Rick Kiefer


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Trumpeter, born 24 May 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, died 2 March 2025

Worked in New York City with the orchestras of Benny Goodman, Woody Herman and Tito Puente during the late 1950s and was a member of Maynard Ferguson’s band from 1959 until 1963.

Kiefer moved to Germany in 1965 and joined the orchestras of Max Greger (1966), Kurt Edelhagen (1967-1973) and later James Last’s orchestra, the Clarke-Boland Big Band, Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass and the WDR Big Band Köln (1977-2004).

ALBUMS


Rick Kiefer
Lush Life
1975, LP, Album, Omega International, ,
Fusion/Jazz-Funk/Easy Listening
Mark Anthony*, Rob Pronk, Hans Rettenbacher, Milan Lulić, Tony Inzalaco, Rick Kiefer, Jiggs Whigham, Chor Der Auferstehungskirche Düsseldorf-Oberkassel
Oh Happy Day
1970, LP, Life Records (4)
Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass
Babo / That Ol' Bus Smell
2024, 7", Single, Ltd, MPS Records, WallenBink, ,
Big Band/Jazz-Funk
WDR Big Band Köln
The World Of Duke Ellington Box
2008, 3xCD, Album, Comp, BHM Productions
WDR Big Band Köln
Tango Y Postango
2004
Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass
Masterpieces
1995, ,
Big Band
Clarke-Boland Big Band
Blowing The Cobwebs Out
1994, 2xCD, Comp, Ltd, Emanon, ,
Big Band
Clarke-Boland Big Band
Historically Speaking
1993, 2xCD, Comp + Box, Dlx, Ltd, Num, Met, Emanon, ,
Big Band/Contemporary Jazz
Festival Big Band
Explosive!
1971, ,
Big Band
The Max Greger Big Band
Maximum
1965, ,
Big Band
WDR Big Band Köln
Caribbean Night
2010

