about 'gebhard ullmann'

about 'conference call' / 'live at the outpost performance space' / 'spirals. the berlin concert' / 'variations on a master plan' / 'final answer'

about the 'big band project'


about the 'tá lam project' / 'vancouver concert' / 'moritat'

about the 'basement research project' / 'kreuzberg park east'


about 'cutitout'

about the 'clarinet trio' / 'ballads and related objects' / 'translucent tones' /
'clarinet trio oct. 1, '98'


about 'bassX3'

about the 'ullmann/swell 4' feat. barry altschul and hill greene /
'desert songs and other landscapes'


about 'die blaue nixe' / 'essencia'

about 'trad corrosion' / 'ullmann, rava, willers ...'







ed enright (downbeat, usa 7/'05) about the cd 'the big band project'

" german reedman gebhard ullmann's the big band project stands right on the corner of chaos and order. it's a busy intersection, and the rush-hour collisions witnessed here are spectacular. featuring the ndr big band playing fresh arrangement's of ullmann's own tunes 'the big band project' is a meticulously detailed and skillfully choreographed piece of work. density, texture and timbre come into play as prominently as melody, harmony and rhythm, this is no old fashioned swinging big band, but a grinding, churning and monstrously dynamic time machine set to the immediate future. ullmann's haunting bass clarinet voice in particular highlights his big band outing. he makes the notoriously stubborn instrument wail like a tenor sax, a bari and a clarinet all at once, perpetually exploring its extended range and wide palette of naturally occuring timbres, from woody to brassy. (4 1/2 stars) ."



steven loewy (all music guide, usa 3/'05) about the cd 'the big band project'

" an important project not only as part of gebhard ullmann's discography but also in the genre of modern creative big band jazz. this set of five live and one studio recorded compositions subjects the german composer's finest charts to the writing skills of some of the most sophisticated jazz arrangers active in the early years of the twenty-first century. ullmann's writing is filled with layers of mystery, often seeming to defy logical resolution, not unlike a novel by john fowles; but to watch the onion peeled, you must listen closely. each piece performed by the powerhouse north german radio big band was recorded earlier with small groups ... in almost every way ullmann gets it right. (4 1/2 stars) ."



bruce gallanter (dmg, nyc 11/'04) about the cd 'the big band project'

" a rich and rewarding work through and through."



duncan heining (jazzwise, uk '5/05) about the cd 'the big band project'

" the big band project is an excellent example of the vitality to be found in european jazz."



nate doward (cadence magazine nyc, 3/'05) about the cd 'the big band project'

"...the big band project is brisk, flavorful and stylistically polyglot and it comes strongly recommended for listeners who like their big band music perched comfortably on the dividing line between mainstream and avantgarde."



glenn astarita (jazzreview usa, 5/'05) about the cd 'the big band project'

"... ullmann simply contemporizes the big band genre. these pieces contain cohesive storylines, topped off with identifiable melodies and multi-genre stylizations. it all transparently morphs into something quite tangible, supplanted by an excitable fun-factor that beckons repeated spins. (essential listening...)"



johannes völz (tagesspiegel berlin, 2/'05) about the cd 'the big band project'

"... ein famoses stück durcharrangierte freiheit."



top



three different writers in allaboutjazz about the cd 'die blaue nixe'

dan mcclenaghan 1/'07
"this is improvised music of the most engaging sort: spare, ethereal sounds that seem as if they've existed forever, lurking in the shadows, waiting for ullmann and company to give them voice.die blaue nixe, along with the simutaneously released 'live in munster' (not two, 2007), are part of a year-long launching of ullmann's fiftieth birthday.
i haven't heard the latter, but the former is an understated, beguiling beginning of the celebration: gorgeously haunting music, like the songs of serene, beatific ghosts. "

mark carroto 2/'07
" these fifteen pieces beg, no, demand your attention, as they all are paced at a snail's locomotion. this fascinating concept for improvisation allows for valuable space and makes for wonderful sound. dahlgren's acoustic bass comes across with all the tactile feel of his wood and strings. likewise, the beauty that is ullmann's bass clarinet and the hesitant touch of lande's piano also conveys an all-too-human feel. it may be rare these days, but this recording requires you to adjust the pace of your day to accompany the music."

budd kopman 3/'07
" ullmann, lande and dahlgren rehearsed to forget and then played timeless music which allows you to forget yourself and just be, for an hour.
lower the lights, put 'die blaue nixe' in your player, and allow this exquisitely recorded music of no-shape and no-mind to engulf you.



sven thielmann (stereoplay, germany 6/'05) about the cd 'essencia'

" bicas oft gestreichener bass, thomas' überraschend freies piano sowie ullmanns saxofone und bassklarinette formen kammermusikalische preziosen jenseits aller free-jazz-klischees, zwischen duftiger intimität und ergreifender intensität."



phillip mcnally (cadence magazine, new york '01) about the cd 'essencia'

