Thomas Heberer (musician)
Thomas Heberer (born September 24, 1965, in Schleswig, Germany[1]) is a trumpeter, quarter-tone trumpeter, cornetist, keyboardist and composer, primarily focused on jazz, creative improvised music and contemporary chamber music. Based in New York City, he currently works as a leader and sideman in a variety of bands in Europe and the US.[2]
Education
Heberer began playing trumpet at the age of 11.[1] From 1984 to 1987, he studied at conservatory with Manfred Schoof[3] at the Cologne University of Music.
Notable projects: 1987 to present
Leader
Heberer leads several projects, including past and present:
- Lip Lab, a trio with Carl Ludwig Hübsch on tuba and Christian Thomé on drums. The group released Lex Luna[4] on JazzHausMusik in 2007.
- Clarino, a trio with clarinettist Joachim Badenhorst and bassist Pascal Niggenkemper, released two albums: Klippe[5] in 2011 (Clean Feed) and 2012's Cookbook[6] (Red Toucan).
Solo work
Thomas has recorded and performed solo. Notable recordings include: The Heroic Millipede[7] in 1988 (ITM); "Kill Yr Darlins"[8] in 1997 (Poise); two albums on the Poise label under the pseudonym T.O.M.: Stella[9] in 2001 and Mouth[10] in 2003; the digitally released Sloops in 2007; and a vinyl-only release called One[11] on NoBusiness Records in 2011.
His solo work has been used for films and dance performances, including for two choreographies by Pina Bausch. Choreographer Bausch's Für die Kinder von gestern, heute and morgen[12] (2002) uses a track from "Stella" called German Measles; Bausch's Ten Chi[13] (2004), uses a track called Blue" from the album Mouth.
Wim Wenders used "Blue" in Pina,[14] which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2011 for Best Documentary Feature.[15]
"Blue" and "German Measles" were both used in Pina Bausch,[16] a documentary directed by Anne Linsel (WDR/Arte) in 2006 and re-released by the Goethe-Institut in 2012 (IN2998).
ICP and other ensembles
Thomas has been a member of the Instant Composers Pool (ICP) Orchestra[17] from 1993[18] to present, along with current members: Misha Mengelberg, Han Bennink, Michael Moore, Ab Baars, Tobias Delius, Wolter Wierbos, Mary Oliver, Tristan Honsinger, and Ernst Glerum.[19]
During Heberer's involvement, the band has recorded numerous albums for hatOLOGY[20] and ICP,[21] and performed extensively around the world including tours in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, US.[22] Notable US performances with ICP include the Library of Congress,[23] Harvard University, and the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.
From 1987 to 2000, Heberer was a member of Alexander von Schlippenbach's Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra,[24] which at the time included Evan Parker, Kenny Wheeler, Aki Takase, Paul Lovens and others. During his involvement, the Orchestra recorded three albums for ECM,[25] FMP[26] and DIW,[27] and performed in Europe and Japan.
Heberer was a member of Tome XX[28] with saxophonist Dirk Raulf, bassist Tim Wells (1987-1989), bassist, Dieter Manderscheid (1990-1996), and drummer Fritz Wittek. From 1987 to 1996, the band recorded four albums under the JazzHausMusik label, touring across Europe, Africa, and South America.
From 1988 to 1996, Heberer was a member of the European Jazz Ensemble,[29] along with Joachim Kühn, Gerd Dudek, Konrad Bauer, Charlie Mariano, Tony Levin and others. In addition to performing across Europe, he is included on two recordings from the time: "Meets the Khan Family" (MA Music) and "20th Anniversary Tour" (Konnex).
Heberer received significant attention[1] in 1990 with his release of the album Chicago Breakdown: The Music of Jelly Roll Morton, recorded with bassist Dieter Manderscheid.[30] The Penguin Guide to Jazz gave Chicago Breakdown four stars, the publication's highest rating, citing it "highly recommended."[31] Heberer and Manderscheid went on to record two more duo albums: What a Wonderful World (2002), in recognition for the centenary of Louis Armstrong, and Wanderlust (2007), a reflection on American blues music. What a Wonderful World was critically acclaimed and received four out of five stars in Down Beat.[32] As a duo, Heberer and Manderscheid have performed across Europe, Asia, and the US.
