Born on Christmas Day 1932 in Merseburg Germany, he started playing rather than just listening to jazz whilst he was studying Mathematics and Physics at Darmstadt University. By 1956 he was a sufficiently proficient saxophonist to win first place at an amateur jazz festival. By 1960 he was invited to join fellow Frankfurter, trombonist Albert Mangelsdorf f in his band. This had a profound effect on Sauer. He toured widely with the band in Europe and immersed himself in the free European jazz of the time. Read more on Last.fm