"... ullmann, of course, has been well known in avant and new music circles for his rich reed tone and his abilitiy to quietly tear music apart in endlessly surprising ways ...
the final result is a magical recording, different than most anything i've heard before, and once again bringing the secret of melodic beauty back to free improvisation. hearing essencia is like discovering charlie haden for the first time."

daniel piotrowski (jazz times, usa, 02) about the same cd

" the mostly improvised date is rife with new methods of creating and contrasting melody. the music is gentle and hypnotizing."



wolf kampmann (tip, berlin '01) about the cd 'essencia'

"...'essencia' ist also ullmann pur, berlins innovativster und wandlungsfähigster jazz-saxophonist bei der schöpfung seiner ureigenen tonsprache ... gemeinsam mit jens thomas und carlos bica entführt er uns in verschrobene zauberwelten von transparentem schimmer und sophistischer entrücktheit ... dass diese musik voller geheimnis steckt spürt man sofort."



marcus a. woelfle (rondo magazin, germany 7/'01) about 'essencia'

" wir leben in einer zeit, in der auf der einen seite klischeeverliebtheit, auf der anderen krampfhafte originalitätssucht herrscht. ullmann ist aber originell, weil er etwas zu sagen hat. wenn jazz, wie ein kollege einmal sagte, der 'sound of surprise' ist, dann gehört ullmann zu jenen die dafür verantworlich sind dass dies heute noch so ist ... dieses gehiemnisvolle album ähnelt jenen edelsteinen, die bei je anderem licht anders schimmern."


top


neil tesser (chicago reader '02) in a critic's choice about 'gebhard ullmann'

" he has what critic bill shoemaker has called a 'razor-sharp diction' but he's also fluent in the smeary, loose-fitting phraseology that distinguishes the last quarter century of american reed work. he knows when to pull which tool out of the chest, and he uses the many devices at his disposal as means to an end, shaping his improvisations like a sculptor."


josef engels (berliner morgenpost 5/05) about gebhard ullmann

" wie soll man das material organisieren ? täte man es dem berliner bassklarinettisten, saxophonisten, flötisten und komponisten nach, dann wäre der text auf den ersten blick schwer lesbar. da würden wörter fallen wie pistolenschüsse, da ginge die syntax baden, da nähme sich die grammatik eine kühne auszeit. aber mittendrin wäre vielleicht ein eigenartig sanftes gesicht zu erkennen. oder die buchstaben, die wirren, würden sich von oben betrachtet zu einer mathematischen gleichung formen ... wenn man ullmann's musik hört geht es gewissermassen um die evolution des geräuschs, das sich- über das reiben von tonalen gesteinsschichten in übereinandergelagerten zählzeiten - hin zu strukturen entwickelt, die sich mal als tango, mal als ballade, mal als irgendwas völlig unbekanntes aus dem urschlamm erheben

...
ullmann: "und da habe ich festgestellt: wenn das so ist, dann kann ich auch mit meinem avantgarde-jazz kein geld verdienen". ullmann ist dabei geblieben. allerdings ohne sich in die schmoll-ecke des unverstandenen genies verzogen zu haben. wozu auch ? in den staaten hält man ihn und seine wilde musik, die um so wilder gilt, je mehr sie aus berlin kommt, in hohen ehren. er erhält bestürzend gute besprechungen in amerikanischen fachblättern ... am bemerkensertesten ist jedoch das 'big band project' mit dem der ndr den berliner ehrt und bitteschön: es ist einfach gut."


chris kelsey (jazztimes, usa 11/'05) about gebhard ullmann's new cds

" multireedist gebhard ullmann is a terrific improviser, adept on tenor and soprano saxes, bass flute and bass clarinet. he's also relentless, headed in several directions at once. 'the big band project' ... the group is impressively tight when the occasion demands and it's exciting throughout. as the primary soloist, ullmann excels. he is a font of energy and originality. 'ballads and related objects' ... as all-horn bands go, it doesn't get much better than this. 'bassx3' ... ullmann's bass flute work is quite attractive. he gets a big sound, heavy on the upper partials."


steve koenig (la folia, signal to noise, jazzweekly, usa '99) about gebhard ullmann

" be sure not to overlook gebhard ullmann, he's already an important fixture. ullmann's playing on "the clarinet trio" (leolab) is marvelous as was a live performance i caught at the lamented alterknit with michael jefry stevens, joe fonda and matt wilson."


steven loewy (cadence magazine, new york 3/'05) about gebhard ullmann

" few improvising artists can boast the stream of creative ideas that seem to bubble from gebhard ullmann. ullmann focuses on the fundamentals of improvised jazz: melody, sound, syncopation and technical excellence, but what makes his writing and playing so successful is his seemingly neverending innovative nature: without grasping for neoteric straws, ullmann's performances are grounded in the past but plunge forward deliberately toward modernity. ullmann leaves the strong mark of a disciplined sculptor of sound, who speaks his own compelling language."



