Thomas Gerdiken

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Thomas Gerdiken (born April 11, 1960 in Osnabrück ) is a German pianist and singer . Thomas Gerdiken in concert

Thomas Gerdiken (2020)

Career

Gerdiken has been playing the piano since he was seven and, after studying classical piano and opera singing, has been performing as a professional pianist and singer since 1988, primarily in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Stylistically, it is to be settled in the area of ​​the traditional New Orleans piano and especially by James Booker , Fats Domino , Professor Longhair , Dr. John and Allen Toussaint influenced. His repertoire consists of his own compositions and arrangements of classics. Since the mid-1990s he has been performing under the name The Prince of the New Orleans Piano .

In his 40-year career, Gerdiken has given more than 2000 concerts in Germany, Europe and America. He appeared in the opening act for Fats Domino as part of his European tour in 1990, which he called "Germany's Prince of New Orleans Piano".

On October 30, 1992, he gave a concert for the inauguration of the new plenary hall of the German Bundestag in Bonn.

In April 2008 Gerdiken traveled to New Orleans for Fats Domino's 80th birthday . The concert took place at Tipitina's in New Orleans. There Gerdiken came for the first time with Randy Newman , Jon Cleary, Allen Toussaint and Dr. John in contact.

Since then Gerdiken has repeatedly tour event In the Spirit of New Orleans organized. In 2010, In the Spirit of New Orleans took place with concerts in New Orleans and Germany. A total of 150 musicians were involved. Some of the concerts were recorded and released as a charity CD. All participating musicians waived their royalties in favor of charitable projects in New Orleans.

The CD was released on Friday, November 26th, 2010 at Irvin's Jazz Playhouse in New Orleans. Over 20 musicians from New Orleans were involved in the concert. The concert was organized for the benefit of the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic by Robin Ligon-Williams, Program Director of the New Orleans Jazz Institute, and Thomas Gerdiken.

From 2009 to 2012 Gerdiken was involved in the Seeking Satch competition in New Orleans . This pursued the goal of finding the so-called "next Louis Armstrong" among the youth in New Orleans. The competition was intended to open up perspectives for young people outside the reality of the desolate ghettos, which is characterized by violence, crime, drugs and weapons. In 2010 Thomas Gerdiken took over the complete organization of the competition in collaboration with Robin Ligon-Williams. In 2011 Gerdiken was appointed to the “Seeking Satch” jury alongside Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis .

In August 2011 and 2013 Gerdiken gave concerts as part of the open day in the Federal Chancellery and Federal Press Office in Berlin. In 2011 and 2014 he performed in Bonn and Hanover on German Unity Day in the tent of the federal government. On June 19, 2013 he gave a concert in the run-up to the speech by American President Barack Obama in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

social commitment

Since his visit to New Orleans, Gerdiken has been working in aid organizations in New Orleans that take care of musicians who were in need due to Hurricane Katrina . In addition, he is involved in organizations that have set themselves the goal of passing on New Orleans Music to the next generation. He has supported the following organizations through donations over the past few years:

  1. New Orleans Musicians`Clinic : Free medical treatment for musicians
  2. Saturday Music School New Orleans Jazz Institute : Free music lessons for children 6-16 years old
  3. Book Program Guardian Institute 9th Ward : Free distribution of school books in the ghettos
  4. Joyful Foundation : Free procurement of musical instruments for needy children in the ghettos
  5. Uptown Music Theater : a musical with children is performed every year under the direction of Delfeayo Marsalis
  6. Seeking Satch : a competition in which young people in the ghettos of New Orleans are searched for the so-called new Louis Armstrong.

In 2008 Gerdiken organized concerts and tours with a benefit character for musicians from New Orleans, among others in the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn; with exhibition by the painter Matt Rinard from New Orleans. In 2009 Gerdiken was invited by the state of Lower Saxony with A Tribute to Fats Domino for the jazz festival Jazz in the Minister Gardens in Berlin. The project included a concert by Gerdiken, the Old Merrytale Jazz Band and singer Mary Thompson from Jackson , Mississippi, and an exhibition by the painter Matt Rinard.

