Peter Autschbach: Begin at the End

Peter Autschbach initially taught himself to play the guitar and studied privately with jazz guitar legend Joe Pass in 1988–1989. In 1990 he graduated with the highest honours from the jazz programme at the Cologne Musikhochschule. He subsequently joined the band for The Who’s rock opera Tommy, written by Pete Townshend, playing approximately 1,000 performances between 1995 and 2005.

He also worked as a guitarist with the Dortmund Philharmonic in musical-theatre productions including Cabaret (2002) and West Side Story (2004). Brian May later selected him to play in the Queen musical We Will Rock You in Cologne and Vienna. Since 1998 he has composed for his band Terminal A and toured in Germany and abroad. By the time of this album’s original publication, he had released ten albums featuring his own compositions.

In 2010 he began a duo partnership with guitarist Ralf Illenberger, based in Sedona, Arizona. Their first three albums were No Boundaries, One Mind and Zero Gravity. As a solo guitarist and interpreter of his fingerstyle compositions, Autschbach was invited to perform in Singapore in 2011 and in Japan in 2014 and 2017.

He regularly leads workshops in Europe and Asia. At the time of the original booklet he had written fifteen guitar teaching books. His method Gitarre lernen mit Zacky und Bob, for children aged eight and above, was published by Schott Music in April 2016.

Antônio Carlos Jobim
(b Rio de Janeiro, 25 Jan 1927; d New York, 8 Dec 1994). Brazilian composer, pianist, guitarist and arranger. In his early teens he took piano lessons from Koellreutter and later from Branco and Tomás Terán, and also studied orchestration, harmony and composition. In the mid-1940s he began to work as a pianist in the bars and nightclubs of Rio's beach areas of Copacabana and Ipanema. In 1952 he worked as an arranger for the recording firm Continental and his first recorded pieces appeared in the following year. He became the artistic director for the Odeon label in 1956 and began a lifelong association with the poet Vinicius de Morais, composing and conducting the music for the play Orfeu da Conceição.

Duke Ellington (1899–1974), born Edward Kennedy Ellington in Washington, DC, was an American composer, pianist and bandleader. His orchestra became internationally influential, and he wrote much of its repertoire, creating music around the distinctive sounds and personalities of its players.

His work ranged from songs and short instrumental pieces to extended suites and sacred concerts. His partnership with Billy Strayhorn became central to the orchestra’s musical identity. Across a career of more than fifty years, Ellington brought an exceptional sense of orchestral colour and form to jazz, leaving a body of music that continues to be performed in many different settings.

Edgar Sampson (1907–1973) was an American jazz composer, arranger, saxophonist and violinist. He began studying the violin as a child and later took up the alto saxophone, working with ensembles led by musicians including Duke Ellington, Rex Stewart and Fletcher Henderson.

His work with Chick Webb helped establish his reputation during the swing era. Stompin’ at the Savoy and Don’t Be That Way became enduring jazz standards, while his arrangements were performed by leading bandleaders such as Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw. His later career also included arranging for Latin bands, including those of Tito Rodríguez and Tito Puente.

Harold Arlen (1905–1986), born Hyman Arluck, was an American composer whose songs became central to the Great American Songbook. His music for The Wizard of Oz includes Over the Rainbow, one of the best-known songs written for the cinema.

His wider catalogue includes Get Happy, Stormy Weather, It’s Only a Paper Moon, I’ve Got the World on a String and Last Night When We Were Young. His melodies have been interpreted by generations of singers and instrumentalists, and remain part of the standard repertoire in jazz and popular music.

Neal Hefti was an American trumpeter, composer and arranger whose career connected big-band jazz with film and television music. Born in Hastings, Nebraska, in 1922, he worked with Woody Herman’s First Herd before concentrating on composition and arranging.

His collaborations with Count Basie helped shape the orchestra’s post-war sound. He also arranged and conducted for Frank Sinatra and wrote scores for films including Harlow and The Odd Couple. His Batman television theme became one of his most widely recognised compositions. Girl Talk, with lyrics by Bobby Troup, is among his enduring contributions to the jazz song repertoire.

Peter Autschbach initially taught himself to play the guitar and studied privately with jazz guitar legend Joe Pass in 1988–1989. In 1990 he graduated with the highest honours from the jazz programme at the Cologne Musikhochschule. He subsequently joined the band for The Who’s rock opera Tommy, written by Pete Townshend, playing approximately 1,000 performances between 1995 and 2005.

He also worked as a guitarist with the Dortmund Philharmonic in musical-theatre productions including Cabaret (2002) and West Side Story (2004). Brian May later selected him to play in the Queen musical We Will Rock You in Cologne and Vienna. Since 1998 he has composed for his band Terminal A and toured in Germany and abroad. By the time of this album’s original publication, he had released ten albums featuring his own compositions.

In 2010 he began a duo partnership with guitarist Ralf Illenberger, based in Sedona, Arizona. Their first three albums were No Boundaries, One Mind and Zero Gravity. As a solo guitarist and interpreter of his fingerstyle compositions, Autschbach was invited to perform in Singapore in 2011 and in Japan in 2014 and 2017.

He regularly leads workshops in Europe and Asia. At the time of the original booklet he had written fifteen guitar teaching books. His method Gitarre lernen mit Zacky und Bob, for children aged eight and above, was published by Schott Music in April 2016.

Rik Emmett is a Canadian guitarist, singer and songwriter whose work spans rock, jazz, blues and acoustic guitar music. He became widely known as a member of Triumph, joining the band in 1975 and beginning his solo career after leaving in 1988.

His independent recordings explore a broad range of styles, including classical guitar, swing, fusion and blues. He has also worked extensively in music education, writing for Guitar Player magazine and teaching at Humber College in Toronto. His creative output extends to poetry, memoir and projects combining instrumental music with written reflections.