APPEARANCES +


Kurt Edelhagen & His Orchestra*
The Unreleased WDR Jazz Recordings 1957 - 1974
2021, 3x CD, ,
Big Band
Various
Utopic Cities : Progressive Jazz In Belgium 1968-1979
2021, 2x Vinyl Marbled Grey,
Junges Forum 65
Unreleased Tapes From The MPS-Studio
2018, 2xLP, Album, Ltd, HGBS BLUE RECORDS, ,
Big Band
Various
Jazz Am Rhein
2017, 6xCD, Album, RM + Box, BE! Jazz, ,
Free Jazz/Modal/Post Bop/Contemporary Jazz/Big Band
Peter Herbolzheimer
Hip Walk - The Complete Polydor Recordings
2015, 4xCD, Comp, RM, Polydor, ,
Free Jazz/Disco/Big Band/Jazz-Rock/Easy Listening/Jazz-Funk
Various
North Sea Jazz Legendary Concerts
2013, LP, Comp, Ltd, Music On Vinyl, ,
Bop/Fusion
Maynard Ferguson
Maynard '61 + "Straightaway" Jazz Themes
2013, CD, Comp, RM, American Jazz Classics, ,
Big Band
Randy Brecker w/ Michael Brecker − Jim Beard, Will Lee, Peter Erskine, Marcio Doctor + The WDR Big Band Köln* Conducted By Vince Mendoza
Some Skunk Funk - Live At Leverkusener Jazztage
2013
Various
Chill-Out Jazz
2009, CD, Comp, RM, Boutique, ,
Smooth Jazz
Peter Herbolzheimer
Big Band Man
2008, 4xCD, Comp, RM, MPS Records, ,
Free Jazz/Disco/Big Band/Jazz-Rock/Easy Listening/Jazz-Funk
WDR Big Band Köln Featuring Phil Woods & John Riley
The World Of Duke Ellington Vol.3
2008
Various
German Funk Fieber Vol. 2 - Infectious Rare Grooves & Krauty Schlager Wonders 1969-1978
2008, 2x Vinyl, ,
Soul-Jazz/Jazz-Funk/Soul/Funk/Schlager
WDR Big Band Köln Conducted By John Clayton Featuring Dianne Reeves, Ray Brown, Jeff Hamilton, Benny Green
The World Of Duke Ellington Vol.2
2008
WDR Big Band Köln Conducted By Jerry Van Rooyen Featuring Freda Payne, Milt Grayson, Jimmy Woode, Grady Tate
The World Of Duke Ellington Vol.1
2008, ,
Big Band
Maynard Ferguson
Dancing Sessions
2007, CD, Comp, Jazz Beat, ,
Big Band
Maynard Ferguson
The Essential Maynard Ferguson
2007, 2x CD, ,
Big Band
WDR Big Band Köln Feat. Joe Williams / Milt Jackson W/ Cedar Walton, John Clayton & Jeff Hamilton
Blues & Beyond
2007
Various
Talkin' Jazz
2007, CD, ,
Swing/Big Band/Jazz-Funk/Latin Jazz
Various
Jazz Swings Pop
2006, CD, Comp, RM, Verve Records, Universal Music Group, ,
Soul-Jazz/Latin Jazz/Easy Listening/Big Band/Swing
James Last
Live In Germany
2005, ,
Easy Listening/Pop Rock/Schlager
Various
Voices Of Concord Jazz - Live At Montreux
2004
Various
Forum West - Modern Jazz From West Germany 1962-1968
2004, ,
Cool Jazz/Bop/Hard Bop/Post Bop/Modal
Wolfgang Niedecken Und Die WDR Big Band Köln
NiedeckenKoeln
2004, ,
Big Band
Stan Kenton
From The Creative World Of Stan Kenton Comes... A Merry Christmas!
2003, ,
Big Band/Holiday
James Last
Gold (Greatest Hits)
2003
Gianluigi Trovesi
Dedalo
2002, CD, Album, Enja Records, ,
Contemporary Jazz
Thorsten Wollmann, WDR Big Band Cologne* Featuring Hayden Chisholm
Colours Of Siam
2002, CD, Album, In+Out Records, ,
Fusion
Patti Austin
For Ella
2002, CD, ,
Big Band/Vocal/Swing
Jan Klare / Eckard Koltermann, WDR Big Band Köln
WDR Big Band Köln
2000, CD, Album, NRW Jazz, ,
Big Band
Caterina Valente
Kurt Weill - American Songs
2000, CD, Album, Bear Family Records, ,
Big Band
Lalo Schifrin, WDR Big Band Cologne*, Trilok Gurtu, James Morrison, Don Byron, Greg Hutchinson*, Sydney Thiam, Nestor Marconi*, Simon Stockhausen, Jean-Luc Ponty
Esperanto
2000, CD, Album, Aleph Records, ,
Big Band
Ronnie Ross & His Band
Unforgettable Ronnie Ross
2000, CD, Album, INMUS,
