Gunter Hampel (* August 31, 1937 in Göttingen; † May 18, 2026) was a German jazz musician (composition, vibraphone, saxophone, flute, piano and bass clarinet). Hampel led his first combo in 1953. He studied architecture and became a professional jazz musician in 1958, touring with artists such as Reinhard Giebel and Toto Blanke, and later with Werner Lüdi. His album *Heartplants* (1964) was among the first attempts at independent European jazz. From 1966 onward, he collaborated more extensively with European musicians like John McLaughlin, Arjen Gorter, Willem van Manen, and Willem Breuker, but also increasingly with American soloists, particularly Marion Brown (on *Gesprächsfetzen*), Jeanne Lee, and Anthony Braxton. The album *The 8th of July* (1969) deserves special mention, as it achieves a compelling synthesis of European and American free jazz. In New York, Hampel founded the Galaxie Dream Band in the early 1970s, which lasted for almost 30 years. Key members of this group, besides himself, were his then-partner, jazz singer Jeanne Lee, and clarinetist Perry Robinson. He also continued to give solo and duo concerts (primarily with Brown and Lee, but also with Boulou Ferré). In 1978, Hampel was named a New Star in the vibraphone category of the Down Beat critics' poll. He was awarded the Lower Saxony State Prize in 1997 for his outstanding artistic achievements. On October 28, 2007, the city of Göttingen awarded Hampel its Medal of Honor. In November 2007, he received the German Jazz Prize (Albert Mangelsdorff Prize) for his life's work. On June 23, 2009, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit. He received the Praetorius Music Prize in 2010 in the category of "Music Innovation Prize". Gunter Hampel Galaxie Dream Band - NDR-Jazzworkshop 1972.mpg "Time is Now" - John McLaughlin with Gunter Hampel, 1968