udo eberl (jazzthetik, germany 10/04) about gebhard ullmann

" gebhard ullmann ist ein bemerkenswerter musiker. seit zwei jahrzehnten spielt er nun schon international auf höchstem niveau, und eigentlich sollte es bei jedem jazzfan, kaum ist sein name gefallen, klick machen. doch ullmann ist kein vermarktungskünstler. er ist ein jazzmusiker durch und durch, ein stilist, den man aus einer grossen bläserschar wegen seines kantigen, gleichsam geerdeten spiels schnell heraushören kann ... ullmann's kompositionen und improvisationen in den grenzbereichen des jazz sind wohltuend anstrengend."



richard ogler (australia '89) about 'gebhard ullmann':

" ullmann's dexterity was perhaps the night's most impressive aspect, and in the second set he put it to dazzlingly artistic use with passages that generated tension and excitement to the point of threatening to spin the band off into delirium."



johannes völz (tagesspiegel berlin 2/05) about gebhard ullmann

" ... ein jäher stilbruch dieser ton, der das romantische moll aufnimmt, überbläst, auf den kopf stellt, und sich sofort wieder um die melodien kümmert, rührend in seiner grobheit. der ton gehört gebhard ullmann, der mit seiner band conference call gerade vor das publikum getreten ist, um ein drama zu inszenieren. es geht um die infragestellung aller musikalischen strukturen, und um das anschliessende bekenntis zu ihnen ... der 47-jährige aus bad godesberg ist ein star in dieser szene, seine cds werden in den führenden amerikanischen zeitschriften wie 'downbeat' besprochen, mit wertungen in einem bereich, in den auch heroen wie john coltrane nur gelegentlich vorgedrungen sind ... "


mark patel (one final note, usa 8/'05) about gebhard ullmann's cd releases

" while it would take other artists years to arrive at one of these albums, ullmann has seemingly done it simultaneously. his music is a jumping-off point for the listener to take his sounds and textures, his colors and shapes and form them into something new and original with each listening. it is a gift, and one to be cherished in this era of commercialism and cookie-cutter art. the most we can ask of the creative musician is what ullmann delivers, and that is to ask more of us, to take the work further and create endless possibilities which help us to accentuate, rather than escape from, our existence."


ken egbert (jazz now, usa 10/'05)

" gebhard ullmann is clearly one of european jazz's new masters."


top


glen hall (exclaim magazine, canada 3/'05) about the cd 'ballads and related objects'

" you might be forgiven for not expecting a trio of clarinetists to tear things up but the clarinet trio does just that and then some. ballads and related objects has chamber music precision, kaleidescopic arrangements, hot blowing, and dynamic overall pacing of ideas and intensities. as well as being adventurous, accessible, abstract and mysterious, their music grooves, too ... ullmann's tunes deliver plenty to get your neurons firing and foot tapping ... highly recommended."



aaron cohen (downbeat '02) about the 'clarinet 3' at the vancouver jazz festival

" the gebhard ullmann clarinet 3 was one of the most rollicking small-groups of the festival ... clarinetists ullmann, kupke and nabicht raced around each other's upper register counterpoint on material that ranged from film composer nino rota's themes to an outrageous version of "tea for two". the band proved that italian and dutch improvisers don't have a european monopoly on humor."



sabine moig (jazzosphère france 5/'05) about the cd 'ballads and related objects'

" trilogues amusés, silences attendus, parcours sinueux, écriture profonde, complexe et d'une rare richesse harmonique: autant d'ingrédients pour construire un évenément à la hauteur des envies musicales grandissantes et en évolution constante du saxophoniste allemande gebhard ullmann."


tim dorset (jazz review uk '02) about the cd 'translucent tones'

" this is a standout cd. a group which establishes a genre. no-one else will be able to play in this field without comparison with the ullmann clarinet trio ... the clarinetists are all virtuosi, in use of traditional and extended techniques, and in playing tricky compositions as well as improvising, and, it should be said, in improvised composition and composed improvisation ... you'll want to know whether you are going to like it ? if you like contemporary music, composed or improvised freely and in contemporary jazz you listen to peter brotzmann, tony coe and the world saxophone quartet or to ligeti and scelsi, if you like a joke as well as being earnest the gebhard ullmann trio will blow you away ... moreover, it's played with a deft touch and brilliance that could even win over those who don't fall into the contemporary music brackets i've defined. look out ! a very important goup that you need to hear as soon as you can !"



glenn astarita (all about jazz, usa '02) about the cd 'translucent tones'

"... the musicians' applied synergy has hit a zenith of excellence here ... their latest effort rings like a comprehensive study in modern jazz clarinet/improvisational fare. the differentiator resides within the musicians' ability to draw upon diverse influences in concert with their macrobiotic approach. a superb effort ! fervently recommended !"



steve day (avant magazine, uk '99)
about the cd 'clarinet trio. oct. 1, '98'

" oh boy, good news! ... here's some stuff to listen to which will be healthy for you digestive systems! ... what's it like? ... imagine the clusone trio were all clarinets, han bennink ... on bass clarinet ... in other words: this is fun music with serious intentions. music that moves between formal german classical song form, european "free" music values, blues and gospel, new composition and a little tin pan alley ..."



