Hugo Strasser (Munich, (Schwabing) April 7, 1922 – Grasbrunn-Neukeferloh, March 17, 2016) was a German clarinetist, composer and big band leader. His orchestra is mainly known for its ballroom music, especially for the series “Tanzplatte des Jahres” and the performances at many national and international dance competitions.
In 1949 he joined the orchestra, first a sextet and then a big band, of Max Greger as an alto saxophonist and clarinettist. In 1954 the time had come. The founding of his own band. At first the band consisted of eight musicians, but that same year it was expanded to a big band of sixteen musicians.
For a year he and his orchestra played at the Deutsches Theater in Munich and at the Bayerischer Rundfunk they played in many productions and live broadcasts. As a result, they quickly gained national fame. Slowly but surely the famous Strasser sound also developed over the years, in which the clarinet played by Strasser and developed especially for him by the Gebrüder Keilwerth in Gelnhausen plays the leading role.
A great advantage for this Strasser sound was that the arrangers were also musicians themselves in the orchestra. Besides Strasser himself, the arrangements, as well as many compositions, were mostly made by tenor saxophonist Werner Tauber, trombonist Hans Ehrlinger, trumpeter Etienne Cap and guitarist Dirk Schweppe, who died in 2001. His son Thomas Strasser (guitar) (*1952) has also been part of the orchestra for years, both as a musician, arranger and composer.
In 2009 the orchestra consists of five saxophones, three trumpets, three trombones, keyboard, guitar, bass and percussion, in addition to Strasser on clarinet. Although the orchestra has been around for more than fifty years, there have been hardly any changes in the line-up for a long time.
Recordings by Hugo Strasser you can hear at Instrumentals Forever:
| Adios Amor |
| Aquarius |
| Arrivederci Roma |
| Atlantis Is Calling |
| Bye Bye Blackbird |
| Chanson d’amour |
| Chattanooga Choo-Choo |
| Clair |
| Congrratulations |
| Delilah |
| Ding A Dong |
| Dizzy |
| Durch dich wird diese Welt erst schön – Morgen – Green Door |
| E Viva España |
| Ein bisschen Frieden |
| Eine Frau wird erst schön durch die Liebe – Einen Walzer für dich und mich – Wie ein Wunder kam die Liebe |
| El Condor Pasa |
| Georgie |
| Harbour Lights |
| Hello Dolly |
| Hey Mambo |
| Hofkonzert im Hinterhaus – Hallo kleines Fräulein – Auf der grüne Wiese |
| Hully Gully Firehouse |
| I Get Around |
| I Just Called To Say I Love You |
| I Left My Heart In San Francisco |
| In The Summertime |
| Istanbul |
| It’s A Real Good Feeling |
| It’s Only A Paper Moon |
| Jambalaya – Marina – Quando Quando |
| Knock Knock Who’s There |
| Komm doch in meine Arme – Du trägst ein entzückendes Kleidchen – Frauen sind keine Engel |
| La Bamba |
| La Cumparsita |
| La Isla Bonita |
| La vie en rose |
| Les bicyeclettes de Belsize |
| Letkiss |
| Let’s Dance |
| Limbo Rock |
| Love Story |
| Mama Loo |
| Mañana |
| Mathilda |
| Moon River – Are You Lonesome Tonight |
| My Boy Lollipop |
| New York New York |
| Nikita |
| O sole mio – La Paloma – Stranger On The Shore |
| Oh Happy Day |
| On The Street Where You Live |
| On The Sunny Side Of The Street |
| Paloma Blanca |
| Pariser Tango |
| Pata Pata |
| Popocatepetl-Twist |
| Puppet On A String |
| Puttin’ On The Ritz |
| Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head |
| Red Roses For A Blue Lady |
| Reet Petite |
| Rhinestone Cowboy |
| ‘s Wonderful |
| San Bernardino |
| Save Your Kisses For Me |
| Seasons In The Sun |
| Sempre Sempre |
| Smoke Gets In Your Eyes |
| Something Stupid |
| Spanish Eyes |
| Stern von Rio – Rote Rosen rote Lippen roter Wein – Tanze mit mir in den Morgen |
| Stormy Weather |
| Stranger On The Shore |
| Strangers In The Night |
| Summertime – Strangers In The Night |
| Tennessee Waltz |
| The Girl From Ipanema |
| The Lady Is A Tramp |
| The Last Farewell |
| The More I See You |
| Theater |
| True Love |
| Viens danser la Bostella |
| Waterloo |
| Wenn der weisse Flieder wieder blüht – Wenn die kleinen Veilchen blühen – Glutrote Rosen |
| What A Wonderful World |
| Wonderful Dancing |
| Wooly Bully |
| Words |
| Yellow River |
| Yesterday |
| Yesterday Man |
| You Want Love (Maria Maria) |