Klaus Weiss
German drummer Klaus Weiss appeared in groups with many American expatriates as well as leading his own bands in trio, quintet, sextet, and big-band settings from the '60s through the '90s. Influenced by such drummers as Big Sid Catlett and Buddy Rich, Weiss began playing professionally at age 16. His first gigs, with a group called the Jazzopators, provided accompaniment roles for trumpeter Nelson Williams and vocalist Inez Cavanaugh. Weiss also worked with the Klaus Doldinger Quartet, and played at the Blue Note in Paris with Bud Powell, Kenny Drew, and Johnny Griffin. He led a trio beginning in 1965, with pianist Rob Franken and bassist Rob Langereis, that played with Booker Ervin, recorded his first LP as a leader (Greensleeves), and won the International Jazz Competition in Vienna in 1966, and would go on to win several Twen Jazz Polls as well. During the late '60s, he also played with the Erwin Lehn Big Band, the Bayerischer Rundfunk Jazz Ensemble, and Friedrich Gulda.
Weiss recorded half a dozen LPs during the early '70s, several with a quintet or sextet including work by trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater, bassist George Mraz, and pianist Walter Norris. He also led an international all-star big band (with Slide Hampton, Herb Geller, Philip Catherine, and Don Menza, among others) for the live 1971 album I Just Want to Celebrate. During the late '70s and early '80s, Weiss worked mostly with his quintet, but also toured with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Clifford Jordan, and Horace Parlan while making frequent quintet albums as a leader. He recorded two albums during the '90s, including the trio outing L.A. Calling and the Christmas album A Message from Santa Klaus (with the NDR Bigband). Later in his career, as his extensive discography continued to grow, Weiss also began composing music for movies and television. He died unexpectedly, reportedly of heart failure, on December 10, 2008 in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, Germany.
© John Bush /TiVo
Discography
15 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Open Space Motion: Underscores
New Age - Released by Coloursound Vinyl Series on 1 Jan 1981
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Sound Inventions
Jazz - Released by Selected Sound Vinyl Series on 1 Jan 1979
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Walking Bass
Andreas Henze, Wolfgang Schlüter (Geb. 1933), Klaus Weiss, Thomas Stabenow, Christian Diener, Wolfgang Haffner
Jazz - Released by Sonoton Music on 27 May 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Into the Wind
Classical - Released by Coloursound Vinyl Series on 1 Jan 1985
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Dramatic Tempo / Larry Robbins Background Rhythms
Funk - Released by Conroy on 1 Jan 1975
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Survivor
Film Soundtracks - Released by Anthology Recordings on 4 Oct 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sport Sequences, Vol. 1
Jazz Fusion & Jazz Rock - Released by Sonoton Vinyl on 31 Jul 1980
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Sport Sequences, Vol. 2
Jazz Fusion & Jazz Rock - Released by Sonoton Vinyl on 31 Jul 1980
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
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Trailers - Spots - Signatures
Pop - Released by Sonoton Vinyl on 15 Jun 1983
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Swingin' Five (As Featured in "Crazy Rich Asians")
Jazz - Released by Sonoton Music on 15 Aug 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Abstract Rhythm Textures
Soundtracks - Released by Selected Sound on 1 Jan 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo