Born: September 13, 1940 Primary Instrument: Drums
Alex Riel was born September 1940 in Copenhagen, Denmark, and has since the sixties remained firmly established as one of the most significant and influential jazz drummers in Europe. His career began in the early sixties where he was the house drummer at the legendary jazz club “Montmartre” in Copenhagen. The rhythm section also included bass player Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and alternately pianists Tete Montuliu and Kenny Drew. During this time Alex Riel got to accompany a vast number of visiting international stars as Ben Webster, Dexter Gordon, Kenny Dorham, Don Byas, Donald Byrd, Yusef Lateef and many more.
This experience led to Alex Riel being chosen as the “Danish Jazz Musician Of the Year” in 1965, and shortly hereafter he released his first recording as a bandleader. It was a trio recording with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Kenny Drew which has now become collector’s item. In 1965-66 Alex Riel also toured in Europe as a member of the renowned pianist Bill Evans’ trio with bassist Eddie Gomez.
Over the years Alex Riel has played with an impressive number of fine jazz musicians representing both the traditional and the modern way. His very first impression of jazz drumming was that of Big Sid Catlett and Zutty Zingleton, and this early influence is still perceptible in his playing. However Riel’s appearance with musicians such as Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Jackie McLean, Archie Shepp, Michel Petrucciani, Gary Burton, John Scofield etc has made him widely known as an outstanding modern drummer taking up the styles of drummers Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes and Tony Williams.
Alex Riel has also been working a great deal outside the jazz area. He was a founding member of “The Savage Rose” - one of the most significant Scandinavian rock groups ever “ with whom he recorded several albums. They toured extensively around Europe and US in the late 60s and early 70s. In 1969 they played at the original Newport Festival in USA where they shared the stage with Jethru Tull and James Brown. In addition to this, Alex Riel has drawn attention to himself as a rock drummer through his long time work with the successful Danish singer and composer Sebastian. Riel has furthermore been playing in a number of jazz-rock fusion bands, among them the succesfull Danish fusion band “Santa Cruz”.
Ever since the late 50’s Alex Riel has played as a sideman on several hundred jazz recordings with various international artists. During the last decade he’s been releasing CD’s in his own name as well. These recordings are featuring contemporary stars such as Jerry Bergonzi, Michael Brecker, Kenny Werner and Mike Stern, but also “old” favourites like trumpet player Harry Sweet Edison, sax player Charlie Mariano and bassist Eddie Gomez.
In the recent years Alex Riel has worked a great deal with the Hamburg based NDR big band featuring Abdullah Ibrahim, and toured with a vast number of smaller groups, including groups led or co-led by himself. He’s also been playing various studio jobs and concerts with artists like Phil Woods, Charlie Mariano, Lisa Nilsson, Stefano Bollani, Palle Danielsson, John Taylor, Johnny Griffin, Jacky Terrasson, Andy Sheppard, Palle Mikkelborg, Didier Lockwood and Pat Metheny.
Alex Riel has recieved several awards and marks of honour throughout his carreer. In fact he is regulary being referred to as “a living legend”. It is however his youthful playfulness on stage and his obvious enjoyment of playing the drums that perhaps to this day characterize him more than anything.
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Alex Riel has recorded/performed with:
Nat Adderley * Ray Brown * Mel Tormé * Stan Getz * Jean-Luc Ponty * Wayne Shorter * Nancy Wilson * Billy Strayhorn * Freddie Hubbard * Bill Evans * Pat Metheny * Jan Hammer * Bobby McFerrin * Toots Thielemanns * Roy Eldridge * Kenny Dorham * Archie Shepp * Stephane Grapelli * Michael Brecker * Mike Stern * Gary Burton * Jon Hendricks * Jackie McLean * Ben Webster * Dexter Gordon * Donald Byrd * Dee Dee Bridgewater * Yusef Lateef * Vera Lynn * Jerry Bergonzi * Bob Brookmeyer * Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen * Randy Brecker * Cat Anderson * John Abercrombie * Don Byas * George Russel * Terje Rypdal * Don Cherry * Astrud Gilberto * Paul Gonsalves * Buck Clayton * Hank Jones * Cootie Williams * WDR big band * Joe Newman * Benny Bailey * Kay Winding * Norma Winstone * Tubby Hayes * Steve Swallow * Lisa Nilsson * NDR Big Band * Sven Asmussen * Albert Ayler * Art Farmer * Manhatten Transfer * Toshiko Akiyoshi * Wild Bill Davidson * Thad Jones * Jan Allan * Stuff Smith * Bobby Shew * Sahib Shihab * Arild Andersen * Lutz Buechner * Carsten Dahl * Didier Lockwood * Gordon Beck * Uli Beckerhoff * Niels Lan Doky * Pierre Boussaguet * Han Bennink * Rolf Billberg * Paul Bley * Francy