Joachim Kühn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joachim Kühn
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joachim Kurt Kühn |
| Born | 15 March 1944 Leipzig, Nazi Germany |
| Genres | Classical, jazz, avant-garde jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, record producer |
| Instruments | Piano, keyboards |
| Years active | 1961 – present |
| Labels | Impulse!, BYG Actuel, MPS, ACT |
Joachim Kurt Kühn (born March 15, 1944) is a famous German jazz pianist. He is known for his amazing piano skills and for playing different kinds of jazz music. This includes classical music, jazz, and a style called avant-garde jazz, which is very experimental. He has been a professional musician since 1961 and continues to perform today.
Contents
Joachim Kühn's Early Life and Music Journey
Joachim Kühn was born in Leipzig, Germany. He was a very talented musician from a young age, often called a "musical prodigy." He started playing the piano in concerts after studying classical piano and how to compose music.
His older brother, Rolf Kühn, who played the clarinet, helped Joachim become interested in jazz music. By 1961, Joachim became a professional jazz musician. In 1964, he started his own music group, a trio. With this group, he introduced a new style of jazz called "free jazz" in East Germany (which was then called the German Democratic Republic or GDR). Free jazz is a type of jazz that gives musicians a lot of freedom to improvise and experiment.
In 1966, Joachim Kühn left East Germany and moved to Hamburg. He and his brother played at the famous Newport Jazz Festival in the United States. They also recorded music with other great musicians like Jimmy Garrison and Aldo Romano.
Moving to Paris and New Collaborations
Since 1968, Joachim Kühn has mostly lived in Paris, France. There, he worked with many well-known jazz artists. Some of these include Don Cherry, Michel Portal, and Jean-Luc Ponty.
He also joined a group called Association P.C., led by Pierre Courbois. In this group, he started using electronic keyboards, which was a new direction for him. In the late 1970s, he lived in California. He became part of the "jazz fusion" scene there. Jazz fusion mixes jazz with other music styles like rock and funk. During this time, he recorded with musicians such as Alphonse Mouzon and Billy Cobham.
Later Career and New Trios
After living in California, Joachim Kühn moved back near Paris. From 1985, he played in an acoustic trio with Jean-François Jenny-Clark (bass) and Daniel Humair (drums). An acoustic trio means they used instruments that don't need electricity to make sound.
In 1996, he performed two concerts with the famous musician Ornette Coleman. These concerts helped him develop his own unique music system called the Diminished Augmented System. In 2015, he formed a new trio called the New Joachim Kühn Trio. He played with Chris Jennings and Eric Schaefer in this group.
Joachim Kühn's Albums
Joachim Kühn has released many albums throughout his long career, both as a leader of his own groups and as a sideman (playing with other artists). Here are some of his notable albums:
Albums as a Leader or Co-Leader
- Impressions of New York (1967)
- Sound of Feelings (1969)
- Paris Is Wonderful (1969)
- This Way Out (1973)
- Hip Elegy (1975)
- Springfever (1976)
- Charisma (1977) - This was a solo piano album.
- Sunshower (1978)
- Nightline New York (1981)
- Easy to Read (1985) - With his trio, Jean-François Jenny-Clark and Daniel Humair.
- From Time to Time Free (1988)
- Live: Théâtre De La Ville, Paris, 1989 (1989)
- Let's Be Generous (1990)
- Carambolage (1991) - With the WDR Big Band.
- Colors: Live from Leipzig (1996) - A duo album with Ornette Coleman.
- The Diminished Augmented System (1999) - A solo piano album.
- Journey to the Centre of an Egg (2005)
- Kalimba (2006) - With Majid Bekkas and Ramón López.
- Out of the Desert (2008)
- Chalaba (2010)
- Voodoo Sense (2011–12)
- Beauty and Truth (2015) - With his New Joachim Kühn Trio.
- Love & Peace (2017)
- Piano Works XIII: Melodic Ornette Coleman (2018) - A solo piano album.
- Speaking Sound (2020) - A duo with violinist Mateusz Smoczyński.
- Touch the Light (2021) - A solo piano album.
- Duo (2024) - A duo with Michael Wollny.
Albums as a Sideman
Joachim Kühn has also played on albums for many other artists, including:
- Gary Bartz, Lee Konitz, Jackie McLean and Charlie Mariano: Altissimo (1973)
- The Rolf Kühn Group: The Day After (1972)
- Zbigniew Seifert: Man of the Light (1976)
- Larry Coryell - Catherine - Kühn: Live! (1980)
- Joe Henderson Collective: Black Narcissus (1976)
- Alan Silva: Seasons (1971)
See also
In Spanish: Joachim Kühn para niños