In 2013, Heberer and longtime collaborator Achim Kaufmann released their first recording[33] on Red Toucan called Knoten.[34]
Sideman
Thomas has participated as a sideman in numerous ensembles and recordings with leaders such as Muhal Richard Abrams, Peter Brötzmann, Han Bennink, Eugene Chadbourne, Dave Douglas, Joe Fonda, Frank Gratkowski, Barry Guy, Christoph Haberer, Gabriele Hasler, Joe Hertenstein, Guus Janssen, Maria João, Paul van Kemenade, Misha Mengelberg, Butch Morris, Bob Moses, Alphonse Mouzon, David Murray, Sunny Murray, Michael Riessler, Alexander von Schlippenbach, Andreas Schmidt, Frank Schulte, Elliott Sharp, Norbert Stein, Steve Swell, Aki Takase, Attila Zoller, John Zorn.[1]
Harald Schmidt
Thomas served as a member of the regular band supporting German talk show host and entertainer Harald Schmidt from 1995 to 2007.[35] He was also featured as a guest[36] several times including for the Miles Davis episode on November 22, 2002.
From 1995 to 2003 the show aired four times a week for the German SAT1 private television channel. From 2005 to 2007, the show was performed 2 times per week for ARD, Germany's national television channel.
Critical reception
Die Zeit critic Konrad Heidkamp called him "the master of German trumpet,"[37] The Penguin Guide to Jazz said "outstandingly gifted,"[31] the Rowohlt Jazz Lexikon credits him with having "developed a unique trumpet style,"[1] and colleague Alexander von Schlippenbach named him "our new trumpet genius."[38]
Teaching
From 1993 to 1997, Thomas lectured at the music conservatory Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt-Main, Germany.
He has conducted numerous workshops with the ICP Orchestra (among others, the 2007 Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music[39] in Alberta, Canada) as well as for the Goethe-Institut in South America, Asia and Africa.
Thomas compiles a regularly updated summary on trumpet techniques called Trumpet Mechanics.
Concepts
In addition to using regular staff paper for his compositions, Heberer has developed a notation code that he calls "Cookbook." Cookbook is an instant composition method, which allows for a high amount of freedom on the musicians' side while allowing significant structural tools on the composer's side as well. It does so by implementing the idea of instant memory shaped according to a specific set of rules.
His website gives the Cookbook semantics and several examples of scores.
Awards and recognition
- SWR-Jazzpreis, 1990[40]
- Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Vierteljahresliste, 1990, for "Chicago Breakdown: The Music of Jelly Roll Morton" with Dieter Manderscheid[40]
- Jazz-Art Preis in 2002, for "What a Wonderful World" with Dieter Manderscheid[40]
- Winner of DownBeat Critics TDWR Poll Award in 2002, for Instant Composers Pool (ICP) Orchestra
- Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Jahrespreis 2004,[41] for the Aki Takase Band "Plays Fats Waller"
- Finalist in DownBeat 58th Annual Critics Poll 2010,[42] for Instant Composers Pool (ICP) Orchestra
Select discography
Ensemble/Artist | Title | Year | Label |
---|---|---|---|
Norbert Stein | Die Fünf Tage | 1987 | JazzHausMusik (JHM 31) |
Thomas Heberer | The Heroic Millipede | 1988 | ITM Records (ITM 1443) |
Tome XX | Natura Morta | 1988 | JazzHausMusik (JHM 32) |
Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra | Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra | 1989 | ECM (ECM 1409) |
Thomas Heberer, Dieter Manderscheid | Chicago Breakdown: The Music of Jelly Roll Morton | 1990 | JazzHausMusik (JHM 38) |
Norbert Stein | Die Wilden Pferde Der Armen Leute | 1990 | JazzHausMusik (JHM 39) |
Tome XX | The Red Snapper | 1991 | JazzHausMusik (JHM 47) |
European Jazz Ensemble | Meets the Kahn Family | 1992 | MA Music (A 807-2) |
Sotto in Su | Südamerika Sept. 90 | 1992 | JazzHausMusik (JHM 51) |
