Dieter Reith (February 25, 1938 – April 1, 2020) was a German pianist, organist, composer, and orchestra leader known for his contributions to jazz, funk, and film music. Born in Mainz, Germany, he gained prominence in the 1960s and 1970s for his distinctive Hammond organ playing and his work in jazz fusion and big band music.
Reith collaborated with some of Germany’s top jazz musicians and was a key figure in the European jazz scene. He gained international recognition as one of the composers and arrangers for the 1972 Munich Olympic Games theme, a fusion of jazz, funk, and orchestral elements that remains a classic.
Throughout his career, Reith led numerous big band projects, worked extensively as a studio musician, and composed for television and film. His music blended sophisticated jazz harmonies with groovy, rhythmic arrangements, making him a sought-after composer and bandleader.
With a career spanning several decades, Dieter Reith left a lasting impact on German jazz and orchestral music. His ability to blend jazz, funk, and classical influences ensured his reputation as one of Germany’s most respected jazz musicians and arrangers.
129 recordings by Dieter Reith you can hear on Instrumentals Forever:
A Little Night Music, 1st movement (Mozart) • Accelerations • Adios • Air from Suite No 3 (Bach) • All I Can Say • Allegro from ”Water Music” (Händel) • Alone Again • American Patrol • Antigua • Around The World • At Last • Badinerie from Suite No 2 (Bach) • Baja Nova • Beautiful Dreamer • Big Spender • Bittersweet Samba • Brasilia • Breakfast In America • Cariocas • C’est magnifique • Chattanoogo Choo-Choo • Cherish The Love • Christiana • Clair • Clublife • Day Tripper • Diamonds Are Forever • Easy Listening Lounge • For Your Eyes Only • From Russia With Love • Gentle Annie • Ginny Come Lately • Girl In A Sportscar • Give Me The Night • Glory Glory Hallelujah • Golden Eye • Goldfinger • Green Peppers • Gwine To Run All Night • Happy Cucaracha • Hard To Say I’m Sorry • He Gave Me Life • Head Start • Heat Wave • Honesty • I Can’t Give You Anything • I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’ • I Know Why • If You Leave Me Now • Impromptu G Major op 90 (Schubert) • In The Mood • It Never Rains In California • Italian Concerto, 1st movement (Bach) • Italian Concerto, 3rd movement (Bach) • Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair • Josephine • Le Coucou (Daquin) • Licence To Kill • Little Brown Jug • Little Snowman • Live And Let Die • Mañana • Maria’s First choice • Massa’s In The Cold, Cold Ground • Matchmaker • Mexican Paloma • Mexican Road Race • Midnight Cowboy • Minuet from ”A Little Night Music” (Mozart) • Minuet from String Quartet op 13 No 5 (Boccherini) • Moonlight Serenade • Moonraker • More And More Amor • Morning Mister Radio • My Favourite Things • My Life • My Old Kentucky Home • Nothing For Nothing • Numero Cinco • Oh! Susanna • Old Black Joe • Old Folks At Home • On Broadway • On The Beach • On The Border • On This Night Of Thousand Stars • Pennsylvania 6-5000 • Physical • Praeludium No 6 from ”Well Tempered Klavier” (Bach) • Puttin’ On The Ritz • Rain • Reigen seliger Geister (Gluck) • Ring, Ring The Banjo • Rondo from ”A Little Night Music” (Mozart) • Salud, Amor Y Dinero • Saving All My Love For You • Serenade from String Quartet in F Major (Haydn) • Serenade In Blue • So What’s New • Someday My Prince Will Come • Song Of The Volga Boatmen • Spanish Flea • St Louis Blues March • Stardust • String Of Pearls • Sun Valley Jump • ‘t Ain’t No Use At All • Tango Max • The James Bond Theme • The Letter • The Living Daylights • The More I See You • The Shadow Of Your Smile • The Sweetheart Tree • The Typewriter • This Masquerade • Thunderball • Tijuana Taxi • Time After Time • To Love Somebody • Tomorrow Never Dies • Tonights The Night • Upside Down • Waltz In Blue • Wanderin’ Star • We Have All The Time In The World • We’re In This Love Together • What A Day For A Daydream • You Only Live Twice •
