Conny Bauer & Han Bennink

Foto: Markus Lackinger, www.jazzfoto.at

Conny Bauer on the duo:

“Han Bennink and I had played in various groups together in the seventies before we debuted as a duo in 1983 at the Jazzbühne in Berlin. There came further gigs, not least in the nineties, in Germany, Austria and France for example. In 2007 Erhard Heßling from New Thing organised the first joint tour.”

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Han Bennink

Han Bennink (born 1942 in Zaandam, The Netherlands) is a multi-instrumentalist, primarily known however as a drummer. Bennink has toured with US jazz legends Sonny Rollins, Ben Webster, Wes Montgomery, Johnny Griffin, Eric Dolphy and Dexter Gordon, but came to international attention in a trio alongside Peter Bröztmann and Fred Van Hove that regularly played throughout the 70’s. Together with Misha Mengelberg he founded the ICP label. Between 1988 and 1998 he was chiefly occupied with Clusone 3, a formation that also included the musicians Michael Moore and Ernst Reijseger. In addition to music, Bennink is also the successful designer of numerous album and CD covers. In 2008, his contribution to European jazz and improvised music was honoured by being awarded the European Jazz Prize.

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Conny Bauer

Conny Bauer (born 1943 in Halle an der Saale), is one of Europe’s most significant trombonists. Since the start of the 70’s he has been a founding member of numerous groups such as Exis, FEZ, Konrad Bauer Quartet, Bauer Sommer Kowald Trio, Doppelmoppel, Zentralquartett as well as the initiator of the big band Klangprojekt 86.

Bauer gave his debut solo trombone concert in 1974. To date he has recorded six CD albums of his solo music. Bauer was awarded the City of Berlin’s Order of Merit in 1994 and won the SWR -Südwestrundfunk Jazz Prize ten years later.

“So, what sort of luminaries do we have coming together here? Two world-class instrumentalists for sure - of that we can at least be certain. Konrad Bauer [...] commands an amazing technique over his instrument, having played in legendary bands such as Doppelmoppel and Zentralquartett [...] Since the outset of the ‘free’ music scene Hans Bennink has belonged as one of its leading drummers [...] (and) most amiable musicians in the world…”
25.11.2007, Concert press release, www.waschaecht.at

“The trombonist stands in the spotlight with eyes closed, completely absorbed in the music he elicits from his instrument: polyphony with contrasting dynamic shifts. Regular breathing sounds draw attention to his perfect circular (breathing) technique, with which the artist creates endless improvised lines combining ostinato figures, circular chord progressions and blues-like trail tones.”
10.7.04, Allgemeine Zeitung, Klaus Mümpfer on Conny Bauer

“What’s not to love about ‘a jolly pink giant on holiday,’ as Steve Lake once described him,
a 60-year-old kid who can do a press roll with his left hand, twirl a towel until it hums with right and cajole his bandmates at the same time?”
1/2002 „Before and After with Han Bennink”, Bill Shoemaker, www.jazztimes.com