Misha Mengelberg (5 June 1935 – 3 March 2017) was a Dutch

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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

pianist and composer.Feather, Leonard & Gitler, Ira (2007) ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 459. Oxford University Press. A prominent figure in post-WWII European Jazz, Mengelberg is known for his forays into

free improvisation Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any general rules, instead following the intuition of its performers. The term can refer to both a technique—employed by any musician in any genre—and as a recognizable genre of ...

, for bringing humor into his music, and as a leading interpreter of songs by fellow pianists

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the Jazz standard, standard jazz repertoire, includ ...

and

Herbie Nichols Herbert Horatio Nichols (January 3, 1919 – April 12, 1963) was an American jazz pianist and composer who wrote the jazz standard " Lady Sings the Blues". Obscure during his lifetime, he is now highly regarded by many musicians and critics. Lif ...

Biography

Mengelberg was born in

Kiev Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...

, the son of the Dutch conductor (1902-1984) and grand-nephew of conductor

Willem Mengelberg Joseph Wilhelm Mengelberg (28 March 1871 – 21 March 1951) was a Dutch conductor, famous for his performances of Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler and Strauss with the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest ...

. Karel Mengelberg was a Dutch composer and conductor, who worked in Berlin, Barcelona, Kiev and Amsterdam. A notable work of his was 'Catalunya Renaixent', written for the Banda Municipal of Barcelona in 1934. Misha's family moved back to the Netherlands in the late 1930s and he began learning the piano at age five. He was considered a

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

marvel at age nine. He would continue to compete in chess championships in the 1970s despite his musical career. Mengelberg briefly studied architecture before entering the Royal Conservatory in

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

, where he studied music from 1958 to 1964. While there he won the first prize at a jazz festival in

Loosdrecht Loosdrecht () is a town in the municipality of Wijdemeren, North Holland, the Netherlands, with a population of about 8,600 inhabitants. Loosdrecht consists of two small villages: Nieuw-Loosdrecht and Oud-Loosdrecht. Nieuw Loosdrecht covers a ...

and became associated with

Fluxus Fluxus was an international, interdisciplinary community of artists, composers, designers, and poets during the 1960s and 1970s who engaged in experimental performance art, art performances which emphasized the artistic process over the finishe ...

. His early influences included

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

and

John Cage John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and Extended technique, non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one ...

, whom he heard lecture at

Darmstadt Darmstadt () is a city in the States of Germany, state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Area, Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it the ...

. Mengelberg won the Gaudeamus International Composers Award in 1961. Among his first recordings was one of

Eric Dolphy Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader. Primarily an alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist, and flautist, Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gain ...

's last, '' Last Date'' (1964). Also on that record was the drummer

Han Bennink Han Bennink (born 17 April 1942) is a Dutch drummer and percussionist. On occasion his recordings have featured him playing soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, trombone, violin, banjo and piano. Though perhaps best known as one of the pivotal figu ...

, and the two of them, together with saxophonist Piet Noordijk, formed a quartet which had a number of different bassists, and which played at the

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hire ...

in 1966. In 1967 he co-founded the Instant Composers Pool, an organisation which promoted avant garde Dutch jazz performances and recordings, with Bennink and

Willem Breuker Willem Breuker (4 November 1944 – 23 July 2010) was a Dutch bandleader, composer, arranger, saxophonist, and clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindri ...

. He was co-founder of STEIM in Amsterdam in 1969. Mengelberg played with a large variety of musicians. He often performed in a duo with fellow Dutchman Bennink, with other collaborators including Derek Bailey,

Peter Brötzmann Peter Brötzmann (6 March 1941 – 22 June 2023) was a German jazz saxophonist and clarinetist regarded as a central and pioneering figure in European free jazz. Throughout his career, he released over fifty albums as a bandleader. Amongst his m ...

, Evan Parker,

Anthony Braxton Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Chi ...

, and (on the flip side of a live recording with Dolphy) his pet parrot. He was also one of the earliest exponents of the work of the once-neglected pianist

. He also wrote music for others to perform (generally leaving some room for improvisation) and oversaw a number of music theatre productions, which usually included a large element of absurdist humour. A 2006 DVD release, ''Afijn'' (ICP/Data), is a primer on Mengelberg's life and work, containing an 80-minute documentary and additional concert footage. Mengelberg died in Amsterdam on 3 March 2017, aged 81, from undisclosed causes.

Discography

Solo albums

* 1979: ''Pech Onderweg'' (BV Haast) * 1982: ''Musica Per 17 Instrumenti / 3 Intermezzi /Omtrent Een Componistenactie'' Composer's Voice * 1994: ''Impromptus'' ( FMP) * 1997: ''Misha Mengelberg'' (I Dischi Di Angelica) * 1997: ''The Root Of The Problem'' ( hatOLOGY) * 1999: ''Two Days In Chicago'' (hatOLOGY) * 2000: ''Solo'' ( Buzz) * 2005: ''Senne Sing Song'' (

Tzadik Tzadik ( ''ṣaddīq'' , "righteous ne; also ''zadik'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadīqīm'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The root of the word ...

)

Collaborations

As leader * 1978: ''Groupcomposing'' ( Instant Composers Pool), with

, Evan Parker, Peter Bennink, Paul Rutherford, Derek Bailey, and Han Bennink * 1978: ''Fragments'' (Instant Composers Pool), with

John Tchicai John Martin Tchicai ( ; 28 April 1936 – 8 October 2012) was a Danish free jazz saxophonist and composer. Biography Tchicai was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to a Danish mother and a Congolese father. The family moved to Aarhus, where he s ...

, Han Bennink, and Derek Bailey * 1985: ''Change of Season (Music of Herbie Nichols)'' ( Soul Note), with Steve Lacy, George E. Lewis, Arjen Gorter, and Han Bennink * 1985: ''On Escalation / 3 Pianopieces / Dialogue / Summer'' (Attacca), with Peter Schat, Jan Van Vlijmen, and Otto Ketting * 1991: ''Dutch Masters'' (Soul Note), with Steve Lacy, George Lewis, Ernst Reijseger, and Han Bennink * 1994: ''Who's Bridge'' (

Avant Avant can refer to: People * Avant, part of music production team Bloodshy & Avant * Avant (singer), Myron Avant, an American singer * Clarence Avant, a music executive * Jason Avant, is a US American football player Places * Avant, Oklahoma, ...

), with Misha Mengelberg Trio (Brad Jones,

Joey Baron Bernard Joseph Baron (born June 26, 1955 in Richmond, Virginia) is an American drummer best-known for working in avant-garde jazz with Bill Frisell and John Zorn. Music career Baron, who is of Jewish heritage, was born on June 26, 1955, in Ric ...

) * 1997: ''Live In Holland '97'' (X-OR), with

Mats Gustafsson Mats Olof Gustafsson (born 29 October 1964) is a Swedish free jazz saxophone player. Career Gustafsson came to the attention of lovers of improvised music as part of a duo with Christian Munthe (started in 1986), as member of Gunter Chris ...

and Gert-Jan Prins * 1998: ''No Idea'' ( DIW), with Misha Mengelberg Trio (

Greg Cohen Greg Cohen (born July 13, 1953) is an American jazz bassist who has been a member of John Zorn's Masada quartet and worked with numerous other noted musicians for over four decades. Career Cohen plays traditional jazz and other styles, includin ...

, Joey Baron) * 2001: ''Four in One'' (Songlines), with Misha Mengelberg Quartet ( Dave Douglas, Brad Jones, Han Bennink) * 2009: ''Mill'' (Conundrom), with Cor Fuhler and Michiel Scheen * 2011: ''It Won't Be Called Broken Chair'' (Psi), with Evan Parker * 2013: ''Lucebert / Jazz & Poetry '65'' (Uitgeverij Huis Clos), with Misha Mengelberg / Piet Noordijk Kwartet (Han Bennink, Rob Langereis) * 2014: ''Nunc!'' (Nemu), with Dirk Bell, Ryan Carniaux, Gerd Dudek, Joscha Oetz, and Nils Tegen With

* 1964: '' Last Date'' ( Fontana), live with Jacques Schols and

* 1974: ''Playing: Epistrophy, 1 June 1964 In Eindhoven, Holland'' ( Instant Composers Pool), including Schols and Bennink With

* 1968: ''Instant Composers Pool'' (Instant Composers Pool), with John Tchicai * 1971: ''Instant Composers Pool 010'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 1972: ''Een Mirakelse Tocht Door Het Scharrebroekse no. 1-6'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 1974: ''EinePartieTischtennis'' (FMP, Instant Composers Pool), live * 1975: ''Coincidents'' (Stichting ICP Geluidsdragers, Instant Composers Pool) * 1978: ''Midwoud 77'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 1979: ''A European Proposal (Live in Cremona)'' ( Horo), with Paul Rutherford and Mario Schiano * 1982: ''Bennink Mengelberg'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 1994: ''Mix'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 1996: ''The Instant Composers Pool 30 Years'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 1998: ''MiHa'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 2004: ''Senne Sing Song'' (

) With Louis Andriessen * 1969: ''Reconstructie'' ( STEIM), with Hugo Claus, Reinbert de Leeuw, Harry Mulisch, Peter Schat and Jan van Vlijmen With

ICP Orchestra Instant Composers Pool (ICP) is an independent Dutch jazz and improvised music record label, label and orchestra. Founded in 1967, the label takes its name from the concept that improvisation is "instant composition". The ICP label has publishe ...

* 1979: ''Live in Soncino'' (Instant Composers Pool, AD LIB) * 1982: ''Japan Japon'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 1984: ''Extension Red, White & Blue'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 1987: ''Two Programs: Performs Herbie Nichols and Thelonious Monk'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 1990: ''Bospaadje Konijnehol I'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 1991: ''Bospaadje Konijnehol II'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 1999: ''Jubilee Varia'' (hatOLOGY) * 2001: ''Oh, My Dog'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 2004: ''Aan & Uit'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 2006: ''Weer Is Een Dag Voorbij'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 2009: ''Live at the Bimhuis'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 2010: ''!ICP! 50'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 2010: ''ICP Orchestra'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 2014: ''East of the Sun'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 2015: ''Misha Enzovoort'' (Instant Composers Pool) * 2016: ''Restless in Pieces'' (Instant Composers Pool) With

*'' Anthony Braxton's Charlie Parker Project 1993'' (HatART, 1993

995 Year 995 (Roman numerals, CMXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * 17 May - Fujiwara no Michitaka (imperial regent) dies. * 3 June: Fujiwara no Michikane gains power and becomes Rege ...

With

* 1979: '' 3 Points and a Mountain'' (FMP), with Han Bennink With

Dudu Pukwana Mthutuzeli Dudu Pukwana (18 July 1938 – 30 June 1990) was a South African saxophonist and composer. Early years in South Africa Dudu Pukwana was born in Walmer, Port Elizabeth, Walmer Township, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He grew up studyin ...

* 1979: ''Yi Yole'' (Instant Composers Pool), with Han Bennink With Keshavan Maslak * 1980: ''Humanplexity'' ( Leo), with Han Bennink With

Roswell Rudd Roswell Hopkins Rudd Jr. (November 17, 1935 – December 21, 2017) was an American jazz trombonist and composer. Although skilled in a variety of genres of jazz (including Dixieland, which he performed while in college), and other genres of musi ...

* 1983: '' Regeneration'' (Soul Note), with Steve Lacy, Kent Carter, and Han Bennink With Pino Minafra * 1987: ''Tropic of the Mounted Sea Chicken'' (Splasc(H)), with Michele Lomuto, Han Bennink, and Unknown Artist With

Franz Koglmann Franz Koglmann (born 22 May 1947) is an Austrian jazz composer. He performs on both the trumpet and flugelhorn in most often in avant-garde jazz and third stream. An award-winning composer, Koglmann has performed or recorded with Lee Konitz, Paul ...

*1991: ''

L'Heure Bleue ''L'Heure Bleue'' is an album by trumpeter/flugelhornist Franz Koglmann which was recorded in Austria and Switzerland in 1991 and released on the Swiss Hathut Records, HatART label.Steve Lacy * 1996: ''Five Facings'' (FMP), with Marilyn Crispell, Ulrich Gumpert, Fred Van Hove, Vladimir Miller With Yuri Honing * 1998: ''Playing'' (Jazz in Motion) * 2000: ''Lively'' (Buzz), with Ernst Reijseger With Paul Termos * 2003: ''Termos Sessions Volume I'' (X-OR, Bimhuis) With Benjamin Herman * 2004: ''Heterogenity'' (X-OR, Bimhuis), featuring Bert Joris With Alessandra Patrucco * 2006: ''Circus'' (Instant Composers Pool), with Tristan Honsinger,

Ab Baars Ab Baars (born November 21, 1955, in Axel, Netherlands) is a Dutch saxophonist and clarinetist who has had an active performance career since the 1970s. He has recorded several albums for the Geestgronden Records, Atavistic Records, and WIG rec ...

, and Han Bennink With Frank Gratkowski * 2006: ''Frank Gratkowski Vis-à-vis Misha Mengelberg'' (Leo) With

and Ig Henneman * 2009: ''Sliptong'' (Wig 16) 2009, With Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra * '' Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra'' (ECM, 1990)

References

External links

1996 Mengelberg interview conducted by Dan WarburtonICP Orchestra Homepage
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mengelberg, Misha 1935 births 2017 deaths Dutch composers Dutch jazz pianists Free improvisation pianists Gaudeamus Composition Competition prize-winners Soviet emigrants to the Netherlands Post-bop pianists Avant-garde jazz pianists DIW Records artists

Misha Misha (), also known as Mishka () or The Olympic Mishka (), is the name of the Russian Bear mascot of the 1980 Summer Olympics, 1980 Moscow Olympic Games (the XXII Summer Olympics). He was designed by children's books illustrator Victor Chizhik ...

Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra members ICP Orchestra members FMP/Free Music Production artists Psi Records artists 20th-century Dutch chess players 20th-century Dutch sportsmen