ORF Big Band

In 1967, the Austrian Broadcasting Company (Österreichischer Rundfunk) was reformed, transforming itself into the innovative ORF and finally launching a contemporary pop and jazz station, Ö3. During this period till October 1971, the ORF Big Band developed from the core of the Fehring Orchestra, rejuvenated by local talents like drummer [a=Erich Bachträgl] and Fritz Pauer. It became an orchestra ready to meet all the needs of a modern broadcasting corporation; however, due to the ambitions and experiences of its two founding leaders, Erich Kleinschuster and Johannes Fehring, its emphasis remained on the production of first rate, big band jazz. In earlier years, ambitious Austrian jazz musicians had to go abroad to achieve recognition, but thanks to the existence of the ORF Big Band, consummate international jazz talents – like Art Farmer on flugelhorn and trumpet, or [a=Jimmy Woode] on double bass and later Benny Bailey on trumpet – were bound at least temporarily to Austria. The Orchestra existed from 1971 to 1981. They recorded a lot of libraries called "ORF Arbeitsplatten" that get sold for enormous prices on the collectors market. Besides these actions the band was used as a studio band for radio and television shows, dancing band on proms and galas and also tour orchestra of Shirley Bassey and Peter Alexander.