Lalo Schifrin
Bullitt
2000, CD, Album, Aleph Records, ,
Soundtrack/Score/Theme/Big Band
Kevin Mahogany, Charles McPherson, Jimmy Knepper, Dennis Mackrel And The WDR Big Band Köln
Pussy Cat Dues "The Music Of Charles Mingus"
2000, ,
Vocal/Post Bop/Big Band
Various
Dutch Jazz Giants
2000, 10x CD, Box Set, ,
Gypsy Jazz/Dixieland/Swing/Hard Bop
Various
Between Or Beyond The Black Forest 2
2000, ,
Soul-Jazz/Fusion/Jazz-Funk
Lalo Schifrin
Bullitt
2000, ,
Soundtrack/Score/Theme/Big Band
Stan Getz
Stan Getz's Finest Hour
2000, ,
Post Bop/Cool Jazz/Bossa Nova/Big Band
Lalo Schifrin
Latin Jazz Suite
1999, ,
Big Band/Latin Jazz
Lalo Schifrin
Jazz Mass In Concert
1998, CD, Album, Aleph Records, ,
Big Band
The Kühn Humair Jenny-Clark*
Collection
1998, CD, Comp, CMP Records, CMP Records, ,
Contemporary Jazz/Cool Jazz/Big Band
Peter Erskine
Behind Closed Doors Volume One
1998, CD, Album, Fuzzy Music, ,
Big Band/Contemporary Jazz/Fusion
Carmen McRae
Dream Of Life
1998, ,
Bop/Swing/Vocal/Ballad
James Last
The Sound Of James Last
1997, 3xCD, Comp, Spectrum
Werner Tautz, Various
Looking Into The Past
1997, CD, Comp, Bliss Records (8)
Maynard Ferguson And His Orchestra*
The New Sound Of Maynard Ferguson And His Orchestra 1964
1997, ,
Big Band
WDR Big Band Köln Conducted By Vince Mendoza
Caribbean Night
1997, ,
Big Band/Contemporary Jazz
Markus & Simon Stockhausen
Jubilee
1996, CD, Album, EMI
Various
Sweets .... (... Making Merry)
1996, CD, Comp, Bliss Records (8)
The Rob Pronk Jazz-Orchestra
It Happened Yesterday
1995, CD, Album, Alabianca Records, ,
Big Band/Contemporary Jazz
Helen Schneider
Right As The Rain
1995, ,
Big Band/Vocal
Jerry Van Rooijen* with The Dutch Jazz Orchestra
On The Scene
1994, CD, Album, Timeless (9), ,
Big Band
Bob Brookmeyer
Electricity
1994, ,
Fusion/Big Band/Contemporary Jazz/Avant-garde Jazz
The Mendoza / Mardin Project*
Jazzpaña
1993, ,
Fusion/Flamenco/Big Band
Peter Herborn
Traces Of Trane
1992, ,
Contemporary Jazz
Joachim Kühn, Daniel Humair, J.-F. Jenny-Clark* & WDR Big Band*
Carambolage
1992
Jim McNeely Feat.: Marc Johnson (2), John Scofield, Adam Nussbaum & WDR Big Band*
East Coast Blow Out
1991, ,
Fusion
Mel Lewis & WDR Big Band*
Last Recordings
1990, CD, Comp, Jazzline, ,
Big Band/Contemporary Jazz
The Netherlands' Concert Jazzband Conducted By Henk Meutgeert
Live On TV
1988, CD, Album, NOS, Conamus
Various
Big Band Jazz
1986, ,
Big Band
Sarah Vaughan
The Planet Is Alive ... Let It Live!
1985, ,
Big Band/Romantic
Airto Moreira, Gil Evans, WDR Big Band*
Misa Espiritual – Airto's Brazilian Mass
1983, LP, Album, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, ,
Afro-Cuban Jazz/Fusion/Cumbia/Latin Jazz
Edek Bartz
Ich Habe Lust Auf Liebe
1983, LP, Album, EMI, EMI Columbia, ,
Chanson/Vocal/Easy Listening
Maynard Ferguson
One Night Stand With Maynard Ferguson
1983, LP, Album, Joyce
Ralph Haldenby
Wide World
1982, LP, UBM Records, ,
Disco/Jazz-Funk/Easy Listening
Ralph Haldenby
Wide World
1982
Jiggs Whigham, Bill Holman, Mel Lewis, WDR Big Band And Strings
The Third Stone
1982, Vinyl, ,
Jazz-Rock/Fusion/Contemporary Jazz/Big Band
Stan Getz
Stan Getz
1980, 3xLP, Comp + Box, Book-Of-The-Month Records, ,
Cool Jazz/Latin Jazz
Herbie Mann - Maynard Ferguson
The Herbie Mann-Maynard Ferguson Years
1980, ,
Big Band/Afro-Cuban Jazz
Werner Müller Und Die WDR Big Band*
Tanzparty International
1979, LP, Marifon, ,
Easy Listening