David Murray | Baltic Suite | 1993 | GOWI (CDG 05) |
Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra | The Morlocks and Other Pieces | 1994 | FMP (FMP 61) |
Tome XX | Third Degree | 1994 | JazzHausMusik (JHM 63) |
Christoph Haberer | Pulsation | 1994 | JazzHausMusik (JHM 66) |
European Trumpet Summit | European Trumpet Summit | 1994 | Konnex (KCD 5064) |
Frank Schulte | Switchbox | 1994 | No Man's Land (NML 9421) |
Jazzensemble des Hessischen Rundfunks | Atmospheric Conditions Permitting | 1995 | ECM (ECM 1549) |
Gabriele Hasler | Rosenstücke | 1996 | Foolish Music (211 096) |
Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra | Live in Japan '96 | 1996 | DIW Records (DIW-922) |
Sotto in Su featuring Sussan Deyhim | Vanitas | 1997 | Poise (Poise 4) |
Thomas Heberer | Kill Yr Darlins | 1997 | Poise (Poise 5) |
European Jazz Ensemble | 20th Anniversary Tour | 1997 | Konnex (KCD 5078) |
Misha Mengelberg | The Root of the Problem | 1997 | hatOLOGY (hatOLOGY 504) |
Michael Riessler | Honig und Asche | 1998 | ENJA (ENJ-9303) |
Instant Composers Pool | Jubilee Varia | 1999, 2010 | hatOLOGY (hatOLOGY 528, 667) |
Thomas Heberer's T.O.M. | Stella | 2001 | Poise (Poise 8) |
Instant Composers Pool | Oh, My Dog! | 2001 | ICP (ICP 040) |
Thomas Heberer, Dieter Manderscheid | What a Wonderful World | 2002 | JazzHausMusik (JHM 118) |
Thomas Heberer's T.O.M. | Mouth | 2003 | Poise (Poise 9) |
Instant Composers Pool | Aan & Uit | 2004 | ICP (ICP 042) |
Aki Takase | Plays Fats Waller | 2004 | ENJA (ENJA 9152-2) |
Norbert Scholly, Frank Schulte, Thomas Heberer | SSH Plays Shhh | 2005 | Konnex (KCD 5134) |
Norbert Stein | Code Carnival | 2005 | Pata Music (Pata 17) |
Instant Composers Pool | Weer Is een Dag Voorbij | 2006 | ICP (ICP 043) |
Thomas Heberer, Dieter Manderscheid | Wanderlust | 2006 | JazzHausMusik (JHM 151) |
Thomas Heberer's Lip Lab | Lex Luna | 2007 | JazzHausMusik (JHM 162) |
James Choice Orchestra | Live at Moers | 2007 | Moers Music (03020) |
Instant Composers Pool | Live at the Bimhuis | 2008 | ICP (ICP 046) |
Andreas Schmidt, Samuel Rohrer, Thomas Heberer | Pieces for a Husky Puzzle | 2009 | JazzWerkstatt (JW 075) |
Joe Hertenstein, Pascal Niggenkemper, Thomas Heberer | HNH | 2010 | Clean Feed (CF205) |
Instant Composers Pool | Orchestra | 2010 | ICP (ICP 049) |
Instant Composers Pool | !ICP! 50 | 2010 | ICP (ICP 50) |
Thomas Heberer's Clarino | Klippe | 2011 | Clean Feed (CF226) |
Thomas Heberer | Klippe/One | 2011 | NoBusiness Records (NBLP32/33) |
Joe Hertenstein Quartet | Polylemma | 2011 | Red Toucan (RT 9342) |
Peter Brötzmann's Full Blast and Friends | Sketches and Ballads | 2011 | Trost (TR107) |
Getatchew Mekuria & the Ex & Friends | Y'Anbessaw Tezeta | 2012 | Terp Records (AS 21/22) |
Thomas Heberer's Clarino | Cookbook | 2012 | Red Toucan (RT 9345) |
Instant Composers Pool | ICP Complete Boxed Catalogue | 2012 | Challenge Records (Buzz 1275) |
Thomas Heberer, Achim Kaufmann | Knoten | 2013 | Red Toucan (RT 9347) |
Select filmography
Ensemble/Artist | Title | Director | Year | Producer/Distributor |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aki Takase | Plays Fats Waller | Stephane Jourdain | 2005 | La Huit |
Pina Bausch | Pina Bausch | Anne Linsel | 2006 | WDR/Arte |
Instant Composers Pool | ICP Orchestra | Guy Girard | 2006 | La Huit |
Misha Mengelberg | Afijn | Jellie Dekker | 2006 | Data Images/ICP |
Eugene Chadbourne | The Jack & Jim Show | Robert O'Haire | 2007 | Modern Alchemy |
The Ex | Convoy Tour: 25 Years of the Ex | The Ex | 2009 | EX Records |
Han Bennink | Hazentijd | Jellie Dekker | 2010 | Data Images/ICP |
Instant Composers Pool | Steigerpijp | Barbara Hin and Martin van der Veen | 2010 | Sushi Film |
Pina Bausch | Pina | Wim Wenders | 2011 | Neue Road Movies |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Kunzler, Martin (2002). Jazz Lexikon (A-L). Reinbek: Rowohlt. pp. 533–534. ISBN 3-499-16512-0.
