Rainer Brüninghaus

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rainer Brüninghaus, Oslo Jazz Festival 2016

Rainer Brüninghaus (born November 21, 1949 in Bad Pyrmont ) is a German jazz pianist , composer and university professor .

Life and career

Rainer Brüninghaus (2011)

Brüninghaus was trained classically from the age of nine and founded his first jazz trio at the age of sixteen. From 1968 to 1972 he studied sociology at the University of Cologne and from 1971 to 1975 music. During his student days he founded the experimental jazz rock group Eiliff , with which he recorded two LPs and one single.

From 1973 to 1975 he was a permanent member of Volker Kriegel's jazz rock group Spectrum and initially also involved in its Mild Maniac Orchestra . From 1973 he was also an occasional guest with the Frankfurt Radio Jazz Ensemble (until 1985) . 1975 began a seven-year collaboration with Eberhard Weber in his group Colors , to which Charlie Mariano belonged. In 1976 he gave his first solo concert at the Heidelberg Jazz Festival . In 1978 he performed a 50-minute commissioned composition at the Frankfurt Jazz Festival . From 1979 he also played with Manfred Schoof in a duo and his quintet. In the 1980s he mainly realized his own projects, including a. Freeweht with Kenny Wheeler and Jon Christensen ( ECM ) and founded his own trio in 1981, in which Markus Stockhausen and Fredy Studer played until the end of 1984 ; In 1985 he brought John Abercrombie and Trilok Gurtu into the band. In addition, Charlie Mariano, Hugo Read and Jo Thönes were each included for a short time. In 1988 a collaboration with Jan Garbarek began, which continues to this day, with extensive tours around the world. He also worked with musicians like Bob Brookmeyer , Gary Burton , Bobby McFerrin , Jim Hall , Manu Katché , Albert Mangelsdorff , Paul McCandless , Alphonse Mouzon , Carla Bley and Steve Swallow . Since the beginning of 2011, Brüninghaus has been giving more frequent solo concerts on the grand piano.

Brüninghaus taught from 1973 to 1977 at the Remscheid Academy, from 1984 to 1992 as a piano lecturer at the Cologne University of Music , and from 1990 to 1993 at the Frankfurt am Main University of Music and Performing Arts . His didactic work also resulted in music theory articles for various music magazines. In addition to his many compositions for large and small ensembles, Brüninghaus also wrote music for some of the award-winning films and TV series. Brüninghaus was also on the Artistic Advisory Board of the Union of German Jazz Musicians . Today he lives in Rösrath in the Bergisches Land .

Criticism

The musician, who is best known in the fusion sector , “prefers soft layering of chords and wide, curved melodic arcs without neglecting the rhythmic flow”. “In jazz, Brüninghaus is the most imaginative representative of Minimal Art” and in his improvisations and compositions combines repetitive minimalist patterns “with jazz phrasing reminiscent of Bill Evans ”.

Film music

Prizes and awards

Brüninghaus was awarded the Jazz Prize of the Südwestfunk in 1983 and received the German Record Critics' Prize for his ECM recording "Continuum".

Lexigraphic entries

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Martin Kunzler
  2. ↑ Ulrich Olshausen
  3. ↑ Reclams Jazz Lexicon
personal data
SURNAME Brüninghaus, Rainer
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German jazz pianist and composer
DATE OF BIRTH November 21, 1949
PLACE OF BIRTH Bad Pyrmont