Die Original All-Star Dixiecompany
Down By The Riverside
1979
Various
The Jazz Rock Album
1979, 2x Vinyl Gatefold,
James Last
World Hits
1978, ,
Vocal/Disco
Lerryn
Goya Malt Karl IV
1978,
Orchestra Kai Warner* And Voices The Daylights*
Disco 1978
1977, ,
Disco
Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass Introducing Don Adams
Touchdown
1977, ,
Jazz-Funk/Modal/Big Band
Jazz Gala Big Band Orchestra conducted by Peter Herbolzheimer Guest Soloists Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Nat Adderley, Jean "Toots" Thielemans*
Jazz Gala Concert
1976, ,
Big Band/Contemporary Jazz
James Last
In The Mood For Trumpets
1975
Various
Get In Touch
1974, ,
Soul-Jazz/Fusion/Jazz-Funk/Jazz-Rock/Free Jazz
James Last
James Last Live
1974
Greetje Kauffeld
And Let The Music Play
1974, Vinyl, ,
Samba/Big Band/Ballad/Jazz-Funk/Easy Listening
Time Travellers (5) / The Galactic Light Orchestra
Galaxis
1974, ,
Fusion
Rundfunkorchester Hannover Des Norddeutschen Rundfunks*
Unterhaltungsmusik Von Heute '73
1973, LP, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, ,
Easy Listening
Rhythm Combination & Brass* Leader: Peter Herbolzheimer
Waitaminute
1973, Vinyl Blue, ,
Jazz-Rock/Jazz-Funk/Big Band
Rhythm Combination & Brass*, Peter Herbolzheimer
Wide Open
1973, ,
Big Band/Jazz-Funk/Afro-Cuban Jazz
Sara Hamilton
Someone Ought To Care
1973
Various
Heidelberger Jazztage '72 (The Authentic Live Recording)
1973, 2x Vinyl, ,
Fusion/Soul-Jazz/Contemporary Jazz
Das Orchester Kurt Edelhagen*
Jazz/Pop
1972, LP, Album, Westdeutscher Rundfunk, ,
Big Band
Maynard Ferguson & His Orchestra
The Big Band Sound Of Maynard Ferguson
1972, LP, Comp, Roulette, ,
Big Band
The MPS Rhythm Combination & Brass* Leader: Peter Herbolzheimer
My Kind Of Sunshine
1972, ,
Soul-Jazz/Big Band/Jazz-Funk/Latin Jazz
Mladen Bobby Gutesha*
...Und...
1972
Maynard Ferguson And His Orchestra*
A Message From Newport / Newport Suite
1972, ,
Big Band
Various
NDR Jazz-Workshop '71
1971, LP, Promo, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, ,
Fusion/Modal/Post Bop
Stan Getz / Francy Boland / The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band*
Change Of Scenes
1971
The Kenny Clarke - Francy Boland Big Band*
Off Limits
1971, ,
Big Band/Latin Jazz/Modal
Kurt Edelhagen And His Orchestra*
Kurt Edelhagen Plays Jim Webb
1970
Various
Mednarodni International Jazz-Festival Ljubljana '69
1969, LP, Album, Mono, Helidon
Various
Jazz Am Rhein
1967, LP, Album, Columbia, Columbia, ,
Hard Bop/Bop/Swing
Kurt Edelhagen Und Seine All-Star-Band* • Leo Wright • Rolf Und Joachim Kühn Quartet*
Jazz Im WDR
1967, Acetate, LP, Neuphone Records
Don Menza
Morning Song
1966, ,
Hard Bop/Modal
Various
Hot Baby Hi-Fi Dancetime
1965, LP, Fontana
Maynard Ferguson And His Orchestra*
The New Sounds Of Maynard Ferguson And His Orchestra
1963, ,
Big Band
Chris Connor And Maynard Ferguson
Double Exposure
1961, ,
Big Band
Anthony Zano And Orchestra*
The Gathering Place
1960, LP, Balmore, ,
Big Band
Maynard Ferguson
Newport Suite
1960, ,
Big Band
The Original All Star Dixie Company*
The Original All Star Dixie Company
LP, Comp, Marifon
WDR Big Band* • Leitung Peter Herbolzheimer
Harlem Story
,
Big Band/Musical/Vocal/Swing
Bob Brookmeyer, Jim Hall, Mel Lewis, WDR Big Band Cologne*
On The Way To The Sky
Stan Getz Quartet
Live At Sir Morgan's Cove 1973
2011, 2xCD, Unofficial, Gambit Records,