Biography
Hampel ranks among the most tireless and independent figures in jazz. Establishing Birth Records in 1969, he issued The 8th of July 1969, a collection of his own pieces performed by Anthony Braxton, Jeanne Lee, Steve McCall, Willem Breuker, and Arjen Gorter. Since that debut, nearly fifty additional releases on the label have chronicled his output across an array of settings, among them the Gunter Hampel Jazz Quintet, the “Heartplants” Quintet, the World Community Orchestra, the Free Jazz Trio, and the New York Orchestra.
Piano instruction began for him at age four; by sixteen he had also taken up recorder, accordion, clarinet, saxophone, and vibes. Exposure to jazz arrived at the close of World War II when American forces in his native Göttingen tuned in to broadcasts on the Armed Forces Network and Willis Conover’s Voice of America programs. Louis Armstrong’s music provided his first encounter with the idiom and left a lasting impression. European classical and folk traditions, together with jazz, shaped his early development, leading him to assemble teenage groups that traversed styles from New Orleans jazz through bebop while he simultaneously began writing original material. Following military duty in the late 1950s, he pursued architectural studies yet kept performing; by 1958 he had turned professional. In 1964 he assembled the “Heartplants” Quintet with Alex von Schlippenbach and Manfred Schoof, resulting in the MPS/SABA album Heartplants, which Down Beat awarded five stars. Festival appearances across Europe and beyond followed. A meeting with vocalist Jeanne Lee in 1967 initiated an extended personal and artistic collaboration. During the decade he also recorded for Wergo and ESP while working with American players including drummer Steve McCall and saxophonist Marion Brown.
Birth’s existence permitted fuller documentation of his activities; from the early 1970s onward he captured configurations ranging from duos to large ensembles. Participants in these projects have included Bill Frisell, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, and Albert Mangelsdorff alongside Mark Whitecage, Perry Robertson, and David Eyges. In 1997 Hampel reassembled the lineup featuring Schoof and von Schlippenbach for a performance at the Musik Triennale in Köln; the concert appeared on Birth as Legendary. He has sustained an active schedule of international touring and recording. Consistent with his autonomous approach, Hampel has adopted the Internet energetically, maintaining one of the most extensive single-artist sites online. He is equally recognized as a painter.
Piano instruction began for him at age four; by sixteen he had also taken up recorder, accordion, clarinet, saxophone, and vibes. Exposure to jazz arrived at the close of World War II when American forces in his native Göttingen tuned in to broadcasts on the Armed Forces Network and Willis Conover’s Voice of America programs. Louis Armstrong’s music provided his first encounter with the idiom and left a lasting impression. European classical and folk traditions, together with jazz, shaped his early development, leading him to assemble teenage groups that traversed styles from New Orleans jazz through bebop while he simultaneously began writing original material. Following military duty in the late 1950s, he pursued architectural studies yet kept performing; by 1958 he had turned professional. In 1964 he assembled the “Heartplants” Quintet with Alex von Schlippenbach and Manfred Schoof, resulting in the MPS/SABA album Heartplants, which Down Beat awarded five stars. Festival appearances across Europe and beyond followed. A meeting with vocalist Jeanne Lee in 1967 initiated an extended personal and artistic collaboration. During the decade he also recorded for Wergo and ESP while working with American players including drummer Steve McCall and saxophonist Marion Brown.
Birth’s existence permitted fuller documentation of his activities; from the early 1970s onward he captured configurations ranging from duos to large ensembles. Participants in these projects have included Bill Frisell, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, and Albert Mangelsdorff alongside Mark Whitecage, Perry Robertson, and David Eyges. In 1997 Hampel reassembled the lineup featuring Schoof and von Schlippenbach for a performance at the Musik Triennale in Köln; the concert appeared on Birth as Legendary. He has sustained an active schedule of international touring and recording. Consistent with his autonomous approach, Hampel has adopted the Internet energetically, maintaining one of the most extensive single-artist sites online. He is equally recognized as a painter.
Albums
Live