Ralph Pena, ''Master Of The Bass'' (V.S.O.P.) *

Art Pepper Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American alto saxophonist and very occasional tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. Active in West Coast jazz, Pepper came to prominence in Stan Kenton's big band. He was known ...

Art Pepper + Eleven – Modern Jazz Classics '' Art Pepper + Eleven – Modern Jazz Classics'' is a 1960 jazz album by saxophonist Art Pepper and a group of other musicians performing arrangements by Marty Paich, who directed the ensemble. Background The recording is one of several dates ...

'' (Contemporary, 1959) *

Jimmy Rowles James George Hunter (August 19, 1918 – May 28, 1996), known professionally as Jimmy Rowles (sometimes spelled Jimmie Rowles), was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, and composer. As a bandleader and accompanist, he explored multiple styles in ...

, ''Weather In A Jazz Vane'' (V.S.O.P., 1958) * Inga Rumpf With the NDR Big Band, ''It's A Man's World'' (Extra) *

Howard Rumsey Howard Rumsey (November 7, 1917 – July 15, 2015) was an American jazz double-bassist known for his leadership of the Lighthouse All-Stars in the 1950s. Biography Born in Brawley, California, United States, Rumsey first began playing the piano ...

, ''Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse Allstars'' (Contemporary) * Wolfgang Schlüter with The NDR Big Band, ''Good Vibrations'' (Extra) * Bill Smith Quintet '' Americans in Europe Vol. 1'' (

Impulse! Impulse! Records (occasionally styled as "¡mpulse! Records" and "¡!") is an American jazz record company and label established by Creed Taylor in 1960. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s earliest signings. Thanks to consistent sales and positiv ...

, 1963) *

Earle Spencer Robert Earle Spencer (born 26 June 1925 Welborn, Kansas – 19 September 1973 Fillmore, Utah) was an American trombonist and leader of a progressive swing big band bearing his name — Earle Spencer and His Orchestra. He formed the band in 1946 ...

(1949) *

Mel Tormé Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "The Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an Op ...

, ''Mel Tormé Collection'' (Rhino, 1996) * Klaus Weiss Orchestra, ''Live At The Domicile'' (ATM) * Klaus Weiss Orchestra, ''I Just Want to Celebrate'' (

BASF BASF Societas Europaea, SE () is a German multinational corporation, multinational chemical company and the List of largest chemical producers, largest chemical producer in the world. Its headquarters is located in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The ...

, 1971) *

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...

, ''Here's What I'm Here For'' (Discovery/Antones, 1957) * Phil Wilson, ''The Wizard of Oz Suite'' (Capri, 1989)

References

External links

*
Detailed and regularly updated Herb Geller DiscographyCompositions of Herb Geller
{{DEFAULTSORT:Geller, Herb American jazz alto saxophonists American jazz baritone saxophonists American jazz clarinetists American jazz composers American male jazz composers American jazz flautists American jazz soprano saxophonists American jazz tenor saxophonists American male saxophonists American music arrangers Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Jazz musicians from California Musicians from Los Angeles 1928 births 2013 deaths Enja Records artists EmArcy Records artists Deaths from pneumonia in Germany Earle Spencer Orchestra members Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band members Susan Miller Dorsey High School alumni Norddeutscher Rundfunk people 20th-century American saxophonists 20th-century flautists