Stephan Kurmann

Stephan Kurmann (born April 29, 1958 in Basel ) is a Swiss modern jazz bassist .

Live and act

Kurmann learned since 1971 self-taught electric bass before the 1974 bass changed. He took lessons from Peter Bockius and graduated from the Swiss Jazz School in Bern from 1981 to 1986 . He toured Switzerland and Europe with various combos, including Chet Baker , Wild Bill Davison , Pony Poindexter , Sal Nistico , Philip Catherine and Art Lande . He also worked in classical orchestras such as the " Basel Sinfonietta ". With the group Jasata and the Markus Plattner Band (album The Song Man , 1991) he also visited the United States and Australia.

Since 1987 he has directed the "Stephan Kurmann Strings", to which Andy Scherrer , Adam Taubitz , Makaya Ntshoko and Willy Kotoun belong (occasionally supplemented by a string quartet). He also performed with Riccardo Garzoni, Dick de Graaf , Steve Grossman , Doug Hammond , Hans Kennel , Kirk Lightsey , Harold Mabern , Adrian Mears , Sandy Patton , Muneer Abdul Fataah, Alvin Queen , Jesper Thilo and Mal Waldron and was part of Bruno Spoerris Mulligan Project, the Willy Bischof Jazztett , Cojazz and the Swiss Clarinet Players . During several stays in Cuba, he performed with groups such as Cubanismo , Cubano Bop and the Havana Jazz Trio (TV appearance).

He has also headed the Basel jazz club Bird's Eye since it was founded in 1994.

Bruno Spoerri (Ed.): Biographical Lexicon of Swiss Jazz . CD supplement to: Spoerri, Bruno (Ed.): Jazz in Switzerland. History and stories . Chronos-Verlag, Zurich 2005, ISBN 3-0340-0739-6