Theo Jörgensmann facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Theo Jörgensmann
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Jörgensmann at "Kulturhalle Jülchendorf", Germany 2009
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Theodor Franz Jörgensmann |
| Born | 29 September 1948 Bottrop, Germany |
| Genres | Modal jazz, free improvisation, avant-garde jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Clarinet |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Labels | Hathut, Konnex |
| Associated acts | Theo Jörgensmann Quartet, Contraband, German Clarinet Duo, Clarinet Contrast, Klarinettenquartett Cl-4, Clarinet Summit, Contact Trio |
Theodor Franz Jörgensmann (born September 29, 1948) is a German jazz clarinet player. He is famous for his special way of playing the clarinet in free improvisation and avant-garde jazz music. He is one of the few clarinetists who often performs and records music by himself.
Contents
Theo Jörgensmann's Musical Journey
Theo Jörgensmann is part of the second group of European free jazz musicians. He helped bring the clarinet back into the spotlight in jazz and improvising music. Jörgensmann is known for his solo recordings, where he plays the clarinet all by himself.
He started playing the clarinet when he was 18 years old. From 1969 to 1972, he took private music lessons. At the same time, he began working with other musicians from the Ruhr area in Germany. He also worked as a chemical laboratory assistant. After serving in the German Army, Jörgensmann worked with children with disabilities and studied social education. Since 1975, he has been a full-time musician.
Working with Other Musicians
Over more than 30 years, Theo Jörgensmann has worked with many famous musicians. Some of these include Mike Richmond, Barre Phillips, Charlie Mariano, Kenny Wheeler, and Lee Konitz.
From 1975 to 1977, he led a group called Clarinet Contrast. This group only had clarinets! It included musicians like Perry Robinson and Michel Pilz. In the late 1970s, his group was one of the most well-known jazz groups in West Germany.
In the early 1980s, he helped create a group called Clarinet Summit. This group included John Carter and Gianluigi Trovesi. Since then, Jörgensmann has been part of many international music projects.
Tours and Collaborations
In 1985, Jörgensmann toured Europe with bassist Barre Phillips and reed player Paul McCandless. He was also a member of several other groups, such as Contraband (from 1985 to 1998) and Mitteleuropa Orchestra (from 1983 to 1985). He also led his own group, Klarinettenquartett Cl-4.
In 1987, a documentary film was made about him called Theo Jörgensmann, Bottrop, Klarinette.
From 1983 to 1993, he taught clarinet at the University of Duisburg. He also taught free improvising at the Music Therapeutics Institute from 1993 to 1997.
In 1997, he started the Theo Jörgensmann Quartet. This group toured North America in 1999, 2001, and 2003. They played twice at the famous Montreal International Jazz Festival. Since 2003, he has 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.
Since 2008, he has been a member of Trio Hot. In 2009, he started the Deep Down Clarinet Duo with contrabass clarinet player Ernst Ulrich Deuker. They also play together in the Tribal Trio. Jörgensmann has also performed with younger musicians from the UK. In 2011, he formed the Freedom Trio. He is also working again with the Clarinet Summit group. In 2018, Jörgensmann was a special guest artist at the Singers Festival Warsaw, a big festival of Jewish culture in Poland.
Discography
As leader
- In Time (A&M, 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)
Selected Compositions
Theo Jörgensmann has also created his own musical pieces:
- Snijbloemen: A piece for clarinet, vibes, bass, and percussion (2000).
- Die Eroberung des Schönen: An experimental opera for writers, an actor, a painter, and a musician (1995).
- Der Garten: A dance-theater piece for two dancers, clarinet, bass clarinet, sound machine, and percussion (1994).
- Hommage á Béla Bartók: Chamber music for violin, clarinet, bass clarinet, and contra bass (1994).
- Aesthetic direction: Chamber music for violin, violoncello, clarinet, bass clarinet, and percussion (1993).
Awards
Theo Jörgensmann has received several awards for his music:
- 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
Images for kids
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The Tribal Trio, October 2009
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Theo Jörgensmann Freedom Trio and Christopher Dell in 2011
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See also
In Spanish: Theo Jörgensmann para niños
