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Harry Pepl * 1945  † 2005

Press archive

What was written and broadcast about Harry Pepl: reviews, portraits, interviews and obituaries, with summary and source. The originals are protected by copyright and kept in the archive; we provide them to researchers and the press on request.

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  1. 13 March 2007 · Radio · DE

    Deutschlandfunk, Nachtradio (Playlist): „Milestones - Harry Pepl“ (Klassiker der Jazzgeschichte)

    Playlist of a late-night radio programme on 13 March 2007 at 01:05, with “Live in Montreux 81”, the ECM (the renowned European jazz label) album with Pirchner and DeJohnette and Air Mail’s “Light Blues”. It shows Pepl as an entry in a German series on classics of jazz history.

  2. 2006 · Obituary · DE

    Jazzzeitung (p. 6): „Ciao Habanero“ (Harry Pepl 1945 bis 2005)

    Rainer Rygalyk

    Personal obituary by the jazz photographer Rainer Rygalyk. Wolfgang Puschnig and Wolfgang Reisinger recall the years with Air Mail; Rygalyk describes Pepl’s last major public appearance in 2004 at the Jazz Festival in Salzburg, with playback of eight Composings and live musicians in front of his pictures.

    He is the European jazz guitarist par excellence.

    I simply learned his musical language.

    Wolfgang Puschnig

    It was an extreme pull. Suddenly playing with someone who stands up there, two floors above us, steps on the gas so confidently and carries everything along with him.

    Wolfgang Reisinger

    To me he was a Franz Schubert kind of guy: incredibly beautiful songs, but of the highest quality, and the next moment completely bizarre and jagged.

    The drummer Wolfgang Reisinger. “Schubert Franzl” is the affectionate Viennese way of referring to Franz Schubert (1797 to 1828), the Viennese composer celebrated for his songs

    Wolfgang Reisinger

  3. 19 December 2005 · Obituary · DE

    Musikergilde (Online): „Harry Pepl - ein Nachruf“

    Peter Paul Skrepek

    Detailed obituary by the guitarist Peter Paul Skrepek, who met Pepl in the ORF Big Band (ORF: Austria's public broadcaster) in 1974. It describes his training, his ORF studio job, the Jazzzwio, Air Mail and the time with Benny Goodman, names students such as Wolfgang Muthspiel and Peter Havlicek, and gives Monday, 5 December 2005, as the date of death. The former rector of the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Otto Kolleritsch, is quoted; readers’ letters supplement the text.

    Now that I can play everything I want, I’m no longer allowed to.

    Harry Pepl

    Divinely gifted guitarist and an exceptional phenomenon

    Otto Kolleritsch

    an unmistakable musician from Vienna, recognised all over the world

  4. 9 December 2005 · Obituary

    organissimo (Jazzforum, Online): „Harry Pepl R.I.P.“

    mikeweil (Moderator)

    Post on the death of Harry Pepl in an English-language jazz forum. The moderator calls him one of Austria's most original jazz guitarists and recalls the Jazzzwio with Werner Pirchner, the ECM (the renowned European jazz label) album with Jack DeJohnette and Air Mail with Mike Richmond.

    one of Austria's most original jazz guitarists

  5. 7 December 2005 · Obituary · DE

    JazzEcho (Universal Classics, Online): „Ade Harry Pepl!“

    Online obituary of Wednesday, 7 December 2005. His most important project, from 1977, was the duo with Werner Pirchner, which brought him international recognition and invitations from all over the world. According to the obituary, Pepl then worked with Dino Saluzzi, Jack DeJohnette and Dave Holland, as well as with the Vienna Art Orchestra. As a full professor in Graz from 1984, he set students such as the guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel on their way. It closes with a pointer to the CD “Light Blues” by Air Mail (Emarcy, 2001).

    one of the defining instrumentalists of the European jazz scene