Kurt Edelhagen
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Kurt Edelhagen, born June 5, 1920 in Herne, died February 8, 1982 in Köln, was a major European big band leader throughout the 1950s.
After having studied clarinet and piano in Essen, he set up his multicultural big band, which over the years would include many big names in jazz in Europe, including Francy Boland (who would later set up his own, famed multicultural big band), Charly Antolini, Jiggs Whigham, Claus Ogerman, Jimmy Deuchar, Duško Gojković, Rick Kiefer, Ronnie Stephenson, Gerd Dudek, Wilton Gaynair, Shake Keane and Tubby Hayes.
Closely associated with the radio station Südwestfunk (SWF), in 1953 Edelhagen took on Caterina Valente as a singer for his big band, and together they recorded her first album that same year. In 1957 he moved to Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) in Cologne where he lead the station's big band until his contract ran out in 1972.
His Radio Orchestra played at the opening ceremony of the 1972 Munich Olympics.
