Lucas Niggli
Lucas Niggli (* 1968 in Cameroon ) is a Swiss drummer ( jazz and new improvisation music ) and composer.
Career
Niggli grew up in Cameroon for the first six years of his life and then in Switzerland. Today he lives in Uster near Zurich with his wife and three children. Lucas Niggli discovered his affinity for music, especially percussion instruments, very early in his childhood. In 1979 he started taking drum lessons. There was already an encounter with new music in a school group under the direction of Matthias Bruppacher . After finishing school, he began training at the St. Gallen jazz school , which he then continued with private studies with Pierre Favre . Seminars and workshops in Sinea and Darmstadt as well as master classes with Baby Sommer and Robyn Schulkowsky were stations of the predominantly self-taught young musician. Niggli's playing is also influenced by many drummers such as Tony Williams , Jack De Johnette , Joey Baron , Terry Bozzio .
Niggli made his first concert experiences in jazz and rock formations and as a member of the Swiss Youth Symphony Orchestra . Between 1995 and 1998 he took over the management of the Unit Records label and was President of the Swiss Music Syndicate (Swiss professional association of women jazz and improvisation musicians).
Act
From 1987 to 1995 he played with the experimental new jazz formation Kieloor Entartet . During this time he initiated the large formations ENAO in 1991 and 1993 and recorded with Sainkho Namtchylak . Since 1994 he has been involved in various band projects by Pierre Favre, from duo to octet. In 1995 he founded Steamboat Switzerland with Dominik Blum and Marino Pliakas , which performed at the Donaueschinger Musiktage as well as at festivals in Oslo , Maerz Musik Berlin and Huddersfield , but also in clubs all over Europe, Russia, China and North America. With his trio Zoom with Nils Wogram and Philipp Schaufelberger , he performed at the Moers Festival as well as in Le Mans , Vancouver , Saalfelden and Willisau . With Claudio Puntin and Peter Herbert , the trio was expanded to form the Big Zoom quintet (six CDs). With Jacques Demierre and Barry Guy he played in another trio since 2002. He has also performed with musicians such as Butch Morris , Andrew Cyrille , Trevor Watts , Fred Frith , John Cale , Sylvie Courvoisier , Ikue Mori , Peter Kowald , Samulnori , Xu Fengxia , Tom Cora , Franziska Baumann , Hans Koch , Tenko, Erika Stucky , Urs Leimgruber , Arkady Shilkloper , Michel Doneda , Jean-Louis Matinier , Irène Schweizer , Phil Minton , Susanne Abbuehl , Wu Wei , Michel Portal , Luciano Biondini and Michel Godard .
He has had his own percussion quartet since 2006: Beat Bag Bohemia with Kesivan Naidoo from South Africa, Rolando Lamussene from Mozambique and the Swiss Peter Conradin Zumthor . With Barry Guy and Paul Plimley he has played in the Witches Trio since a debut at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival 2010 . The album Arcanum , recorded with Andreas Schaerer , made it onto the list of the best of the German Record Critics' Prize in 2014 . In 2016 he worked with Barry Guy on Jürg Wickihalder's album Beyond .
Niggli is also an interpreter of contemporary composers such as David Dramm, Michael Wertmüller , Sam Hayden, Felix Profos , Mauricio Kagel , John Cage and Frederic Rzewski . He is also active as a composer; so far he has written works for choir, orchestra and smaller ensembles.
Discographic notes
- Hofmann / Niggli Mute Songs & Drumscapes ( Creative Works 1993)
- Lucas Niggli & Anna Grichting Border Meetings ( Altrisuoni 2000, with Jean-Jancques Pedretti, Martin Schütz )
- Lucas Niggli Drum Quartet Beat Bag Bohemia (Intakt 2008, with Rolando Lamussene, Kesivan Naidoo, Peter Conradin Zumthor)
- Big ZOOM Polisation ( Intakt 2010, with Anne La Berge , Nils Wogram, Philipp Schaufelberger, Barry Guy)
- Schaerer Niggli Duo Arcanum (Intact 2014)
- Keïta - Brönnimann - Niggli Kalo Yele (Intakt 2016)
- Alchemia Garden (Intact, 2018)
Web links
- Web presence with discography
- Intact over Niggli
- Interview 2003 (from " Jazz Podium ")
- Portrait in the "Jazzzeitung"
- Concert review Lucas Niggli
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Niggli, Lucas |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swiss drummer and composer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1968 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cameroon |