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Theo Jorgensmann

Jörgensmann was born in 1948 in the town of Bottrop in the Western Rhur industrial region of Germany. Theo Jörgensmann is one of the most advanced modern free improvisers on his instrument, combining moody chamber jazz with hints of a modal hard bop sensibility. His work with the 'Bottrop Sextet' reveals that he continues to retain great affection for the town where he grew up. In the middle of the sixties he worked as a laboratory technician in a chemical laboratory. He started to play clarinet at the age of 18, taking private lessons from a music teacher at Folkwang Academy of Music in Essen. His dedication to the clarinet as his only instrument was only briefly interrupted during a 15 month spell doing National Service, when he was asked to play soprano saxophone for the Army dance band. After the phase in the German Army, Jörgensmann worked with handicapped children and studied several of semesters social pedagogics and computer science. The distinctive tonal quality of Jörgenmann’s playing owes something to his choice of clarinet. Many of his albums, available on hatOLOGY, were recorded using a straight basset clarinet in Bb, made by Harald Hüyng, a pupil of the great Herbert Wurlitzer. This clarinet, although an Oehler System, would have some essential similarities to that played by Stadler when playing the Mozart Clarinet Concerto in the 1780’s. It has extended keywork to enable an additional D and C at the bottom of its range. In 2008, however, Jörgensmann switched from his basset clarinet in Bb to a Low G clarinet, built by another pupil of Herbert Wurlitzer, Wolfgand Dietz. The special sound of his playing arises from the fact that Jörgensmann blows with less pressing of the teeth. As a result, he can play other phrasing and accents, as it is usually possible on the clarinet. It is thus more closely related with the 'hard bop' saxophonists. Jörgensmann made his first appearance at a major event as a member of the 'Contact Trio' with

Michael Jullich

drums
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Jullich at the 1972 Frankfurt Jazz Festival. During this period he began working with local musicians. He didn't become a professional musician until 1975. In the early 1970's Jörgensmann played in a Jazz Rock group which included the keyboard player Hendrik Schaper (later a member of

Klaus Doldinger

b.1936

" data-original-title="" title="">Klaus Doldinger and Udo Lindenberg) and the drummer Udo Dahmen. At this time he used electronic effects pedals, such as fuzz, wah-wah and chorus. Probably he was one of the first clarinetists which electronically distorted their instrument. But by 1975 when he formed the clarinet ensemble, 'Clarinet Contrast', he was interested in the pure acoustic sound of his instrument. 'Clarinet Contrast' included

Bernd Konrad

" data-original-title="" title="">Bernd Konrad, Hans Kumpf and

Michel Pilz

clarinet
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Michel Pilz as well as one of the musicians Jörgensmann had most admired when he first began playing clarinet,

Perry Robinson

clarinet
1938 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Perry Robinson. In 1975 he also founded his first Quartet, which end of the seventies was one of the most successful jazz bands in Germany. In 1977 the 'Theo Jörgensmann Quartet' performed as German representative at the festival of the European Broadcasting Union in Hilversum, Netherlands. Jörgensmann's exclusive focus on the clarinet has led him to form a succession of partnerships with other clarinet players and because of its commitment to the clarinet he was part of the Renaissance in the jazz and improvised music scene. In 1979 the influential European producer and music journalist, Joachim-Ernst Berendt helped Jörgensmann call together the members of the 'Clarinet Summit'. This was an all-star clarinet group with soloists:

John Carter

clarinet
b.1929

" data-original-title="" title="">John Carter,

Perry Robinson

clarinet
1938 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Perry Robinson, Theo Jörgensmann,

Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky

saxophone, alto
b.1933

" data-original-title="" title="">Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky and

Gianluigi Trovesi

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Gianluigi Trovesi. John Carter and Theo Jörgensmann met each other at the Moers Jazz Festival in 1979. There they performed solo and as a duo on three days. Eckard Koltermann is another clarinetist who Jörgensmann has collaborated with on many occasions. As well as working together as the 'German Clarinet Duo' , in the mid 1980's they were both regular members of the clarinet ensemble CL 4, along with

Lajos Dudas

clarinet
b.1941

" data-original-title="" title="">Lajos Dudas, Dieter Kühr, Eckard Koltermann and Gerald Doecke. By no means are all Jörgensmann's collaborations with clarinet players. As a young musician Jörgensmann also favoured to work in larger ensembles or duos. So he was member in the big bands of

Andrea Centazzo

percussion

" data-original-title="" title="">Andrea Centazzo, Willem van Manen, Michael Sell - Composer ,

