The United Jazz + Rock Ensemble

Founded in 1974 to appear on a German television show, The United Jazz + Rock Ensemble (UJRE) was founded by keyboardist Wolfgang Dauner (The Radio Jazz Group Stuttgart). The lineup of the group brought renowned international musicians together to perform a fusion of jazz and rock. Based in Stuttgart, Germany, the group included fellow German musicians Albert Mangelsdorff (trombone), Volker Kriegel (guitar), Ack Van Rooyen (trumpet, flugelhorn), and Eberhard Weber (trumpet). The line-up also featured British musicians - Ian Carr (trumpet), Barbara Thompson (saxophone), and her husband Jon Hiseman (drummer) – and American saxophonist Charlie Mariano. The brass-heavy jazz rock ensemble existed for 27 years and released a series of well-received live and studio albums including Live Im Schützenhaus (1977), which is the best-selling album in the history of German jazz. Other albums included Teamwork (1978), The Break Even Point (1979), Live in Berlin (1981), United Live Opus Sechs (1984), Round Seven (1987), Na Endlich! Live in Concert (1992), Live Die Neunte Von United (1996), and X (1999). The group split up in 2002 after original co-founder Barbara Thompson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and was forced to retire. In subsequent years, many of the UJRE’s original members passed away including Volker Kriegel (2003), Albert Mangelsdorff (2005), Ian Carr and Charlie Mariano (2009), Jon Hiseman (2018), Ack Van Rooyen (2021), and Barbara Thompson (2022), In 2012, ten years after their farewell tour, Wolfgang Dauner hired new musicians for an album by The United Jazz + Rock Ensemble Second Generation.

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