Alexander von Schlippenbach
One of Europe’s premier free jazz bandleaders, born 1938, pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach´ mixes free and contemporary classical elements, with his slashing solos often the link between the two in his compositions. Schlippenbach formed The Globe Unity Orchestra in 1966 to perform the piece“Globe Unity, which had been commissioned by the Berliner Jazztage.
He remained involved with the orchestra into the ’80s. Schlippenbach began taking lessons at eight, and studied at the Staatliche Hochschule for Musik in Cologne with composers Bernd Alois Zimmermann and Rudolf Petzold. He played with Gunther Hampel in 1963, and was in Manfred Schoof’s quintet from 1964 to 1967. Schlippenbach began heading various bands after 1967, among them 1970 trio with Evan Parker and Paul Lovens and a duo with Sven-Ake Johansson which they co-formed in 1976. Schlippenbach has also given many solos performances. In the late ’80s, he formed the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra,which has featured a number of esteemed European avant-garde jazz musicians including Evan Parker, Paul Lovens, KennyWheeler, Misha Mengelberg and Aki Takase. During the 90`s Duo work with Tony Oxley, Sam Rivers and Aki Takase.
1999 started performance and radiorecording of Thelonius Monks complete works, (all the compositions) with Rudi Mahall and his group. Awards: „Kunstpreis der Stadt Berlin „(1976),“ Schallplattenpreise der UDJ“(1980/1981), „Albert Mangelsdorff Preis“ (1994) The German Record Critics Award : „Monks Casino“ 2005/3
The „SWR-Jazz Award“ 2008
Axel Dörner
Born in Köln, 26 April 1964; trumpet. Axel Dörner’s first instrument was piano, which he initially studied at the conservatory in Arnhem, the Netherlands, from 1988 to 1989, and subsequently (1989 to 1996) at the Musikhochschule in Köln. From 1991 he studied trumpet with Malte Burba at the Musikhochschule. During the five years in Köln leading up to 1994, he worked extensively with trumpeter Bruno Leicht, as The Streetfighters Duo, The Streetfighters Quartet (with Wayne Dockery and John Betsch), and The Streetfighters Double Quartet with, among others, Matthias Schubert and Claudio Puntin. During this time he formed the Axel Dörner Quartet with Frank Gratkowski, Hans Schneider and Martin Blume, and The Remedy with Sebastian Gramss and Claus Wagner (and guests Peter Kowald, Tom Cora and Matthias Schubert). Numerous radio, television and concert appearances were made with these groups.
In 1994, Dörner moved to Berlin and the number of activities increased substantially to include:
* Die Enttäuschung with Rudi Mahall, Uli Jennessen and Jan Roder; and, with Alexander von Schlippenbach added to the quartet in a group that has performed all the compositions of Thelonius Monk
* The Recepy with Zeena Parkins, Sebastian Gramss and Michael Griener
* Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra
* Improvisors Pool with Sam Rivers and Alexander von Schlippenbach
* Aki Takase Sextet
* Mis&Les (The music of Eric Dolphy)
* a quintet with George Lewis, Evan Parker, Alexander von Schlippenbach and Paul Lovens
* „Sechs kleine Stücke für Quintett“ and „Harke und Spaten“ with Sven-Å Johansson
* Bob Rutman Steelcello Ensemble with Shelley Hirsch and Johannes Bauer
* King Übü Örchestü
* Butch Morris‘ Berlin Skyscraper
* Lines with Martin Blume, Marcio Mattos, Phil Wachsmann and Jim Denley
* Fred Van Hove’s ‚t Nonet
* SPOK-Ensemble with Aleks Kolkowski, Rudi Mahall and Matthias Bauer
* Trios with: Sven-Å Johansson and Matthias Bauer; Chris Burn and Alexander Frangenheim; Thomas Lehn and Phil Minton; and Fred Lonberg-Holm and Michael Zerang