top


allaboutjazz (10/'07) about the cd 'new basement research'

" a powerful and commanding demonstration of ullmann's gifts new basement research is one of the year's best albums. this record virtually explodes out of the speakers. "

bruce gallanter (downtown music gallery nyc 10/'07) about 'new basement research'

"this is bound to be on a number of best of lists this year and also one of those cds that we will play in the store and folks will howl with delight."

hans-jürgen von osterhausen (jazz podium germany 2/'08) about the same cd

"... hemmungslose virtuose gefühlsausbrüche werden durch die erinnerungen ausgelöst, bei gebhard ullmann aber ohnehin an der tagesordnung. es entsteht nicht nur ein perfektes geburtstagsständchen, sondern eine bemerkenswerte Momentaufnahme des Jazz."

the wire (2/'08) about the same cd

" for his 50th birthday ullmann is at his most raucous and garrulous with a new and brutally propulsive edition of his basement research group."


the downbeat (3/'08) about 'new basement research'

" 4 1/2 stars."

budd kopman (allabout jazz 3/'07) about the cd 'basement research live in muenster'

"ullmann thrives on playing without a net, and being caught live only enhances the experience. i have always thought that deep inside, ullmann was a blues man, but in the same way as coleman hawkins, neither come right out and play the blues per se, but it always lurks beneath the surface. perhaps it is not coincidental that "in muenster" starts with "blaues lied (blue song)" a very deep but also deeply twisted blues ...
the band is very, very hot on this record. malaby gives as much as he gets, gress plays powerfully, and haynes injects his percussive sounds at will. the music twists and turns, never standing still, as many waves go, crest and crash, only to start again. this performance manifests the sound of surprise that is at the core of the best jazz."

jazzthing, germany, about the same CD (2/'07)

" mit seinem new yorker quartett basement research hat sich g.u. eine souveräne ruhe erspielt, die auf 'live in münster' einen vorläufigen höhepunkt errreicht. doch in der ruhe liegt in diesem fall die kraft. ullmann und co. scheinen jeden einzelnen ton schon lange vor seinem erklingen im visier zu haben und wirken dabei dennoch absolut frisch und spontan" (jazzthing, germany 2/'07)



besprechungen von konzerten des 'basement research projects' (während der europa tourneen 11/'04 und 11/'05)

" musik, gespeist aus schier unerschöpflicher fantasie, erfüllt mit fünffacher könnerschaft, liess die bel étage der spielbank förmlich bersten ... punktgenau wurden aberwitzige gemeinschaftliche aktionen gestanden, schräge klangflächen ausgelegt, immer wieder abrupt rhythmus und tempo gewechselt ... begeisterter applaus." (saarbruecken)

" in allen belangen bestach das vor spielfreude strotzende quintett, seien es atemberaubende soli oder das vielschichtige gruppenspiel. der aktuelle jazz, was immer das auch sein mag, war allgegenwaertig. ullmann an bassklarinette und saxophon ist ein exzellenter musiker, ein jazzmusiker der wider den ernst der musik die humorvolle freiheit propagiert." (chur)

" die virtuosität ist atemberaubend ... ullmann verbindet in einem spagat die extravaganzen der berliner schule mit der new yorker downtown tradition ... wenn man gebhard ullmann zuhört bekommt der ausdruck 'selbstvergessen' eine neue bedeutungsdimension." (wiesbaden)



germán lázaro (cuadernos de jazz, spain '00) about the cd 'kreuzberg park east'

"...as dense as dolphy's 'out to lunch'. without doubt one of the best cd's of the year 2000."



steve day (avant magazine, uk '00) about the cd 'kreuzberg park east'

" kreuzberg park east is in berlin, prospect park west in brooklyn, new york. a photograph of the band on the sleeve of this cd is shot from brooklyn overlooking the river. it's a place i recognise. strangely enough the new myra melford/joseph jarman/leroy jenkins cd 'equal interest' has a similar picture taken from exactly the same position. mr ullmann and mr jarman are in fact in almost identical poses, leaning against the railings; they look self-assured and at home. in both cases though there is an element of self imposed exile. joseph jarman from chicago and gebhard ullmann from berlin. gebhard ullmann's situation is perhaps better described as a constant migration between the two cities. to some extend this recording is all about that personal journey. however, i would suggest 'kreuzberg park east' is also a very good example of how those europeans and americans who are actively pursuing the implications of creative 'jazz' design, are taking their inspiration from the two arenas, mapped out in europe since the 1960's by (loosely) the fmp/company/ogun/icp contingent and in the states by the aacm/impulse/new york loft scene. probably anthony braxton represents one of the first musicians to bridge these areas of activity. in such circumstances the 'kreuzberg park east' title track takes my ears straight back to mr braxton's compositions in his 40 - 50 series for quartet. this new recording though is no mere past glance at the great experimenters. gebhard ullmann and ellery eskelin in the same band represent too good an opportunity, if they can only keep this partnership intact it promises to be bigger than both of them.