Franz Koglmann

flugelhorn
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Franz Koglmann and the 'Grubenklangorchester' and he also performed as a duo with pianist John Fischer from US, Dutch guitarist

Jan Kuiper

" data-original-title="" title="">Jan Kuiper, German pianist

Bernd Koppen

piano
1951 - 2014

" data-original-title="" title="">Bernd Koppen, German poet Oskar Ansull, French bass clarinetist

Denis Colin

" data-original-title="" title="">Denis Colin, German actor Bernt Hahn, German church organist Hans-Günther Wauer, Swiss pianist Daniel Ott, German performer Limpe Fuchs and Hungarian pianist

Karoly Binder

piano
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Karoly Binder, with whom he recorded meanwhile 4 duo CDs. Jörgensmann is active as an improvisation theorist. He is convinced that improvised music is the most modern kind of music, since it has created a completely new kind of musician, an integral musician, who is conductor, composer and performer at the same time. „To find the right balance between communication of motion and non- communication is the major part of improvised music; that communication of motion as a part of interaction in music is an opportunity to create a new structure of time, which the listener could perceive as a new kind of musical space; that the idea of jazz does not depend on a specific material and special form; that the essential aspect of jazz is the fact that jazz musicians discovered the fourth dimension of time in music.“ Together with the musicologist and musician Rolf-Dieter Weyer, Jörgensmann wrote a philosophical book about improvisation "Kleine Ethik der Improvisation". As a lecturer Jörgensmann taught improvisation and clarinet at University of Duisburg between 1983 and 1993. At the same time, he hosted a radio program on jazz at West German Broadcasting. And from 1993 until 1997 he was a lecturer for free improvising at Music Therapeutics Institute of Witten/Herdecke University. Several of his recordings on the HatHut / hatOLOGY label are with the Theo Jörgensmann Quartet which consists of Theo Jörgensmann on clarinet,

Christopher Dell

vibraphone

" data-original-title="" title="">Christopher Dell on vibes,

Christian Ramond

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Christian Ramond on double bass and

Klaus Kugel

drums
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Klaus Kugel on drums. The quartet performed with

Lee Konitz

saxophone, alto
1927 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Lee Konitz at the Muenster Jazz Festival 1999. Another regular partner has been

Kent Carter

bass
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Kent Carter, working together on the 'Theo Jörgensmann Workshop Sextet' (

Charlie Mariano

saxophone, alto
1923 - 2009

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Mariano, Petras Vysaiauskas, Theo Jörgensmann,

Karl Berger

vibraphone
1935 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Karl Berger,

Klaus Kugel

drums
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Klaus Kugel,

Kent Carter

bass
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Kent Carter), as well as the 'Vysniauskas - Jorgensmann Quintet': (

Petras Vysniauskas

saxophone, soprano

" data-original-title="" title="">Petras Vysniauskas, Theo Jorgensmann,

Andreas Willers

guitar
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Andreas Willers,

Kent Carter

bass
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Kent Carter.

Klaus Kugel

drums
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Klaus Kugel) and the

Riviere Composers' Pool

" data-original-title="" title="">Riviere Composers' Pool.

Marcin Oles

" data-original-title="" title="">Marcin Oles and

Bartlomiej "Brat" Oles

" data-original-title="" title="">Bartlomiej "Brat" Oles since 2003. In 2009 Jörgensmann performed a few concerts with younger musicians from UK (

Sebastian Rochford

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Sebastian Rochford,

Dominic Lash

bass, acoustic
b.1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Dominic Lash and

Shabaka Hutchings

woodwinds

" data-original-title="" title="">Shabaka Hutchings ) in London. In 2010 Theo Jörgensmann and his wife became owner of the venue "Kulturknastfenster" in Brüel, Germany, where mostly concerts with chamber jazz and improvised music or art exhibitions take place about 5 - 6 times a year. Since 2011 he mostly played solo or in duo with the pianist

Bernd Koppen

piano
1951 - 2014

" data-original-title="" title="">Bernd Koppen and plays in the '

Theo Jorgensmann & Albrecht Maurer - Duo Melencolia

various
b.1999

" data-original-title="" title="">Theo Jorgensmann & Albrecht Maurer - Duo Melencolia' with violin player

Albrecht Maurer

violin
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Albrecht Maurer. In 2011 he also formed a new trio - 'The Freedom Trio' - with bassist

Christian Ramond

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Christian Ramond and acoustic guitar player

