Thomas Heberer (musician)
Thomas Heberer is a trumpeter, quarter-tone trumpeter, cornetist, keyboardist and composer, primarily focused on jazz, creative improvised music and contemporary chamber music. Based in New York City, he currently works as a leader and sideman in a variety of bands in Europe and the US.
Education
Heberer began playing trumpet at the age of 11. From 1984 to 1987, he studied at conservatory with Manfred Schoof at the :de:Liste der Angehörigen der Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln|Cologne University of Music.Notable projects: 1987 to present
Leader
Heberer leads several projects, including past and present:- Lip Lab, a trio with Carl Ludwig Hübsch on tuba and Christian Thomé on drums. The group released Lex Luna on JazzHausMusik in 2007.
- Clarino, a trio with clarinettist Joachim Badenhorst and bassist Pascal Niggenkemper, released two albums: Klippe in 2011 and 2012's Cookbook.
Solo work
His solo work has been used for films and dance performances, including for two choreographies by Pina Bausch. