Orchester Kurt Edelhagen - Live in 1954
Paulussaal Freiburg, November 29, 1954
Mustermesse Basel, December 16, 1954
Studio Recordings Baden-Baden, July 16, 17 / December 20, 1954
Hans Gottfried "Hanne" Wilfert (leader), Rolf Schneebiegl, Siegfried Achhammer, Klaus Mitschele (tp) / Heinz Herrmannsdörfer (leader), Otto Bredl, Werner Betz, Helmut Hauck (tb) / Helmut Reinhardt (bs, as/leader), Franz von Klenck (as), Paul Martin (ts), Kurt "Bubi" Aderhold (ts), Johnny Feigl (bs) / Werner Drexler (p), Werner Schulze (b), Bobby Schmidt (dr)
Feat. Mary Lou Williams (p), Caterina Valente (voc)
1954. Germany, a nation under Allied occupation and still bearing the scars of its Nazi past, tunes its radios to witness the "Miracle of Bern" and world cup victory just nine years after being at war. At the same time in Baden-Baden a perfectionist bandleader with horn-rimmed spectacles and a baton was recording Tuxedo Junction and You Go To My Head. Kurt Edelhagen, dubbed "Prussian" for his legendary rehearsal discipline and severity with players, harbored a single-minded desire to match the great Stan Kenton. Südwestfunk had already been broadcasting jazz for six years by the time Joachim-Ernst Berendt, an editor with horn-rimmed spectacles and a mission, began organizing a concert series of his own in March 1954: "Jazztime Baden-Baden".
Then came the encounter between the Grande Dame of stride piano Mary Lou Williams, "Colonel" Edelhagen and his rhythm group. In November the orchestra headed to Switzerland to perform the "Miracle of Basel": with the big band and Allstars unfettered, the orchestra at last achieved that Kenton feel. Discipline and free thought combined, a rhythm section in full swing mode. Tuxedo Junction featured a Mulliganesque Helmut Reinhardt; clear and sweet, Franz von Klenck's solo in You Go To My Head. Yes, indeed: Lester Leaps In. And Basel succumbed to a fräuleinwunder: only the previous year Edelhagen had turned Caterina Valente into a household name - and here she was now being showered with admiration like Pennies From Heaven. One encore - a showpiece that ended up as a suite: Alpha Jazz by Roland Kovac. Roll on 1955!