Danish drummer Alex Riel's career as both accompanist and leader has spanned six
decades of jazz, pop and rock. Born in Copenhagen on September 13, 1940, Alex
Poul Riel learned to play the drums as a teenager and developed a passion for
jazz. He became interested in swing and closely followed the evolution of bebop.
He was only in his early twenties when he began frequenting studios to accompany
Scandinavian and American artists visiting Denmark, where the jazz scene was
very much alive. He took part in the recordings of the Danish Radio Jazz Group
founded and directed by Erik Mo...