half way through a review, where am I going to start ? the start of 'those 4r' is mr ullmann's soprano and mr eskelin's tenor twisting a written line like a knot being untangled to reveal, not a straight line, but the shape of the knot itself. the beginning relies on just the two horns to lay out the puzzle before the drew gress/phil haynes bass/drum team come in acting like a lubricant. mr haynes has a head on his bass drum that is so loose it probably blows about in a breeze. the effect is a hypnotic boomy echo bouncing on the bass line even when the quartet are moving at speed. this band are shaken not stirred. gebhard ullmann and ellery eskelin both have such clear definition about their playing. the fast tied together stuff works wonders, as on 'almost twenty-eight', but on something like 'meltema', which switches between each of the four musicians carrying a slow drone figure, the contrasting the front-line partnership is a perfectly balanced whole. 'meltema' contains a deep bowed passage in which drew gress's instrument radiates a kind of heavy presence. behind this string curtain the horns blow like a gothic organ and as you listen there is a need to keep switching the central focus between the 'front' and 'back' of the performances.

just prior to getting down to giving this recording some serious listening space i had been doing time with dave holland's new 'prime directice' (ecm) cd. mr holland has been doing the atlantic crossing for over three decades. his own band has always avoided a piano in the line-up, and on 'directive' he has two horns up front (tenor sax and trombone). superficially it is possible to make some connections with gebhard ullmann's 'kreuzberg park east'. however, despite my enormous admiration for dave holland, this 'k.parke.' strikes me as the future directive. dave holland's early 'conference of the birds' recording, which had anthony braxton and sam rivers in the same roles as those gebhard ullmann and ellery eskelin reproduce here, was a 1970's classic. eventually as time has moved on dave holland seems to have moved his operational muse nearer to the centre of things. personally i have no great problem with this position but the fact of the matter is that by placing a left field tilt - letting the rhythm dictate its own time, pushing a note beyond its pitch, switching roles within a quartet, leaving room for the impromptu extemporisation of the moment, allowing the possibility of the impossible - gets you somewhere where no amount of arrangements can go. what is more, is this, this very act of subversion, that is the reason why jazz is not just another designer label or art house sales pitch. playing at style, oh no this is a much longer journey. i have no reason to know if gebhard ullmann is ever going to play with herbie hancock. i tell you, right now it matters as much as whether there is life on mars. 'kreuzberg park east' is just about the best thing i have heard in this century (yes, i know we have only just started, and anyway it was recorded in the last one not this one). it is on soul note so it probably means ordering the damn thing rather than getting it straight over the counter. try the net. some things are worth waiting for. the guy has also got other gear out on songlines and leo; right now he is travelling between east and west and i have a feeling he has a great deal further to go. catch up with him at 'kreuzberg park east'."



michael scheiner (germany '95) about the cd 'basement research'

" unten, wo sie jazzstep tanzen. untergehakt steppen sie im wundervollen unisono. manchmal verschlingen sich auch die beiden saxophone in hemmungsloser hingabe. oder tanzen mit packender intensität und knisternder balance zu einer ausgeklügelten notenchoreographie. traumhaft!"

andrew bartlett (victory review, usa '95) about the same cd

"...ullmann delivers a brilliant, freeish post-bop trip to the improvising underground ... so far one of the year's finest merger's of jazz vocabularies."


andrew bartlett (victory review, usa '95) about the cd 'basement research'

"...ullmann delivers a brilliant, freeish post-bop trip to the improvising underground ... so far one of the year's finest merger's of jazz vocabularies."


top


scott yanow (allmusic guide, usa '05) about 'desert songs and other landscapes'

" this is a fiery set full of explorative colorful solos and dynamic group interplay."


jay collins (one final note, usa 1/'05) about 'desert songs and other landscapes'

" the road-tested results that define these absorbing compositions verify the deep commitment that these players have to the music. with each undertaking of desert songs and other landscapes, the group’s goal of earnest communication proves quite compelling."


tom sekowski (the livemusicreport) in an article about a concert at the goethe house in toronto on april 4, 2007 entitled "in your face blast of coherent force":

" it wasn't the volume that turned me on about this quartet's performance. i was expecting this mother to be loud and ferocious. rather, it was a perfect mixture of ideal acoustics and interplay between all four members that made me sit up and gawk in amazement ...
while swell manipulated his trombone and pushed the slider as far out as it would go, you could hear the spittle bursting from his mouth. put together with ullmann's ferociously underplayed bassclarinet, the sound was an ecstatic way to start what would turn out to be a great concert ...
the exceptionally strong rhythm section moved things along with a certain urgency. altschul kept popping the skins with full head-on power, while greene continually plucked the strings of his bass with a dead-set agenda in his mind ...
one of the golden moments during the show was an improvised section where greene was forcing the strings to sound like ullmann's bass clarinet pops, while ullmann was matching the aural qualities of greene's bass. at times like this, one starts to truly appreciate the sense and reason of communal improvisation. though this was improvised music, there was no mistaking these pieces were all written by either swell or ullmann. sheets of music were flying all across the stage, while each member read their part in the game that was proceeding too quickly.
the music was tight, with both leaders throwing literal musical punches at each other. when ullmann switched to tenor, he was a sheer monster. the fat tones blowing from swell's trombone were crazy in their abundance and satisfying in terms of their variety of tone and texture ..
clocking in at one hour the show left some wanting more. with a certain hunger in my head, i left the room quite satiated, knowing this was an outstanding musical event."


