Alex Riel

Born Alex Poul Riel on 13 September 1940 in Copenhagen, Denmark, the drummer received lessons during his teenage years before joining local traditional jazz ensembles throughout the 1950s. He soon shifted toward modern jazz, serving as house drummer at Montmatre Jazzhus in Copenhagen from 1963 to 1965. A brief period of study followed at Berklee College Of Music in 1966. Even while performing with Danish Radiojazzgruppen between 1965 and 1968, he grew deeply engaged with free jazz, collaborating with saxophonists John Tchicai and Archie Shepp along with bassist Gary Peacock. Together with Palle Mikkelborg he assembled a quintet that captured first prize at the Montreux International Jazz Festival in 1968 before appearing at Newport. Concurrently he performed with rock group Savage Roses from 1968 to 1972. During the 1970s he co-led the ensemble V8 alongside Mikkelborg and has continued working as a freelance musician across Europe ever since.