Rolf Kühn

Rolf Kühn began his musical journey performing with German dance bands during the closing years of the 1940s. From 1952 onward, he collaborated with various radio orchestras before relocating to the United States in 1956. During 1957 and 1958, he substituted for Benny Goodman on multiple occasions, and he also performed with the Tommy Dorsey ghost band in 1958. Between 1958 and 1960, Kühn was a member of Urbie Green's big band. His return to Germany took place in 1962, where he delved into more experimental jazz forms, notably through recordings alongside his sibling Joachim Kühn on keyboards, even as he periodically revisited swing traditions. Among his early sessions were those with the all-star ensemble Winner's Circle in 1957 and with Toshiko Akiyoshi the following year; he had already begun leading his own groups in 1953, highlighted by a 1956 quartet session recorded in New York for Vanguard. On August 18, 2022, the clarinetist passed away in Berlin at ninety-two years of age.