laurence donohue-greene (all about jazz, new york 10/'05) about a concert of the 'ullmann/swell 4 featuring barry altschul'

" ...forthright in their solos, uptempo and ballads alike - ullmann and swell's thick, dynamic harmonies melded seamlessly, showing why trombone and tenor have had such a lucrative relationship in jazz. for this group, ullmann consciously and impressively showcases his flexibility and expertise on tenor over his other 'first' instrument - the bass clarinet. reminiscent of the ny art quartet this quartet's tight heads and arrangements, intertwining improvisations around highly structured pieces, demanded undivided attention."


top


chris kelsey (cadence magazine, usa '97) about the cd 'trad corrosion'

" a series of beautifully crafted free jazz miniatures - partly composed, largely improvised - by a trio of intelligent and sensitive improvisers. ullmann, willers and haynes willfully supress their more raucous instincts attempting to attain a level of heightened intensity without playing loud. that they succeed so well is a valuable lesson that's gone unlearned by many a lesser set of jazz musicians ...
ullmann is equally strong on all his axes. his sound is subtly layered his technique firm his ideas cogent. willers style is well-rounded; especially attractive is his classical guitar work where we can hear his fine touch most clearly ... the group dynamic is superb... the recorded sound is excellent ... i have no compunctions about praising this cd in the strongest terms."



jazzthing (germany '97) about the cd 'trad corrosion'

" gebhard ullmann und andreas willers haben mit phil haynes die erste gute post-john-zorn-musik eingespielt. 'trad corrosion' klingt wie eine abgehangene, unterhaltsame, zärtlich sentimentale radioshow aus 'naked city'."



thom jurek (all music guide, usa '89) about the cd 'ullmann,rava,willers...'

" this is a date with so much melody and heart, so much subtle yet piercing joy, it is difficult to leave it sit in its jewel box too long. such is its elegance, it will grace and bless you all the days of your life, ****1/2."



top


daniel spicer (one final note, usa 6/'06) about the cd 'live at the outpost performance space'

" if it's possible to have a super-group in a musical form as marginalized as contemporary, left-field jazz, then conference call is a pretty good contender ... the quartet sounds like a band with one foot firmly in the paris/chicago axis of the late-60s BYG avantgarde sound and another keeping up to date with the tuneful, exploratory freedom of wayne shorter's recent celebrated quartet. ask yourself this: is there anything about that equation that doesn't sound like a good thing ? "


chris kelsey (jazz times, usa 5/'04) about the cd 'spirals. the berlin concert'

"conference call as a whole swings with a gleeful impetuosity that's hard if not impossible to dislike. kinda sounds like what the late '60s miles davis band might have become had they stayed the course.""...why does this music sound so contemporary given that the musical innovations upon which it draws were established forty years ago? In part it’s because of the context: stodgy mainstream jazz is busy working out even older musical innovations. but it’s also fresh because conference call mixes these sonic elements—beautiful harmonies one minute, free squeaks the next—in an unapologetically ahistorical pastiche that few of the quartet's precursors would have allowed themselves."


johannes völz (berliner tagesspiegel 2/'05) über die cd 'spirals. the berlin concert'

" wem es gelingt, sich auf die blitzschnellen kontrapunkt-kompositionen einzulassen, wem das schmirgeln von vierteltönen nichts anhaben kann, den schleudert die musik seines quartetts conference call gegen die wand."


thom jurek (allmusic guide, usa '03) about the cd 'final answer'

" this is a remarkable record that will leave the listener wondering why this band isn't headlining festivals all over the world."


josef engels (rondo magazin 9/'04) über die cd 'spirals. the berlin concert'

" ... da fällt nichts auseinander, alles stützt sich gegenseitig. und ullmann bläst auf bassklarinette, tenor- und sopransaxophon mit seiner klugen entrücktheit stellenweise das blaue aus dem himmel über berlin. selbst seine grimmigen growls und überspannten überblaser sind von einer seltenen zartheit. das ist die freiheit die john coltrane meinte."


glenn astarita in downbeat (8/03) about the cds
'final answer' and 'variations on a master plan'

"... from the onset , it becomes easily discernible that the musicians' karma equates to a magical session ... 4 1/2 stars. ... on variations on a master plan the vivacious han bennink operates the drum chair. this incarnation opts for a slightly unrestrained mode of attack, featuring upwardly spiraling movements, free-bop chorusses and suspenseful gravitations toward a musical apex ..."


tobias soeldner (sueddeutsche zeitung, 01) about a concert at the unterfahrt, munich of 'conference call with han bennink'

