Pioneering Swiss Jazz Singer Miriam Klein Dies

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) The Basel-based jazz singer Miriam Klein has died at the age of 89, her family has announced. As a woman, Klein was a pioneer of jazz in Europe and also made a name for herself internationally. This content was published on November 3, 2026 - 14:57 2 minutes Keystone-SDA

Deutsch de Miriam Klein: der Weg der Basler Sängerin im männerdominierten Jazz Original Read more: Miriam Klein: der Weg der Basler Sängerin im männerdominierten

Miriam Klein began her career as a singer in Paris in the 1950s. After studying music in Vienna, where she worked with the pianist Joe Zawinul – a key figure in international jazz – she returned to Switzerland.

From the 1960s onwards, she performed with her then husband, the guitarist and trumpeter Oscar Klein, who died in 2006. She collaborated with several American jazz greats, including Dexter Gordon, Billy Cobham, Roy Eldridge, Mal Waldron and Roland Hanna.

An independent musician and entrepreneur

She achieved her international breakthrough in 1973 with the album Lady Like – Miriam Klein sings Billie Holiday – a unique tribute to her role model“Lady Day”. In the years that followed, the Basel-born singer performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, recorded albums in New York and collaborated with the orchestra of what was then Swiss Radio DRS.

More More Behind the scenes at Montreux

This content was published on Jul 3, 2012 The 68-year-old started helping Nobs coordinate the annual festival and manage Warner-Elektra-Atlantic (WEA's) European arm from 1973. This year she is again backstage at the Miles Davis Hall looking after artists. (Simon Bradley, Tobias Hirsbrunner, Daniel Wihler, swissinfo)

Read more: Behind the scenes at Mon

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