Claus Ogerman

Claus Ogerman (Klaus Ogermann, 29 April 1930 - 8 March 2016) was a German arranger/orchestrator, conductor, and composer, best known for his works with Billie Holiday, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Frank Sinatra and Diana Krall.

Born in Ratibor, Upper Silesia (now Racibórz, Slaskie, Poland), Ogerman began his career with the piano. He is one of the most prolific 20th century arrangers and has worked in the Top 40, Rock, Pop, Jazz, R&B, Soul, Easy listening, Broadway and Classical music fields. The exact number of recording artists for whom Ogerman has either arranged or conducted during his career has still not yet been determined.

In the 1950s, Ogerman worked in Germany as an arranger-pianist with Kurt Edelhagen, Max Greger, and Delle Haensch. Claus (then Klaus) also worked as a part-time vocalist and recorded several 45 rpms under the pen name of "Tom Collins", duetting with Hannelore Cremer - and he also recorded a solo vocal with the Delle Haensch Jump Combo as well. In 1959, he moved to the United States and joined the producer Creed Taylor at Verve Records, working on recordings with Antonio Carlos Jobim, Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery, Kai Winding and Cal Tjader - among countless others. Verve was sold to MGM in 1963. Claus Ogerman, by his own admission in Gene Lees' Jazzletter publication, arranged some 60-70 albums for Verve under Creed Taylor's direction from 1963-1967. During this time he also arranged a large number of pop hits, e.g. in 1961 "Cry To Me" by Solomon Burke, including also those of Lesley Gore. In 1966 Ogerman arranged and conducted Bill Evans Trio with Symphony Orchestra (Verve Records). In 1967 he joined Creed Taylor on the A&M/CTi label.

Claus Ogerman charted under his own name in 1965. The RCA single "Watusi Trumpets" reached #130 in the Music Vendor charts.

Ogerman arranged and conducted Diana Krall's 2001 album The Look of Love, and conducted on her DVD "Live in Paris". He also served as arranger and conductor for Krall's 2009 album Quiet Nights. He won the 2010 Grammy Award for "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)" for "Quiet Nights."

Ogerman also arranged and conducted the orchestra on George Benson's 1976 album, Breezin', as well as on two other Benson albums.

Among Ogerman's most remarkable albums there are: Gate Of Dreams (WB 1977), from the music of the ballet Some Times; Cityscape with Michael Brecker (1982 Warner-Pioneer); Claus Ogerman Featuring Michael Brecker (GRP 1991). All include original compositions centered on the juxtaposition of jazz instruments and rhythm sections with classical music orchestra.

Ogerman has devoted himself almost exclusively to composing since the 1970s, his commissions including a ballet score for the American Ballet Theatre, Some Times, a work for jazz piano and orchestra Symbiosis for Bill Evans, a work for saxophone and orchestra Cityscape, for Michael Brecker, a song cycle Tagore-Lieder after poems by Rabindranath Tagore that was recorded by Judith Blegen and Brigitte Fassbaender, a Concerto for violin and orchestra, Lirico and a Sarabande-Fantasie for violin and orchestra recorded by Aaron Rosand, 10 Songs for Chorus A-Capella After Poems by Georg Heym that was recorded by the Cologne Radio Chorus, a work for violin and orchestra Preludio and Chant recorded by Gidon Kremer. His works for violin and piano were recorded on a 2007 disc by the Chinese violinist Yue Deng and French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. In July 2008, Ogerman released an album of compositions with jazz pianist Danilo Perez entitled Across The Crystal Sea.

Ogerman's major influences as a composer remain Max Reger and Alexander Scriabin. He steadfastly maintains that he is not primarily concerned with "modernism" per se stating that his goal is to evoke an emotional response in the listener.

Ogerman arranged and conducted Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim (1967), the first of two recordings that Frank Sinatra made with Jobim. Ogerman also arranged and conducted Jobim's The Composer of Desafinado, Plays (1963), A Certain Mr. Jobim (1967), Wave (1967), Jobim (1972), Urubu (1976) and Terra Brasilis (1980), on which he also played the piano. On the Jobim and Urubu albums, Ogerman was also the producer.

Claus Ogerman died on 8 March, 2016 in Munich, Germany.