" selten geht man nach einem jazzkonzert hinaus und stellt überrascht fest: besser geht's nicht. gebhard ullmann hat in der unterfahrt mit seinem quartett conference call diese leistung vollbracht."



steven loewy (allmusicguide, usa '04) about the cd 'variations on a master plan'

" even taking into account gebhard ullmann's outstanding discography, this is an extraordinary release due in large part to one of the most impressive rhythm sections on either side of the atlantic. ullmann rises to this occasion with some of his most inspired work on disc and when it is over the only question is: why isn't ullmann better known than he is ? his full sound on tenor sax resounds with the consistency of a thick chocolate shake ... this is a group that indulges in diversity, and one minute the mood maybe upbeat and fanciful, and the next morose and somber but there is no question that ullmann knows where he is going. he treats that fine line between playing chords and venturing out on a limb; a balancing act that he handles with finesse. 4 1/2 stars."



frank rubolino (cadence magazine, new york '01) about 'conference call' at the guelph jazz festival

"... the quartet moved omnidirectionally into freeform music, where the saxophone and bassclarinet spirals of ullmann danced above the driving rhythms of the group. fonda was particularly animated with his aggressive bass attack, and stevens solidified the music with scintillating dashes across the keys. the probing explorations of ullmann commanded the stage, yet the band worked as a true unit while venturing through the challenging repertoire."



joerg meilicke (jazzthetik germany '03) about the cd 'final answer'

" so und nicht anders wünscht man sich die essenz des jazz des neuen jahrtausends, eine bereichernde synthese aus der uramerikanischen ausdrucksform jazz und der kultiviertheit und intellektualitaet des alten europa. 5 stars."



bruce gallanter (downtown music gallery, nyc 11/'04) about a concert at the goethe house, new york

" conference call w. gebhard ullmann, michael j. stevens, joe fonda and george schuller is one of the best bands i heard in recent times."



hans juergen von osterhausen (jazz podium 6/'04) über 'spirals. the berlin concert'

"... auch dieses mal ist ullmanns beitrag wieder ein gewinn für die musik der gegenwart."



top


bruce carnevale (coda magazine, canada 11/'06) about the cd 'cutitout'

" when german reedsman gebhard ullmann brought his bassclarinet and bassflute to a recording session in brooklyn back in 2000, he must have been up to something. what's more he seems to have inspired his two partners chris dahlgren and jay rosen to also delve in the deep musical register: bass in space and it's a deep grey.
a strange spirit pervades the music, especially the rhythms on "calling mr. waits no. 2": perhaps the man in question, but here and elsewhere, sun ra also makes his influence felt: otherworldly and yet totally organic. dahlgren's coll'arco solo on the final "epilog (ballad no.2)" is nothing short of stunning and ullmann's accompiniment sounds at once african and oriental. one of the best recordings ullmann has released."



marc medwin (cadence magazine, usa 11/'06) about the cd 'cutitout'

" i figured that the combination of musicians boded well for the level of interaction on this group's first leo date but i was not prepared for just how well. to say that this disc is a study in contrast is to sell it short, as all three musicians prove themselves masters of several historical and compositional traditions ...
some of the works here sound completely improvised, some appear to have composed elements, and i am pleased that i have trouble telling the difference ... as these experienced musicians present one of the finest discs i've heard so far in this year, in any genre."



jörg konrad (jazz podium 10/'06) about the cd 'cutitout'

" so wie gebhard ullmann als person zwischen berlin und new york pendelt, so ist er auch künstlerisch ein sich ständig in bewegung befindender musiker. unaufhörlich sucht er nach herausforderungen, nach reibungsmomenten, in denen seine musik neue intentionen und verbindlichkeiten verarbeitet. das trio mit den beiden new yorkern chris dahlgren und jay rosen ist ein neu entstandenes projekt, in dem er das prinzip der erforschung von ausdrucksmöglichkeiten im kontext der freien improvisation fortsetzt. auf einer gemeinsamen, feinsinnigen reise von den rändern des klanguniversums hinein ins zentrum einer prallen musikalität ist der weg das eigentliche ziel der drei intrumentalisten. sie nehmen individuelle umwege in kauf, schaffen aber dadurch eine ungewöhnlich persönliche stimmung, die sehr viel über ihre innere befindlichkeit aussagt. man könnte diese formation auch als ein musikalisch offenes system bezeichnen, das zu gleichen teilen einflüsse von aussen aufnimmt, diese mit einem höchstmass an konzentration verarbeitet und im ergebnis zu völlig neuen ausdrucksmöglichkeiten gelangt. "



top


bruce gallanter (downtown music gallery, nyc 3/'05) about the cd 'bassX3'

" the marvelous blend of bowed and plucked basses with ghost-like flute or clarinet fills the air. a lusciously recorded trio, warm and resonant, with the wood, strings and hair of the bow well captured. this sounds like a mostly improvised affair, yet the trio works magically together bending and twisting their notes into unique shapes. when both bassists are bowing on the title piece, it sounds as if the cosmos is being awoken, digging into the murky depths. often the overall sound is quite alien and other-worldly, hard to believe it is just a couple of bassists and a low-end reeds-man."



