- Karl Berger
Karl Hanns Berger (born
March 30 ,1935 inHeidelberg ,Germany ) is amusicologist with aPhD in Music Sociology,jazz composer ,jazz vibraphone and piano player. Together withOrnette Coleman andIngrid Sertso he founded theCreative Music Studio inWoodstock, New York . During the 1990's, he taught jazz music and ensemble playing as a professor inFrankfurt , Germany. In 2004-2005, he served as the Chairman of the Music Department of the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (USA).Most of his output has been rather experimental. He has been active in
Free Jazz circles, recording withCarla Bley , Don Cherry,Lee Konitz , John McLaughlin,Hōzan Yamamoto ,Dave Holland ,Gunther Schuller , the Mingus Epitaph Orchestra,Sam Rivers ,Pharoah Sanders , "Globe Unity Orchestra" and many others. Berger continuously won theDown Beat critics poll in the category of the best jazz vibraphone player of the year between 1969 and 1975. Based ongamelan patterns he is improvising in an abstract, but vividly manner. He dealt withworld music very earlier and devised a unique system for understanding and playing in any meter, from standard time signatures to more exotic odd meters and polyrhythms. It was published as "Dr. B.'s Rhythmic Training'".During the last years he collaborated with
Bill Laswell as musical arranger and conductor, thus contributing to recordings ofNatalie Merchant ("Ophelia"),Better Than Ezra ,Sly & Robbie orAngelique Kidjo .See also
*"
Escalator Over The Hill "www.KarlBerger.comwww.CreativeMusicStudio.orgwww.MySpace./SertsoStudioExternal links
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20031119053728/http://www.karlberger.com/ Karl Berger's website] (archived)
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