Misha Mengelberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Misha Mengelberg
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Mengelberg in 1985
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Misja Mengelberg |
| Born | 5 June 1935 Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, USSR |
| Died | 3 March 2017 (aged 81) Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Genres | Jazz, Avant-garde jazz, European free jazz, free improvisation |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Labels | FMP/Free Music Production |
Misha Mengelberg (born June 5, 1935 – died March 3, 2017) was a famous Dutch jazz pianist and composer. He was a very important person in European Jazz after World War II. Mengelberg was known for trying new things in music, especially something called free improvisation. He also liked to add humor to his music. He was great at playing songs by other pianists like Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols.
Contents
About Misha Mengelberg
Misha Mengelberg was born in Kiev, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time. His father, Karel Mengelberg, was also a Dutch composer and conductor. Misha's family moved back to the Netherlands when he was young.
He started learning to play the piano when he was five years old. Later, he studied architecture for a short time. Then, he went to the Royal Conservatory in The Hague to study music from 1958 to 1964. While he was there, he won first prize at a jazz festival.
Misha was inspired by musicians like Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington. He also learned from the composer John Cage.
Starting His Career
In 1961, Mengelberg won the Gaudeamus International Composers Award. This was a big award for composers. One of his first recordings was with Eric Dolphy on his album Last Date in 1964.
On that album, he also played with drummer Han Bennink. Misha and Han, along with saxophonist Piet Noordijk, formed a quartet. This group even played at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1966.
In 1967, Misha helped start the Instant Composers Pool (ICP). This group helped promote new and experimental Dutch jazz music. He also helped create STEIM in Amsterdam in 1969, which is a center for electronic music.
Playing with Others
Misha Mengelberg played with many different musicians. He often performed as a duo with his friend Han Bennink. He also played with famous artists like Derek Bailey, Peter Brötzmann, and Anthony Braxton.
He was also one of the first musicians to bring attention to the music of Herbie Nichols. Nichols was a pianist whose work was not well-known at the time.
Besides playing, Misha also wrote music for others to perform. He often left parts of his music open for improvisation, meaning musicians could make up their own parts on the spot. He also created music theater shows. These shows often included a lot of absurdist humor, which means they were funny in a strange and unexpected way.
A DVD called Afijn was released in 2006. It tells the story of Misha's life and work. Misha Mengelberg passed away in Amsterdam on March 3, 2017, when he was 81 years old.
Music and Recordings
Misha Mengelberg released many albums throughout his career. He made solo albums where he played by himself. He also worked with many other musicians and groups.
One of his most important groups was the ICP Orchestra. This orchestra was part of the Instant Composers Pool he co-founded. They performed and recorded many unique jazz pieces.
Some of his solo albums include:
- Pech Onderweg (1979)
- Impromptus (1994)
- Senne Sing Song (2005)
He also had many collaborations, playing with artists like Eric Dolphy, Han Bennink, and Steve Lacy. His music is known for being creative, sometimes funny, and always pushing the boundaries of jazz.
See also
In Spanish: Misha Mengelberg para niños
