Joachim-Ernst Berendt
Encyclopedia
Joachim-Ernst Berendt was a German
music journalist, book author and producer specialized on Jazz
.
belonging to the Confessing Church
and was imprisoned and died in the Dachau concentration camp. J.-E. Berendt started studying Physics, but was interrupted by his enlistment to the Wehrmacht
. Already during the Nazi Germany
years Berendt took an interest in Jazz, which then had retreated to the underground.
After World War II
he helped founding the Südwestfunk (SWF) radio network in the then French occupation zone
of Germany. From 1950 till his retirement in 1987 he was in charge of the Jazz department of the SWF.
In 1952 the first German edition of Berendt's Jazz Book was published. It became a definitive book on Jazz translated into many languages and is still being updated and reprinted. For almost 40 years Berendt produced the Jazz program of the Baden-Baden
station of the German public radio and TV network ARD
. His weekly TV show Jazztime Baden-Baden and his daily radio shows were pioneer work in advancing and popularizing Jazz in post-war Germany. Berendt later focused on world music
and was one of its early promoters.
Berendt initiated and organized many Jazz festivals (American Folk Blues Festival
, Berliner Jazztage, World Expo Osaka
). He was producer of many records, mainly for MPS Records, and supported the Jazz & Lyrik project, combining Jazz performances with readings of poetry.
Berendt was awarded, amongst others, the critic's award of German television, the culture award of Poland, and twice the Bundesfilmpreis.
Berendt died on 4 February 2000 at the age of 77 after a traffic accident which he was involved in as a pedestrian. The accident happened in Hamburg, Berendt was on his way to a book promotion for his book Es gibt keinen Weg nur Gehen (There Is No Way, Only Going).See note in edit summary.
Berendt's huge collection of records, books, magazines, photos and more is in the archive of the Jazzinstitut Darmstadt.
This turn to philosophy – which also saw him becoming a disciple of Indian mystic Osho
– was regretted by some of his readers, yet much appreciated by others. Berendt declared Jazz dead, which also provoked diverse reactions. He did not intend to turn against Jazz in general but to describe the advancement of musical expression to other directions. The World Is Sound is one of the most eminent works in the history of literature about the cosmos of the audible and everything dealing with sound
and vibration
. Being regarded as belonging to the New Age movement by many, Berendt however cites numerous well-known scientists and does a thorough research. He leaves the subject of Jazz to explore music in a more general sense. In his later age, Berendt considers music as an expression of human existence per se, comprehensible in the social and religious context.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
music journalist, book author and producer specialized on Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
.
Life
Berendt's father Ernst Berendt was a Protestant pastorPastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
belonging to the Confessing Church
Confessing Church
The Confessing Church was a Protestant schismatic church in Nazi Germany that arose in opposition to government-sponsored efforts to nazify the German Protestant church.-Demographics:...
and was imprisoned and died in the Dachau concentration camp. J.-E. Berendt started studying Physics, but was interrupted by his enlistment to the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
. Already during the Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
years Berendt took an interest in Jazz, which then had retreated to the underground.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he helped founding the Südwestfunk (SWF) radio network in the then French occupation zone
Allied Occupation Zones in Germany
The Allied powers who defeated Nazi Germany in World War II divided the country west of the Oder-Neisse line into four occupation zones for administrative purposes during 1945–49. In the closing weeks of fighting in Europe, US forces had pushed beyond the previously agreed boundaries for the...
of Germany. From 1950 till his retirement in 1987 he was in charge of the Jazz department of the SWF.
In 1952 the first German edition of Berendt's Jazz Book was published. It became a definitive book on Jazz translated into many languages and is still being updated and reprinted. For almost 40 years Berendt produced the Jazz program of the Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
station of the German public radio and TV network ARD
ARD (broadcaster)
ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
. His weekly TV show Jazztime Baden-Baden and his daily radio shows were pioneer work in advancing and popularizing Jazz in post-war Germany. Berendt later focused on world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
and was one of its early promoters.
Berendt initiated and organized many Jazz festivals (American Folk Blues Festival
American Folk Blues Festival
The American Folk Blues Festival was a music festival that toured Europe beginning in 1962.German jazz publicist Joachim-Ernst Berendt first had the idea of bringing original African-American blues performers to Europe. Jazz had become very popular, and rock and roll was just gaining a foothold,...
, Berliner Jazztage, World Expo Osaka
Expo '70
was a World's Fair held in Suita, Osaka, Japan between March 15 and September 13, 1970. The theme of the Expo was "Progress and Harmony for Mankind." In Japanese Expo '70 is often referred to as Ōsaka Banpaku...
). He was producer of many records, mainly for MPS Records, and supported the Jazz & Lyrik project, combining Jazz performances with readings of poetry.
Berendt was awarded, amongst others, the critic's award of German television, the culture award of Poland, and twice the Bundesfilmpreis.
Berendt died on 4 February 2000 at the age of 77 after a traffic accident which he was involved in as a pedestrian. The accident happened in Hamburg, Berendt was on his way to a book promotion for his book Es gibt keinen Weg nur Gehen (There Is No Way, Only Going).See note in edit summary.
Berendt's huge collection of records, books, magazines, photos and more is in the archive of the Jazzinstitut Darmstadt.
Later work
In 1983 Berendt published The World Is Sound: Nada Brahma and The Third Ear: On Listening to the World. In these books Berendt investigates in listening in general, i.e. its medical, historical, physical, cultural and philosophical aspects.This turn to philosophy – which also saw him becoming a disciple of Indian mystic Osho
Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh)
Osho , born Chandra Mohan Jain , and also known as Acharya Rajneesh from the 1960s onwards, as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh during the 1970s and 1980s and as Osho from 1989, was an Indian mystic, guru, and spiritual teacher who garnered an international following.A professor of philosophy, he travelled...
– was regretted by some of his readers, yet much appreciated by others. Berendt declared Jazz dead, which also provoked diverse reactions. He did not intend to turn against Jazz in general but to describe the advancement of musical expression to other directions. The World Is Sound is one of the most eminent works in the history of literature about the cosmos of the audible and everything dealing with sound
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
and vibration
Vibration
Vibration refers to mechanical oscillations about an equilibrium point. The oscillations may be periodic such as the motion of a pendulum or random such as the movement of a tire on a gravel road.Vibration is occasionally "desirable"...
. Being regarded as belonging to the New Age movement by many, Berendt however cites numerous well-known scientists and does a thorough research. He leaves the subject of Jazz to explore music in a more general sense. In his later age, Berendt considers music as an expression of human existence per se, comprehensible in the social and religious context.
Works (selection)
- Joachim-Ernst Berendt reads Rainer Maria Rilke "Seelenlandschaften" (Landscapes of the Soul), with music from Philip CatherinePhilip CatherinePhilip Catherine is a Belgian jazz guitarist.-Biography:He was born in London from an English mother and Belgian father....
, Krzysztof Zgraja :de:Krzysztof Zgraja, Vladislav SendeckiVladislav SendeckiVladislav Sendecki is a Polish jazz pianist. In Polish, his name is spelled Władysław Sendecki.Sendecki studied at the Fryderyk Chopin Music Academy and the Academy of Music in Krakow...
; Producer: ℗1998 Horst Boesing :de:Horst Bösing ©2003 Jaro 4267-2 http://www.jaro.de/php/endex.php3/page/content:flypage/cd_id/219/artist_id/369cdd9d98eb00a534b25b85617e04a52