* Duos with: Mark Sanders; Robin Hayward; John Russell; Lol Coxhill; Wolfgang Fuchs; Rajexh Mehta; Michael Griener
* Chris Burn’s Ensemble
* The London Jazz Composers Orchestra
* Hedros with Mats Gustafsson, Günter Christmann, Barry Guy and others
* ananax with Andrea Neumann and Annett Krebs
Rudi Mahall
(born 1966 in Nürnberg, Germany) is a contemporary jazz bass clarinetist.While studying classical clarinet, Mahall shifted towards contemporary music, improvisation and jazz. He is, or was a member of following bands: Avantgardeband Die Hartmann 8, Der Rote Bereich (initially with Frank Möbus, Marty Cook, Jim Black und Henning Sievert), the Trio Tiefe töne für Augen und Ohren (with Sievert and Bill Elgart), Carlos Bicas Azul and Die Enttäuschung (amongst others with Axel Dörner, Jan Roder). He carried out several projects and published CDs with Aki Takase, about the work of Eric Dolphy and others. Mahall participated to Alexander von Schlippenbachs recording of the complete works of Thelonious Monk, published by a prestigious Swiss label, and he is a member of the Globe Unity Orchestra. Moreover he performed with Conny Bauer, Lee Konitz, Barry Guy, Karl Berger, Paul Lovens, Sven-Åke Johansson, Radu Malfatti, Ed Schuller, Ray Anderson, Kenny Wheeler, Hannes Bauer and many others.
Mahall performed at the Free Music Festival Jazz a Mulhouse in 2008, at the Moers Festival, the JazzFest Berlin, the Leverkusener Jazztage and jazz festivals in New York City, Amsterdam, München, Würzburg, Nürnberg, Spain, Norway, France, etc and toured in Portugal, southern and eastern Africa.
Jan Roder-Doublebass
born in 68, Jan worked as a rockmusician first. After a longer stay in Brasil, he got interested in Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry and other and changed to doublebass. Since 95 he is a bassist in Berlin and played international concerts and recording f.e. with Uli Gumpert, Ernst Ludwig Petrowsky, Manfred Schoof, Uschi Brüning, Alexander von Schlippenbach, Rudi Mahall and many more.
Michael Griener
Born in Nuremberg, Germany in 1968, began playing drums in 1982, lives in Berlin since 1994.
Under the influence of the HOHE-UFER-concerts initiated by Günter Christmann he became involved early on in the various forms of Jazztradition, Free Improvisation and New Music, which led to a longer collaboration with Christmann in his Vario-projects (a.o. C.I.M.-Festival Den Haag 1990, Moers-Festival 1992, Wittener Tage für Neue Kammermusik1993).
He has worked frequently with dancers, actors and poets (most recently in a project on Paul Celan with German writer Oskar Ansull). His duo KIMMO ELOMAA with electronic wizard jayrope received a grant by the city of Berlin in 2002
Received the 1. price as “most creative soloist” at the “New German Jazz Award” in 2006
His current projects include a.o.:
Uli Gumpert Quartet, TGW (Thieke-Griener-Weber), a Duo with Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, Lacy Pool, Squakk and Carl-Ludwig Hübsch‘ Primordial Soup
Michael Griener teaches jazz drumming at the University for Music “Carl Maria v. Weber” in Dresden and jazz-history and rhythm at the Jazzschule Berlin
Played a.o. with
Tal Farlow, Herb Ellis, Mal Waldron, Evan Parker, Ellery Eskelin, Dave Liebman, John Zorn, Butch Morris, Ken Vandermark,Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, Barry Guy, Paul Lovens, Zeena Parkins, Keith Tippett, Sirone, Uli Gumpert, Aki Takase, Mats Gustafsson, Alexander v. Schlippenbach, Joelle Leandre, Günter Christmann, Conny Bauer, Johannes Bauer, Frank Gratkowski, Phil Minton, Tony Buck, Matthias Schubert, David Moss, Axel Dörner, Lu Hübsch, Claudio Puntin