Boland * Richard Boone * Allan Botschinsky * Herb Geller * Jon Balke * Etta Cameron * Ian Carr * Philip Catherine * Jesper Lundgaard * Hanne Boel * Sanne Salomonsen * Chris Minh Doky * Nathan Davis * Arne Domnérus * Klaus Doldinger * Heine Hansen * Kenny Drew * Urszula Dudziak * Jon Christensen * Jack Dupree * Johnny Dyani * Roman Dylag * Rolf Ericson * Booker Ervin * Maffy Falay * Mongezi Feza * Tomas Franck * Anders Bergkrantz * Bud Freeman * David Friesen * Bill Frisell * Benny Golson * Terry Gibbs * Ted Curson * Wolfgang Dauner * Babs Gonzales * Mehmet Ozan * Dusko Goykovich * George Gruntz * Rune Gustafsson * Scott Hamilton * Slide Hampton * John Handy * Peter Herbolzheimer * David Horowitz * Fred Hunt * Abdullah Ibrahim * Chuck Israels * Theis Jensen * Howard Johnson * J.J. Johnson * Sonny Boy Williamson * Clifford Jordan * Duke Jordan * Barney Kessel * Clark Terry * Palle Mikkelborg * Erich Kleinschuster * Jimmy Knepper * Eero Koivistoinen * Krzysztof Komeda * Volker Kriegel * Joachim Kühn * Steve Kuhn * Rolf Kühn * Steve Lacy * Bireli Lagrene * Marilyn Mazur * Andy LaVerne * Charles Lloyd * Jens Jefsen * Uffe Steen * Eddy Louiss * Jim McNeely * Bud Shank * Alan Skidmore * Albert Mangelsdorf * Charlie Mariano * Red Mitchell * James Moody * George Mraz * Marc Murphy * Niels Petter Molvaer * David Murray * Zbigniew Namyslowski * Ray Nance * Oliver Nelson * Sal Nistico * Carmell Jones * Albert Nicholas * Cæcilie Norby * Walter Norris * Novi Singers * Ulf Meyer * Martin Wind * Horace Parlan * Fritz Pauer * Nat Peck * Alladär Pege * Åke Persson * Oscar Peterson * Ray Pitts * Al Porcino * Ferdinand Povel * Russel Procope * Jimmy Raney * Enrico Rava * Jerome Richardson * Shorty Rogers * Adelhard Roidinger * Dom Um Romao * Bernt Rosengren * Frank Rosolino * Birgit Løkke * Wolfgang Schlüter * Zbigniew Seifert * Martial Solal * Lew Soloff * Tomasz Stanko * Bo Stief * Fredy Studer * Idrees Sulieman * Tolek Schmeichel * John Surman * Stefan Pasborg * Swingle Singers * Grady Tate * John Taylor * John Tchicai * Eje Thelin * Barbara Thompson * Jukka Tolonen * Donn Trenner * Peter Trunk * Michal Urbaniak * Ack Van Rooyen * Jasper Van..t Hof * Mads Vinding * Mal Waldron * Benny Waters * Eberhard Weber * Lasse Werner * Kenny Wheeler * Ernie Wilkins * Jimmy Witherspoon * Jimmy Woode * Leo Wright * Jan Wroblewski * Monica Zetterlund * Phil Woods ...and many many more!
“Just check out the personnel on this fantastic recording .. “ [...] “The music is tight, well composed and funky. All done in one takes, these guys really show how to do it, into the studio and we're off! On Bruce, Mike Stern sets off with a weird, thrilling guitar theme, that sends chills down your spine and when Gomez adds his bass line to the thing, MAN.” (JazzReview about UNRIEL)
”There's an abundance of swing, simpatico, and sheer virtuosity to be heard.” (AllAboutJazz about CELEBRATION)
“A thoughtfully planned, beautifully recorded, generously timed and wonderfully played trio session led by drummer Alex Riel and showcasing the prodigious talents of pianist Kenny Werner and bassist Jesper Lundgaard, so exhilarating that this reviewer was reminded from time to time of the classic Marian McPartland Hickory House trio from the '50s with bassist Bill Crow and drummer Joe Morello.” [...] “As for Riel and Lundgaard, they are twin pillars of tastefulness and talent, thoroughly at ease in every situation and always ready to maximize the trio's rhythmic impact. Listen, for example, to their understated mastery on “Green Dolphin Street” ” or anywhere else, for that matter” (AllAboutJazz about CELEBRATION)
“Few live albums keep the listener rapt, feeling as if he were actually in the room. This is one of those, a five-star record.” [...] “Celebration” is a program of oft-heard songs and exceptional performances. It echoes the message of Keith Jarrett's trio: Standards are relevant to today's music. To jazz musicians, they are both catalysts and aphrodisiacs, sparking conversation amongst beautiful melody and captivating harmonies. “Celebration” epitomizes this potential; and appropriately Riel, on his 60th birthday, is reminded that some things are timeless.” (Amazon review of CELEBRATION)
”After a 25-year hiatus, one of Europe’s premier fusion bands, Santa Cruz, reunited at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival in 2005 and demonstrated to the enthusiastic crowd that its music was still as energetic as ever. The Danish quartet, led by drummer Alex Riel, delivered the retro sounds of '70s and '80s fusion, comprised of equal parts harmony, arrangements and heady improvisation. At a concise 41 minutes, the recording still packs a huge punch, with stimulating performances and well-developed selections that showcase the bandmembers' life-giving connections with each other and the crowd. “ [...] “Santa Cruz gives listeners a bounty of good music on this memorable reunion. Encore!” (AllAboutJazz about CRUZING by fusion band SANTA CRUZ)
