Helmut Friedrich Licht came to the U.S. from Germany in 1958. He enrolled as a student at the Peabody Conservatory of Music while also teaching ballroom dancing at the Arthur Murray School of Dancing at 217 N. Charles Street to earn money for his tuition. He was awarded the Arthur Murray Professional Gold Medal.
Photo from his 1977 album
From 1959 to 1961 Helmut played piano for the Hi-Tones.
From 1961 to 1963 Helmut served in the US Army. While receiving his advanced military police training at Fort Gordon, GA, he wrote a march for the Military Police titled “Clubs and 45s,” which was played by the Fort Gorden post band during his company’s graduation ceremony. After Fort Gordon, Helmut was stationed at Aberdeen Proving Ground where he transferred from the military police to the Posts Army Band. In that band he played the big bass drum. In 1963 he was honorably discharged.
From 1963-69 he was pianist/composer/arranger for Miguel Vega’s International Combo, and played steady engagements at clubs such as Cy Bloom’s Place in the Alley, and the Latin Casino on Pulaski Highway.
In 1970 Helmut formed his own combo originally known as the Helmut Licht Quartet with Esther Queen Coleman, featuring Licht (piano), and Coleman (vocals), with Booker Wiest (bass and vocals), Al Saunders (sax, flute), and Frank Speciale (drums). Speciale was later replaced with Bob Waterfall. The group worked as house band at the Friendship International Hotel. In 1970 they released their first album “Come on Sun” with the above lineup including work by both drummers. All music was written by Helmut. A single was also released consisting of two songs from the album “No Fish Today” b/w “Ode to Kornflake,” a song written by Helmut for Kellogg Johnson. The group evolved to become Fresh Wind. A summer 1975 lineup featured Licht (keyboards), Coleman (vocals, percussion), Harry Okubo (guitar), and Tom Foertsch (drums). Other members included Bill Trossle (bass), and Tim Ghiz (drums ex-Pumphouse).
Fresh Wind released their second album “One Big Tree” in 1975 when they performed as house band for the summer at Sam Taustins Embers in Ocean City. All music was written by Helmut.
Then the group changed their name to Scorpio Rising as they played Baltimore venues and traveled to perform at clubs in surrounding states. Locally they were seen for extended house band engagements at Gambrinus, the Hunt Valley Inn, Holiday Inns, Westview Lounge, Pikesville Hilton, the Spectrum Lounge… Also seen at the Baltimore City Fair, and Jazz on the Plaza concerts.
In 1977 Licht released the first of 11 dance albums “Baltimore Dances to The Songs and Sounds of Helmut Licht” featuring Coleman, Andre Breckenridge (percussion), Kellogg Johnson (wind instruments), John Lodsin (bass ex-Chrome), and Robert Wyatt (drums ex-Mello Men, Essence, Odyssey, Maynard Ferguson).
Fresh Wind and Scorpio Rising accompanist
The second dance album “Baltimore Dances 2” was released in 1982. A companion to the 1977 release, the album featured instrumental examples of various classic dance styles for dance instructors, students and dancers. The album was recorded at AGM in Jarrettsville by Licht (keyboards, synthesizers), Andre Breckenridge (Latin percussion), Harvey Hoffman (guitar, bass), David Huether (drums, percussion ex-Vehicle), and Kellogg Johnson (brass, wind).
Through the 80s and 90s Licht continued to promote the art of ballroom dancing and released many albums and CDs of all the ballroom dance styles.
He began to play for local country clubs such as the Summit, Bonnieview, Mercantile Club, Suburban Club, Woodholme Country Club, Chestnut Ridge Country Club, Art Donovan’s Country Club, and the Baltimore Country Club… He expanded his quartet to a sextet featuring Helmut on synthesizer, with Queen Coleman (vocals), Andre Breckenridge (percussion), Ralph Ingalls (trombone), Steve Richwine (trumpet), and Joe Calianno (sax).
In the mid-‘90s Helmut expanded his sextet to the Helmut Licht Orchestra, a full big band consisting of three trumpets, three trombones, 5 saxes, Darlene Brady (ex vocalist for Zim Zemarel), Andre Breckenridge (American and Latin percussion and vocals), and Helmut on the synthesizer. Helmut now writes and arranges most of the big band’s music which features all the big band classics but also all of the ballroom rhythms, such as Foxtrot, English Waltz, Swing/Jive, Polka, Chacha, Rumba/Bolero, Mambo/Salsa, Samba, Tango, Merengue, Quickstep and Viennese Waltz.
For many years the popular radio show Rouse and Company opened their show with a jingle written and sung by Helmut. Licht also wrote the song “Baltimore” which was recorded by the local group Contraband.
In the mid-‘80s Helmut put in a separate phone line with an answering machine that played one of his telephone songs, as they became known: a different song every week. The line was active for almost 20 years and featured songs for every occasion: Christmas, Valentine’s, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Hay Fever, Oh My Sunburn, etc. The line was disconnected in the early ‘00s.
For more than a decade he was also the Musical Editor for the Amateur Dancer, the official magazine of (USABDA) United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association, which has clubs in every state of the Union and Canada.
Helmut also graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 1966. Over 100 of his paintings can be seen online.
Helmut received his MA from Towson University in the mid-‘80s and taught German for several years at Morgan State University, Essex Community College (now CCBC) and Towson University.
In 1996 Helmut started Ballroom Dancing at the Belvedere every Wednesday night. There Helmut taught beginner dance lessons (12 different dances in a 6 week program) that was preceded and followed by playing live music either alone or with a larger ensemble.
As an author, Helmut has written and published 3 books. More information on these and his record releases is available on his website.
Speciale continued to play drums. In 00s was member of the George Hipp Orchestra. Johnson later with D.C. based James Bazen
Big Band. Ghiz later with the Charlie von Nordeck Quartet
Record releases include:
1970(LP) Broxton 27957 Come on Sun
1970 Broxton 3071 No Fish Today / Ode to Kellogg
1975(LP) Star 40975 One Big Tree
1977(LP) TM 4111 Baltimore Dances to The Songs and Sounds of Helmut Licht
1982(LP)Mandala 42285 Baltimore Dances 2
Helmut went on to write the music and produce over 20 ballroom CDs.