- ↑ "Catalogue in Detail". Clean Feed. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ von Osterhausen, Hans-Jürgen. "Memories of a Life in Music Education: Manfred Schoof". Jazz Zeitung. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ "JazzHausMusik". Katalog JHM. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ Iannapollo, Robert (December 2011). "CD Reviews, p. 20" (PDF). New York City Jazz Record. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ Broomer, Stuart (November 2012). "CD Reviews, p. 20" (PDF). New York City Jazz Record. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ "Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ "Catalogue". Poise. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ "Catalogue". Poise. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ "Catalogue". Poise. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ "Album Information". NoBusiness Records. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ Bausch, Pina. "Tanztheater Wuppertal". Für die Kinder von gestern, heute und morgen. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ↑ Bausch, Pina. "Tanztheater Wuppertal". Ten Chi. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ↑ "Movie Information: Song Credits". Soundtrack.net. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ "The 84th Academy Awards: Oscar Nominations". The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ "Pina Bausch". UbuWeb Film & Video. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
- ↑ Whitehead, Kevin (2000). New Dutch Swing. Billboard Books. pp. 154, 143–147. ISBN 0823083489.
- ↑ Jackson, Michael (April 2007). "In For Life". DownBeat magazine. pp. 38–43.
- ↑ Chinen, Nate (March 23, 2006). "ICP Orchestra's Experimental Jazz Swings at Tonic". New York Times. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ↑ "New releases December 2012–August 2013". HatHut Records. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ "ICP Discography". Stichting ICP. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ Gottsschalk, Kurt (Summer 2011). "What's So Funny About Reeds, Brass and Syncopation?". Signal to Noise (62): 12–22.
- ↑ "Library of Congress Music Division concert, 2007-03-31". WorldCat Identities. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ Stubley, Peter. "Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra". University of Sheffield Library. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ "Between Sound and Space". ECM Records. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ Stubley, Peter. "The Morlocks and Other Pieces". University of Sheffield Library. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
- ↑ "Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ Heidkamp, Konrad (5 June 1992). "Zeit zum Hören". Die Zeit. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ "Biography". Ali Haurand. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
- ↑ Manderscheid, Dieter. "Curriculum Vitae". Cologne Conservatory/Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- 1 2 Richard Cook, Brian Morton (1994). The Penguin Guide to Jazz, 2nd Edition. Penguin Books.
- ↑ Corbett, John (August 2003). "Thomas Heberer/Dieter Manderscheid: What a Wonderful World". DownBeat magazine. p. 70.
- ↑ Corroto, Mark. "All About Jazz". Taking Stock, A Year Half Over. All About Jazz. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ Gijssels, Stef. "Free Jazz Blog". Trumpet and Piano. Stef Gijssels. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ "Not About Schmidt". Jazz City. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ "Harald Schmidt Show". Daily Motion. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ Heidkamp, Konrad. "Schmidts Schätze". Die Zeit. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ↑ Lake, Steve (1990). Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. Album Liner Notes: ECM Records GmbH. p. 3.
- ↑ "Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music: Program Faculty". The Banff Centre. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- 1 2 3 "Thomas Heberer Biography". Poise. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
- ↑ "Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Jahrespreis 2004". Deutschen Schallplattenkritik. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ↑ "ICP Orchestra". Retrieved 17 August 2013.
External links
- Official site: www.thomasheberer.com
- ICP music video Steigerpijp
- Anne Linsel's Portrait of Pina Bausch, featuring Thomas Heberer's music
- Performance photos of Thomas Heberer by Peter Gannushkin