Herb Geller

Jazz saxophonist, composer, and arranger Herb Geller was born on November 2, 1928 in Los Angeles, California Inspired by his mother, who played piano during theatrical showings of silent films, Herb was given an alto saxophone at the age of 8. Two years later, he also learned the clarinet. He attended Dorsey High School and joined the school band, which also included future jazz icon Eric Dolphy. After seeing Benny Carter perform when he was 14, he decided to pursue a career in music. Herb Geller’s first professional live engagement was as a member of violinist Joe Venuti’s band. Inspired by the music of Charlie Parker, Benny Carter and Johnny Hodges, he relocated to New York and played with bands led by Claude Thornhill, Jerry Wald, Lucky Millinder, and Jack Fina. He moved back to Los Angeles in 1952 and joined Billy May’s orchestra. Herb Geller’s career picked up steam during this time and he began playing and recording with artists such as Chet Baker, Stan Kenton, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Maynard Ferguson and Shorty Rogers. He recorded several albums as leader during this period including Herb Geller Plays (1954), Fire in the West (1957), and Stax of Sax (1958). He then relocated to Europe in 1962, settling in Hamburg, Germany and joined the staff of public broadcasting company Nordeutschen Rundfunk, where he remained for 28 years. He continued to record and tour in the U.S., constantly evolving as a musician. His output recording slowed down in the 1960s and 1970s, but by the 1980s, he stepped back in the limelight and released a series of well-received albums including Hot House (1985), Birdland Stomp (1987), A Jazz Song Book (1989), To Benny & Johnny with Love from Herb Geller (2002), Herb Geller at the Movies (2007) and An Evening with Herb Geller & The Roberto Magris Trio (2009). Herb Geller died on December 19, 2013.

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