steven loewy (allmusic guide, usa 7/'05) about the cd 'bassX3'

" just when you think that he has done it all, sax sophisticate gebhard ullmann rolls the die with a new take, this time one that turns the concept of the saxophone-led trio on its face. perhaps only ullmann could explore the depths of hades with such off-handed candor. those familiar only with ullmann's work on various saxophones may be surprised by his virtuosity on flute and clarinet, though his remarkable discography reflects a passionate explorer whose projects bubble with innovative sounds. for this one, highlights abound on almost every track ... there are incredible feats of musical acumen throughout by all three players, the results being alternatively startling, invigorating, disturbing and even astonishing. "


dan mcclenaghan (allabout jazz, usa 3/'05) about the cd 'bassX3'

" the mood throughout has a brooding and introspective feel - darkly passionate, hypnotic at times, and always deeply organic, evoking images of the slow and relentless churning of subterranean life. a darkly alluring listening experience."


rolf thomas (jazzthetik, germany) about the cd 'bassX3'

" hypnotisch und nicht von dieser welt."


mark patel (one final note 8/'05) about the cd 'bassX3'

" ...an ethereal, dreamlike blending of bass instruments that completely captivates. colors factor into the titles of a few tunes here and it is no accident since color and texture are laid out as plainly as if one could stand witness to a master painter laying paint on canvas."


top


thom jurek (allmusic guide, usa '03) about the cd 'tá lam'

" reed and woodwind genius gebhard ullmann has moved outside his own range on tá lam and created a largely solo work for expressing himself not only as a composer but as a soloist and improviser as well ... the harmonic rigors of this work alone are staggering in their complexity and deftness of articulation. ullmann has created a tightrope between the spheres of the heaven and the earth that are tonality and non-tonality (there is nothing atonal here) ... there is a poetic chromaticism in place in the cracks and seams and a surreal, dreamlike quality in the openly expressionistic passages. this record walks between jazz and new music without caring which way it falls. gebhard ullmann has given us a work to ponder for decades to come and the finest moment in his career thus far. 4 1/2 stars."



penguin jazz guide (uk '99) about the cd 'tá lam'

" what an extraordinary record 'tá lam' is ... beautifully recorded, this is an intriguing disc."



udo eberl (jazzthetik '04) über die cd 'tá lam''

" ... es dauerte eine weile bis gebhard ullmann mit der cd 'tá lam', auf der er - bis auf das akkordeon - alle (blas)instrumente im overdubverfahren selbst einspielte, einen meilenstein aufnahm. die rezensenten beschrieben die stuecke dieser platte mit poetischer bildsprache und überschuetteten das werk mit superlativen."



francois couture (all music guide, usa '00) about the cd 'vancouver concert'

" this album is pure reed delight and one of ullmann's most significant contributions, ****."



mark andrews (vancouver sun) about the 'tá lam project' ( '98)

" the music of the composer and woodwind wizard gebhard ullmann burns with an intensity that can exhaust you after only a few tracks ... an exercise for mind and body."



chris kelsey (cadence magazine, new york '98) about the cd 'ta lam'

" multi-reedist/composer gebhard ullmann has his hand in several cultural pies at once; he ties together elements of african, asian and european traditions in a seamless personal musical compositional style that is as creative, finely-crafted and compelling as anything i've heard recently. gebhard has mastered orchestration, counterpoint and form in ways that few jazz composers have ... suffice to say that, at year's end, this cd will undoubtedly make my list of 98's most rewarding listens."



alexander varty (georgia straight, vancouver '98) about the cd 'tá lam'

" gebhard ullmann's scores weave a wonderful dance for the ears ... the group's music is lushly orchestrated and engagingly melodic while being challengingly complex and entertainingly unpredictable ... the german composer and woodwind virtuoso is clearly a major talent."



dr. ulrich ohlshausen (frankfurter allgemeine zeitung '95) about the cd 'moritat'

" was diese cd zu einem meisterwerk macht, ist allerdings nicht nur die vielfalt der ideen, stimmungen und klänge, sondern auch die detailschärfe, der drang nach vorn, die blitzende spiellust."



anna-bianca krause (tip, berlin '93) about the cd 'tá lam'

" musikalische märchen ohne text und falsche romatik, kompositionen, die theater und film beleben könnten, hat gebhard ullmann auf 'ta lam' gebannt. der kongeniale kontrast, die kommunikation von ullmann's holzblasinstrumenten mit der bunten schwere von hans hasslers akkordeon hat keinerlei eile und - spielt auf dem bürgersteig der daemmerung."



dave liebman about the cd 'tá lam'

" this soloproject is an overwhelming piece of music. the compositions and craftmanship of performance are of the highest standard."



top




- biography - discography - mail - news - download - compositions -
-
bookings - press - guestbook - cd order - links - credits -