The name may mean nothing to you just as it meant nothing to me until relatively recently. But isn't that the way sometimes when we stumble upon 'hidden' treasure? Admist the cacophony of people and things around the world all vying for your attention, it is often the case that the real treasure lies buried beneath it all. I have found that before - more than once in fact: that the truly great things or things of great interest/significance are not always on the radar to any extent. Beyond the facile and the mainstream, lies a subterranean world...and that can be a very interesting world to explore.
OK, so where does Kurt Edelhagen come into this? Well he was a German big band leader who led the WDR (Westdeutcher Rundfunk) Jazz orchestra circa 1957 to 1974 - WDR being a German public broadcaster. And boy did he lead it and boy was it a great band, attracting great Jazz players from all around Europe and the US. I'm only just beginning to explore this gold nugget but so far I am very impressed. I should add as a disclaimer that contrary to what I said above, I am not suggesting that either Kurt or the WDR big band were an unknown during said period; but that they were an unknown to me; and most likely lots of others. Actually, I don't know -I'm about to find out as I explore further.
So how did I find out about Kurt and the WDR big band? Well partly through my great passion for 60's and 70's library music, notably the KPM Recorded Music Library who were known to get around British Music Union's regulations back in the day by recording a lot of their music (KPM 1000 series circa 66 - 74) in Germany, tapping into ensembles like WDR based in Cologne. Partly also because I have kept a keen eye on the modern version of WDR for some years.
Anyway, I leave you with this youtube blast circa 1965. Enjoy!
