Theo Jörgensmann
Quick facts for kids
Theo Jörgensmann
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Jörgensmann at Kulturhalle Jülchendorf, 2009
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born | 29 September 1948 Bottrop, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
| Died | 6 October 2025 (aged 77) Brüel, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Clarinet |
| Years active | 1975–2025 |
| Labels |
|
Theodor Franz Jörgensmann, who was born on September 29, 1948, and passed away on October 6, 2025, was a talented German jazz clarinet player. He was known as one of the important musicians in the second wave of European free jazz. He helped bring the clarinet back into the spotlight in jazz and improvised music. He was one of the few clarinetists who often made recordings playing by himself.
Contents
Theo Jörgensmann: A Jazz Clarinet Master
Early Life and Musical Journey
.JPG)
Theo Jörgensmann started playing the clarinet when he was 18 years old. From 1969 to 1972, he took private music lessons in Essen, Germany. During this time, he also worked as a chemical laboratory assistant. He began playing music with other musicians from the Ruhr area.
After serving in the German Army, Jörgensmann worked with children who had special needs. He also studied social education. In 1975, he decided to become a full-time professional musician.
Collaborations and Projects
.JPG)
Over three decades, Jörgensmann worked with many famous musicians. These included Mike Richmond, Barre Phillips, Charlie Mariano, and Lee Konitz.
From 1975 to 1977, he led a unique group called Clarinet Contrast. This group played only with clarinets. In the early 1980s, he helped create the Clarinet Summit project. He worked with other clarinetists like John Carter and Perry Robinson.
Jörgensmann was part of many international music groups. He played with Willem van Manen's Contraband and John Fischer's Interface. He also led his own group, Klarinettenquartett Cl-4. In 1987, a documentary film called Theo Jörgensmann, Bottrop, Klarinette was made about him.
Teaching and Musical Ideas
From 1983 to 1993, Jörgensmann taught clarinet at the University of Duisburg. Later, from 1993 to 1997, he taught free improvisation at Witten/Herdecke University.
He also co-wrote a book about the ideas behind improvised music. He wrote this book with music expert Rolf-Dieter Weyer. Jörgensmann believed that in improvised music, it was important to balance sharing musical ideas with moments of quiet. He thought this balance helped create new ways of experiencing time and space in music. He also felt that the true spirit of jazz came from how musicians used time, especially what they called 'swing'.
Later Career and Legacy
In 1997, Jörgensmann started the Theo Jörgensmann Quartet. This group toured in the United States and Canada several times. They even played at the Montreal International Jazz Festival.
From 2003, he also played with the Polish twin brothers Marcin Oles and Bartlomiej Oles. Their album, Directions, was named Record of the Year in 2005 by a Polish jazz magazine.
Later, he formed Trio Hot and the Deep Down Clarinet Duo. He also worked with the Tribal Trio. In 2011, he created the Freedom Trio. In 2018, Jörgensmann was a special guest artist at the Singers Festival Warsaw.
Theo Jörgensmann passed away in Brüel, Germany, on October 6, 2025. He was 77 years old.
Musical Works
Albums and Recordings
- In Time (AKM, 1977)
- Straightout! (Europhon, 1978)
- Live at Birdland Gelsenkirchen (Europhon, 1978)
- Go Ahead Clarinet (CMP, 1978)
- Song of BoWaGe (CMP, 1979)
- You Better Fly Away with Clarinet Summit (MPS, 1980)
- Next Adventure (CMP, 1981)
- Deep Blue Lake with John Fischer (ReEntry, 1984)
- Zeitverdichtung (Konnex, 1986)
- Fur Den Letzten Gast with Bernd Koppen (Senti, 1986)
- Tauwetter (Kip, 1989)
- Introitus with Hans-Gunther Wauer (Kip, 1990)
- Live at Music Academy with Federico Sanesi (BMM, 1993)
- Aesthetic Direction (Konnex, 1994)
- Merseburger Begegnung with Hans-Gunther Wauer (Kip, 1994)
- Swiss Radio Days Volume Three with John Fischer (ReEntry, 1994)
- Ta Eko Mo (Z.o.o., 1997)
- So I Play (Kip, 1997)
- Snijbloemen (hatOLOGY, 2000)
- Pagine Gialle with Eckard Koltermann (hatOLOGY, 2001)
- To Ornette – Hybrid Identity (hatOLOGY, 2002)
- Fellowship (hatOLOGY, 2005)
- Alchemia with Oles Brothers (hatOLOGY, 2007)
- New Conception of Duo Hagen Studemann (Konnex, 2010)
- Melencolia with Albrecht Maurer (Nemu, 2011)
- Blue in Blue with Karoly Binder (BMM, 2011)
- Bucksch (Konnex, 2014)
- Elements in Candor with Krzysztof Dys, Michael Marcus (For Tune, 2016)
- Axiomatic 473’ Exploration, with Alessandro Ciccarelli and Lorenzo Santoro (Plus Timbre, 2024)
Compositions
- Snijbloemen, a piece for clarinet, vibes, bass, and percussion (2000).
- Die Eroberung des Schönen (The Conquest of Beauty), an experimental opera for writers, actors, painters, and musicians (1995). It was produced for WDR-TV.
- Der Garten (The Garden), a dance-theater piece for dancers, clarinets, sound machines, and percussion (1994).
- Hommage á Béla Bartók, chamber music for violin, clarinet, bass clarinet, and double bass (1994).
- Aesthetic direction, chamber music for violin, cello, clarinet, bass clarinet, and percussion (1993).
Publications
- Kleine Ethik der Improvisation: vom Wesen, Zeit und Raum, Material und Spontangestalt, by Theo Jörgensmann & Rolf-Dieter Weyer, with silhouettes of Hermann "Es" Richter ISBN: 3-924272-99-9
Achievements and Recognition
- Kunstförderpreis der Stadt Aachen (Art Promotion Prize of the City of Aachen) 1980
- Kulturpreis der Stadt Bottrop (Culture Prize of the City of Bottrop) 1991
- Jazzpreis des Ruhrgebiets – Jazz Pott (Jazz Prize of the Ruhr Area) 2018
See also
In Spanish: Theo Jörgensmann para niños
