Rick Kiefer is an American trumpet player who has spent most of his career as a professional musician in Germany. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, he first attracted notice in the early 1960s as a member of the Maynard Ferguson

Maynard Ferguson

Maynard Ferguson was a Canadian jazz musician and bandleader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957...

 big band. In the mid-60s, he moved to Germany and became a member of the Max Greger band, and by the end of the decade, he had joined the Kurt Edelhagen

Kurt Edelhagen

Kurt Edelhagen, born 5 June 1920 in Herne, died 8 February 1982 in Köln, was a major European big band leader throughout the 1950s.After having studied clarinet and piano in Essen, he set up his multicultural big band, which over the years would include many big names in jazz in Europe, including...

 orchestra in Cologne. He spent the first half of the 1970s as a member of the James Last Orchestra

James Last Orchestra

The James Last Orchestra is a German big-band orchestra with strings. The orchestra was established in 1964 as a studio orchestra, led by jazz musician Hans Last...

, as well as with the Peter Herbolzheimer

Peter Herbolzheimer

Peter Herbolzheimer was a German jazz trombonist and bandleader.- Biography :Herbolzheimer was born in Bucharest and migrated from communist Romania to West Germany in 1951. In 1953 he moved to the United States of America, where he worked as a guitarist...

 band, and from the late 70s onwards became a permanent member of the WDR (Westdeutscher Rundfunk, or West German Radio) big band. Kiefer is notable for being part of a group of Cleveland natives who played trumpet for James Last

James Last

James Last is a German composer and big band leader. His "happy music" made his numerous albums best-sellers in Germany and the United Kingdom. His composition, "Happy Heart", became an international success in interpretations by Andy Williams and Petula Clark...

, the others being Bob Lanese

Bob Lanese

Bob Lanese is an American trumpet player who has spent most of his career as a professional musician in Germany.-Life and career:...

, Chuck Findley

Chuck Findley

Chuck Findley is an American session musician. Most widely-known as a trumpet player, he also plays other brass instruments such as flugelhorn and trombone...

 and Bob Findley.