Hagen Studemann

bass, acoustic
b.1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Hagen Studemann. Since 2014 he plays with Christopher Dell and Christian Ramond in the trio "art of making" which attempts to implement the concept of the „Holistic Jazz" with a European background. Theirs improvised music dissolves the contrast of such different musical elements as swing and pulsation; harmony and atonality or melody and noise. Currently Jorgensmann is also working with the "Clarinet Summit". The members of the group are Perry Robinson, Gianluigi Trovesi, Bernd Konrad, Albrecht Maurer, Sebastian Gramss and Günther "Baby" Sommer. He is also a member of the group "Contact 4tett" and he plays with the group "Kollektiv N", which was supported by the radio station NDR. Only musicians from northern Germany belong to "Kollektiv N". In 2018, Jörgensmann was artist in residence at Singers Festival Warsaw, the biggest festival of Jewish culture in Poland. Since 2015 Theo Jörgensmann has been working with guitarist Evert Brettschneider in Contact 4tett. The Contact 4tett is the successor band to the Contact Trio, which Jörgensmann founded in 1970. At the end of 1972 Theo Jörgensmann left the group. His successor as a soloist was Evert Brettschneider. Around 1984 the Contact Trio dissolved. In 2023 the Contact 4tett released a new CD entitled "Wundertüte" on the Jazzwerkstatt label in Berlin. Also in 2022 Theo Jörgensmann switched from the German to the French system and only plays a CONN alto clarinet from the 1960s.

Awards

Kunstförderpreis der Stadt Aachen (1980) - Kulturpreis der Stadt Bottrop (1991) Jazzpott Kulturpreis des Ruhrgebiets (2018)

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Theo Jorgensmann: Bucksch

Read "Bucksch" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
February 23, 2014

Revered German clarinetist Theo Jorgensmann has played an integral role in the European free jazz scene and is one of several artists who helped revitalize the instrument within avant-garde flanked jazz and improvisational vistas. Here, the artist predominately performs solo works on his G-low clarinet, yet unites with his trio culled from a live performance in Luneburg, Germany on the aptly titled “Interweave Thoughts." This musical portraiture duly mirrors the suggestion of a dynamic interweaving of thoughts, featuring ...

112

Album Review

Theo Jorgensmann / Albrecht Maurer: Melencolia

Read "Melencolia" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
February 4, 2012

Melencolia is based on Abrecht D��rer's 1514 engraving by the same name, created during Germany's horrific Peasants' Wars. However, these prominent jazz and avant-garde artists unite the brighter side of life to offset some fierce interactions. The lower register of Theo Jorgensmann's G-low clarinet synchronizes with Albrecht Maurer's violin and viola phrasings, bringing the duo closer from a timbral perspective. As such, the music emerges from a similar plane and intimates a tighter soundscape with a narrowed gap ...

692

Profile

Theo Jorgensmann: Sheep with Two Heads

by Noel Taylor
June 12, 2009

Theo Jörgensmann, the German free jazz clarinet maestro likes to quote the Austrian cultural historian, Egon Fridell: “pure originality has no great value--it is like a sheep with two heads." Fridell, who committed suicide in 1938 as the SA arrived at his door, was fond of illustrating his thinking with vivid and elliptical images of this type. It is a characteristic that Jörgensmann seems to share, as I discovered during a series of email exchanges that we conducted earlier this ...

388

Album Review

Theo Jorgensmann & Oles Brothers: Alchemia

by Chris May
January 24, 2008

Clarinetist Theo Jorgensmann's Alchemia is the third Hat Hut release in a row in which a free improvising, progressive musician has woven overt and telling references to past glories of the jazz tradition into his own, singular style.

Cellist Daniel Levin's Blurry (Hat Hut, 2007) evoked the chamber jazz of the 1950s and 1960s on an otherwise mostly sui generis disc, while pianist Steve Lantner's What You Can Throw (Hat Hut, 2008) summoned up the shades of keyboard ...

255

Album Review

Theo Jorgensmann: Fellowship

Read "Fellowship" reviewed by Brad Glanden

by Brad Glanden
June 13, 2006

Free jazz arrangements often spurn the development of form and structure, deriving their complexity from inter-ensemble relationships. The specter of 1960s collective improvisation looms large over Theo Jörgensmann's Fellowship. Though the compositions are founded on epigrammatic themes, they weave an intricate framework for moment-to-moment interaction.

The members of the clarinetist's conceptually sophisticated sextet bring six different perspectives to bear on the music, and the unitary thread of Fellowship is contrast. There are two negating rhythmic concepts functioning independently of one ...

268

Album Review

Theo Jorgensmann Quartet: To Ornette - Hybrid Identity

Read "To Ornette - Hybrid Identity" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
December 1, 2002

Clarinetist Theo Jorgensmann’s discography, namely for the “hatOLOGY” record label, speaks intrinsic volumes. The title of this effort might intimate an obvious Ornette Coleman tribute, but the quartet merely skirts the fringes of Mr. Coleman’s pronounced musical ideologies. In fact, none of these pieces were written by Coleman, as the Hybrid Identity implications simply signify the guiding tone of the overall production. The band incorporates Coleman’s harmolodic concepts to a degree. However the musicians perpetuate a personalized game plan, awash ...

149

Album Review

Theo Jorgensmann Quartett: Ta Eko Mo

Read "Ta Eko Mo" reviewed by Dave Hughes

by Dave Hughes
August 1, 1999

This is a non-traditional quartet (the leader on clarinet, plus vibes, double bass, and drums/percussion) playing very non-traditional music. It's quite free-form and avant-garde. Except for the fact that there is plenty of improvization contained herein, it really bears little connection to jazz. Those who favor such traditional concepts as a melody, a recognizable meter (let alone anything swinging), and identifiable chord changes should look elsewhere. But it you favor envelope-pushing experimental music, you should give this a ...

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Recording

Theo Jorgensmann & Oles Brothers: "Alchemia" on Hatology 646

Source: All About Jazz
December 19, 2007

Theo Jorgensmann & Oles Brothers: Alchemia Hatology 646

“Perhaps surprisingly for a conceptualist like Jorgensmann, 'straightahead' jazzers Tony Scott and Buddy De Franco now seem even more relevant to our updated perception of Alchemia. Both were powerful clarinetists who brought idiosyncratic phrasing and a harmonic bite to solos that balanced on the cusp of freedom. The most impressive aspect of Alchemia, to my ears, is the trio's ecstatic, elastic freedom of line and design. Fluid internal tempo changes ...
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„German player Theo Jörgensmann by the way, is developing into one of Europe's greatest jazz clarinettists as the clarinet seems to be having a worldwide jazz revival". (Joachim Ernst Berendt; Down Beat 2/1980) „In countless contexts he has continuously broadened his repertoire and, thereby, over the decades, developed a vocabulary that allows him to move spontaneously into any thinkable direction". (Jazzthing, Germany, 2002 review by Wolf Kampmann) „Clarinetist Theo Jörgensmann has to counted among the handful of consummate modern improvisers on his instrument. His playing evinces a brooding quality, devoid of overt sentimentality, yet he carries a hard bop aesthetic forward to engage modern harmonies and concepts of freedom. Intervallic leaps, technical virtuosity, and melodic invention are all elements in his improvisations". AllMusic review by Steven Loewy, USA, 2000 „Jörgensmann moves fluidly and with equal freedom through all the registers of his instrument. His solos evolve with startling clarity and surprise, ranging from disjointed hunt and peck phrases to long, angular lines that fork and zig zag like tree branches. He's a major voice on an instrument frequently neglected in modern jazz". Signal To Noise, Ed Hazell, USA, 2001 „Theo Jörgensmann, his contribution to the renaissance of the improvising clarinet must not be underestimated; but if one believes the Jazz press, the clarinet was only rediscovered when Don Byron came along. This may however be due to the fact that the Jazz clarinetist Jörgensmann has been concentrating on chamber music-like border projects such as the clarinet quartet CL-4, the German Clarinet Duo or his work show ensemble during the past few years". Neue Zeitung für Musik, Germany, 1998; review by Peter Niklas Wilson „ With this formation, Jörgensmann, captivates with a music that has soul, and that pursues an unsusual and polished chamber music equilibrium. One can easily get exited about a music that, in spite of soul does not simply disregard reason, but rather retains a floating balance between control and feeling". Review Jörgensmann Quartet, Snijbloemen; Down Beat, Juli 2000 „Theo Jörgensmann is one of the great clarinet players of our time, perceived world-wide but much under valued, not least because no one trusts a German, a German group, to have as much dancing elegance, humorous intelligence, sensitive poetry and (fractioned) drive. German Poetry is profound, German humor dull, and German dance brings to everyone’s mind calve-slapping folklore groups. The opposite of all this is the Theo Jörgensmann Quartet" (Die Weltwoche, Switzerland, August-2002 review by Peter Rüedi) As for Theo Jörgensmann, he’s carved out his own niche as an improvising clarinetist; his melodic ardor and eloquence, restless and unpredictable, deserve and reward close attention. Art Lange, Chicago, April 2011

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