Herbie head

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Herbie Kopf (born January 8, 1962 in Zurich ) is a Swiss jazz bassist , composer and band leader. For Peter Rüedi he is “one of the liveliest and most versatile animators of newer Swiss jazz”. ( The World Week of August 1995).

Life

Head began as a 16-year-old, self-taught to play bass. After his first experience in band and composition, he played regularly with Swiss musicians such as Daniel Schnyder , Harald Haerter , Jojo Mayer and Bruno Spoerri . In 1982 the first longer stay in New York took place; after that he increasingly appeared with his own projects and bands. Musicians like Jack Walrath , Seamus Blake , Jerry Gonzalez , Paulo Moura , Mark Turner , Andy Scherrer , Mike Clark , George Gruntz , Nenê , Hans Feigenwinter and Mike del Ferro put his ideas and concepts into practice. With his own bands New Deal , Headphones , Hip-Noses , Herbie Kopf Group and Herbie's Explo 3000 , he performed at festivals and concert tours in Brazil, Siberia, Russia and the Baltic States, in Poland, Greece, Romania, Spain and other European countries . His new Lithuanian-Swiss quintet Swilit celebrated its premiere in spring 2010 at the Birstonas Jazz Festival in Lithuania.

Internationally (as of 2014) Kopf has released 17 CDs. The double album Up & Down - 30 Years Live on Stage (2010) contains previously unreleased concert recordings from his 30-year stage career, with many national and international greats. As a freelancer, he played alongside Sal Nistico , Clifford Jordan , Charlie Mariano , Ray Anderson , Patato Valdez , Luciana Souza , Franco Ambrosetti , Gil Scott-Heron , Jochen Baldes , the New York Voices , the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band and at Lucerne Symphony Orchestra .

Kopf has been teaching electric bass and ensemble at the jazz department of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences since 1996 .

Prizes and awards

In 1994 Kopf was awarded a culture prize by the City of Zurich, the “Jazz Work Year”; this was followed by the second longer stay in New York.

Discographic notes

  • Hip-noses Hip-noses 1991
  • Herbie Head Lop-sided 1993
  • Hip-noses Gravitalità 1995
  • Herbie Kopf - Elmar Frey Inviting 1998
  • Hip-noses Azul - Live at Moods 1999
  • Herbie Kopf Group feat. Jack Walrath Who Shot the Piano Player? 2000
  • Herbie's EXPLO 3000 2001
  • Hip-noses Lucky Numbers 2002
  • Herbie's EXPLO 3000 Time Zones 2003
  • UFO - Herbie Head Nonet 2005
  • Herbie's EXPLO 3000 Bliss 2008
  • UFO - Herbie Head Nonet Flux 2008
  • Herbie Kopf Up & Down - 30 Years Live on Stage 2010
  • Herbie's EXPLO 3000 Fairytale 2014

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Head, Herbie
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss jazz musician and composer
DATE OF BIRTH January 8, 1962
PLACE OF BIRTH Zurich