Peter Herbolzheimer

Born on 31 December 1935 in Bucharest, Romania, and passing away on 27 March 2010 in Cologne, Germany, Peter Herbolzheimer began his musical path on guitar before shifting the bulk of his instrumental work to trombone. Recognition came chiefly through his roles directing ensembles, writing charts, and composing. During the 1960s he appeared regularly in theatre orchestras as well as in recording and broadcast studios across Europe. He simultaneously directed his own large ensemble, drawing on European players such as Dusko Goykovich, Palle Mikkelborg, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Alex Riel alongside visiting Americans including Art Farmer and Herb Geller. The following decade found him occupied with frequent television and radio engagements, sitting in alongside Dizzy Gillespie and additional soloists, and receiving multiple awards and distinctions—one of which was a commission to supply music for the 1972 Olympic Games held in Munich. His performances and arrangements blended jazz and rock elements without fitting squarely into jazz-rock territory, instead highlighting the most engaging and rhythmic aspects of each idiom. On 27 March 2010, at the age of 74, Peter Herbolzheimer died in Cologne, Germany.