Holger Nell

Holger Nell (* 1966 in Renchen ) is a German jazz musician ( drums ).

Live and act

Nell, whose father is active as an amateur in local brass bands and music associations, began playing the drums at the age of five, initially as a self-taught , and then played in his father's band. He later received classical lessons from Gabriel Bouchet and Claude Ricou, founding members of the percussion ensemble Les Percussions de Strasbourg . He then studied classical percussion at the Freiburg University of Music with Bernhard Wulff , Peter Wirweizki and Franz Lang . During his studies he was a member of the Federal Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Peter Herbolzheimer . From 1993 to 1996 he completed a jazz degree in New York City at the Mannes College of Music and the Manhattan School of Music (Master of Music).

Nell was one of the founding members of Gregor Hübner's quintet with Harvie Swartz , Tim Hagans and Andi Maile and to this day to various formations around Steffen Schorn . He also played with Clark Terry , Ray Brown , Joe Lovano , Sammy Nestico , Richie Beirach , Dave Liebman , John Ruocco and Ack van Rooyen . He worked on records with Steffen Schorn, with the Timeless Art Orchestra and the Bobby Burgess Explosion . Since the mid-1990s he has been a member of the RIAS Big Band as a drummer and temporarily also as musical director . He also led his own quartet and was involved in the recording of albums in other German radio big bands, the big band of Rainer Tempel and the Brussels Jazz Orchestra . Tom Lord recorded his involvement as a drummer on 24 recordings between 1991 and 2007.

From 1996 to 2006 Nell was a lecturer for jazz drums at the “Hanns Eisler” University of Music in Berlin ; He currently teaches jazz drums at the Hamburg University of Music and Theater .