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Wikipedia / Alex Riel

Alex Riel (13 September 1940 – 9 June 2024) was a Danish jazz and rock drummer. His first group, the Alex Riel/Palle Mikkelborg Quintet, won the Montreux Grand Prix Award at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1968. He was married to the writer Ane Riel.

Biography

Riel recorded with, among others, Booker Ervin, Kenny Drew, Kenny Werner, Bob Brookmeyer, Thomas Clausen, Bill Evans, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Donald Byrd, Don Cherry, Thad Jones, and Ben Webster. He formed a jazz ensemble with bass player Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. Riel was also a founding member in 1968 of the Danish rock group The Savage Rose. His album The Riel Deal won a Danish Grammy for Best Danish Jazz Album in 1996.

In September 2010, Riel's 70th birthday celebration at the Jazzhus Montmartre was broadcast live with the title Celebration of a Living Jazz Legend by the Danish national television station TV2.

Personal life and death

Riel married crime fiction author Ane Riel in 2002. They lived in Liseleje in North Zealand from 2005 until his death. He died at his home there on 9 June 2024, at the age of 83.

Awards

Discography

As leader

As sideman

With Steve Dobrogosz

  • Confessions (Prophone, 1980)

  • Scary Bright (Dragon, 1984) – with Berit Andersson

With Kenny Dorham

  • Scandia Skies (SteepleChase, 1963 [1980])

  • Short Story (SteepleChase, 1963 [1979])

With Dexter Gordon

With Karin Krog

  • You Must Believe in Spring (Polydor, 1974)

  • Love Songs (Polydor, 1977)

  • Something Borrowed … Something New (Meantime, 1989) – with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Kenny Drew

With Warne Marsh

With Jackie McLean

With Palle Mikkelborg

  • The Mysterious Corona (Debut, 1967) – with Radiojazzgruppen

  • Ashoka Suite/Guadiana/Concert (Dedicated to Torolf Mølgaard) (Metronome, 1970)

With The Savage Rose

  • The Savage Rose (Polydor, 1968)

  • In the Plain (Polydor, 1968)

  • Travelin (Polydor, 1969)

  • Your Daily Gift (Gregar, 1970)

  • Refugee (Gregar, 1971)

  • Babylon (Polydor, 1972)

  • Dødens triumf (Polydor, 1972)

With Archie Shepp

With Sahib Shihab

With Stuff Smith

With Ben Webster

  • Intimate! (Fontana, 1965)

  • Blue Light (Polydor, 1966)

  • Duke's in Bed! (Black Lion, 1969)

  • Stormy Weather (Polydor, 1970) – with Kenny Drew

  • My Man: Live at Montmartre 1973 (SteepleChase, 1973)

  • Saturday Night at the Montmartre (Black Lion, 1974)

  • Atmosphere for Lovers and Thieves (Black Lion, 1976)

  • Midnight at the Montmartre (Black Lion, 1977)

  • Sunday Morning at the Montmartre (Black Lion, 1977)

With others

Gallery

References