Awards

Thomas Gerdiken was the official cultural contribution of the State of Lower Saxony for the Day of German Unity several times. On November 21, 2010, Mayor Michell J. Landrieu made Gerdiken an honorary citizen and official musical ambassador of the city of New Orleans for his social commitment to rebuilding the city. In 2010 Thomas Gerdiken was born alongside Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Dr. John and Pearl Jam named musical ambassadors for the New Orleans Musicians Clinic. In 2011 Thomas Gerdiken was appointed to the jury of the Seeking Satch competition in New Orleans by Chairman Delfeayo Marsalis .

Discography

Gerdiken has released the following sound carriers on his own Nightbird label:

  • 1988: Black Night With White Shadow (LP)
  • 1995: Thomas Gerdiken Live (CD)
  • 2006: Thomas Gerdiken In Concert Alte Oper Frankfurt, Philharmonie Cologne, Tonhalle Düsseldorf (DVD)
  • 2007: Thomas Gerdiken In Concert Alte Oper Frankfurt, Philharmonie Cologne, Tonhalle Düsseldorf (CD)
  • 2010: Thomas Gerdiken and Friends In the Spirit of New Orleans Live (CD)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bielefeld University press release: online formulas of power? (No. 134/2004) , accessed on November 28, 2017.
  2. ↑ Biography - Thomas Gerdiken ( Memento of the original from December 1, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: klavierlehrer-osnabrueck.de accessed on November 28, 2017. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.klavierlehrer-osnabrueck.de
  3. ↑ In the Spirit of New Orleans In: kultur-bad-vibel.de accessed on November 30, 2017.
  4. ↑ Thomas Gerdiken | Organization In: thomas-gerdiken.de accessed on November 28, 2017.
  5. ↑ a b Thomas Gerdiken and Friends In the Spirit of New Orleans Jazzzeitung 2011/02: Brief, but important In: jazzzeitung.de accessed on November 28, 2017. ("Thomas Gerdiken is involved with a charity CD and becomes a musical ambassador Kolbi" )
  6. ↑ Announcement of the concert on the homepage of the New Orleans Musicians Clinic (PDF; 427 kB)
  7. ↑ 'Seeking Satch' contest looking for a new, young trumpet star In: nola.com. Retrieved on November 28, 2017.
  8. ↑ Marsalis Thomas In: radaris.com accessed on November 28, 2017.
  9. ↑ Osnabrücker plays for Obama: "Blueberry Hill" under security level 1+ In: noz.de, accessed on November 28, 2017.
  10. ↑ In the Spirit of New Orleans at Phaeno Wolfsburg In: waz-online.de accessed on December 1, 2017.
  11. ↑ Opening of the Exhibition Matt Rinard Bundeskunsthalle Bonn In: youtube.com , accessed on November 28, 2017. (Video)
  12. ↑ Lower Saxony :: Jazz in the Ministergärten In: jazzministergaerten.de , accessed on November 28, 2017.
  13. ↑ 2014 stage program at the tent of the federal government In: bundesregierung.de , accessed on November 30, 2017 (PDF; 1.5 MB)
  14. ↑ Thomas Gerdiken has been made an honorary citizen of New Orleans. Deutscher Klavieradel Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung from December 17, 2010
  15. ^ Our Supporters - New Orleans Musicians' Clinic In: neworleansmusiciansclinic.org.Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  16. ↑ Thomas Gerdiken & Music Friends In: werdohl.de accessed on November 28, 2017 (PDF; 237 kB)
  17. ↑ Thomas Gerdiken: Black Night With White Shadow (LP) In: discogs.com. Accessed December 1, 2017.
  18. ↑ Thomas Gerdiken: Live (CD) In: discogs.com. Accessed December 1, 2017.
  19. ↑ Thomas Gerdiken: In The Spirit Of New Orleans (CD) In: jpc.de accessed on November 28, 2017.
personal data
SURNAME Gerdiken, Thomas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German pianist and singer
DATE OF BIRTH April 11, 1960
PLACE OF BIRTH Osnabrück