Filmography as composer

Looking For Love (1964)
The Bellboy and the Playgirls (1962)
Ein Sommer, den man nie vergißt (1959)
$100 a Night (1959)
Mit Eva fing die Sünde an (1958)
Rivalen der Manege (1958)
Seine Hoheit war ein Mädchen (1958)
Die Prinzessin von St. Wolfgang (1957)
Die Unschuld vom Lande (1957)
Ich war ihm hörig (1957)
Liebe, wie die Frau sie wünscht (1957)
Eine Verrückte Familie (1957)
Weißer Holunder (1957)

Discography

Music From The Roaring 20's (United Artists, 1961)
Jeder Singt Mit! (United Artists, 1962) – as Klaus Ogermann
Soul Searchin' (RCA Victor, 1965)
Watusi Trumpets (RCA Victor, 1965)
Saxes Mexicanos (RCA Victor, 1966)
Latin Rock (RCA Victor, 1967)
Gate of Dreams (Warner Bros., 1977)
Aranjuez (CBS, 1978) with Jan Akkerman
Cityscape (Warner Bros., 1982)
Preludio & Chant, Elegia, Symphonic Dances (EMI, 1982) with Gidon Kremer and the London Symphony Orchestra
Claus Ogerman featuring Michael Brecker (GRP, 1991) with Michael Brecker
Symphonic Dances / Some Times (Ballet) (Bay City, 1992) with the New York Studio Symphony Orchestra
Lyrical Works (EMI, 1997)
Two Concertos (Decca, 2001)

Compilations

The Man Behind The Music (Boutique, 2002) - 4CD featuring various artists

as arranger/conductor

With George Benson

Breezin' (Warner Bros., 1976)
In Flight (Warner Bros., 1977)
Livin' Inside Your Love (Warner Bros., 1979)

With Solomon Burke

"Cry to Me" (Atlantic, 1962)

With Donald Byrd

Up with Donald Byrd (Verve, 1965)

With Betty Carter

'Round Midnight (Atco, 1963)

With Sammy Davis Jr.

The Nat King Cole Songbook (Reprise, 1965)
Sammy's Back on Broadway (Reprise, 1965)

With Bill Evans

Plays the Theme from The V.I.P.s and Other Great Songs (MGM, 1963)
Bill Evans Trio with Symphony Orchestra (Verve, 1965)
Symbiosis (MPS, 1974) - composed by Ogerman

With Connie Francis

"In the Summer of His Years" (MGM, 1963)
Connie Francis Sings Bacharach & David (MGM, 1968 - and producer)

With Michael Franks

Sleeping Gypsy (Warner Bros., 1977)

With Stan Getz

Reflections (Verve, 1963)
Voices (Verve, 1967)
What the World Needs Now: Stan Getz Plays Burt Bacharach and Hal David (Verve, 1968)

With Astrud Gilberto

The Shadow of Your Smile (Verve, 1965)

With João Gilberto

Amoroso (Warner Bros., 1977)

With João Donato

The New Sound of Brazil: Piano of João Donato (RCA Victor, 1965)

With Lesley Gore

I'll Cry If I Want To (Mercury, 1963)
"Maybe I Know" (Mercury, 1964)
"Look of Love" (Mercury, 1964)

With Stephane Grappelli

Uptown Dance (CBS, 1978)

With Al Hirt

That Honey Horn Sound (RCA Victor, 1965)

With Billie Holiday

Lady in Satin (Colombia, 1958)

With Johnny Hodges

Sandy's Gone (Verve, 1963)

With Freddie Hubbard

The Love Connection (Columbia, 1979) - and producer

With Willis Jackson

'Gator Tails (Verve, 1964)

With Antônio Carlos Jobim

The Composer of Desafinado Plays (Verve, 1963)
A Certain Mr. Jobim (Warner Bros., 1967)
Wave (A&M, 1967))
Jobim (MCA, 1973) - and producer
Urubu (Warner Bros., 1976) - and producer
Terra Brasilis (Warner Bros., 1980) - and piano

With Dr. John

City Lights (Horizon, 1978)

With Wynton Kelly

Comin' in the Back Door (Verve, 1963)

With Ben E. King

Ben E. King Sings for Soulful Lovers (Atco, 1962)
Don't Play That Song! (Atco, 1962)

With Diana Krall

The Look of Love (Verve, 2001)
Quiet Nights (Verve, 2009)

With Wes Montgomery

Tequila (Verve, 1966)
Willow Weep for Me (Verve, 1969)

With Oscar Peterson

Motions and Emotions (MPS, 1969) - and producer

With Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim (Reprise, 1967) with Antônio Carlos Jobim
The World We Knew (Reprise, 1967)

With Jimmy Smith

Any Number Can Win (Verve, 1963)
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Verve, 1964)

With Barbra Streisand

Stoney End (Columbia, 1971)
Classical Barbra (Columbia, 1973/1976) - conductor and producer

With Cal Tjader

Warm Wave (Verve, 1964)

With Mel Tormé

"Comin' Home Baby" (Atlantic, 1962)

With Stanley Turrentine

Nightwings (Fantasy, 1977)
West Side Highway (Fantasy, 1978)

With Kai Winding

Soul Surfin' (Verve, 1963)
Kai Winding (Verve, 1963)
Mondo Cane #2 (Verve, 1964)