Max Greger

Max Greger was born in Munich on April 2, 1926. He is a saxophonist, composer and bandleader who is regarded as one of the defining figures of German dance and popular music in the post-war period. In 1948, Max Greger began performing with his first dance band, which he established in the Munich area. In 1959, he founded the Max Greger Orchestra, which became one of the leading big bands in Germany. With his ensemble, he shapes swing and dance music and performs internationally, including on behalf of ARD and ZDF in numerous radio and television productions. In 1973, Max Greger took on a special role as director of the ZDF dance orchestra, which he led until 1981 and with which he influenced generations of musicians. The repertoire includes swing, big band jazz, hits, evergreens and dance music; stylistically, Greger moves between jazz, light music and orchestral pop music. He works with numerous guest musicians, including international greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Udo Jürgens. Famous albums include Tanz mit mir (1966), Happy Music (1975) and Max Greger und sein Orchester spielen Welthits (1980). Further successful releases followed until the 1990s, most recently Swing Masters (2001). Max Greger is recognized for his stylistic innovation as a big band leader and for his contributions to German dance and popular music. He died in Munich on August 15, 2015.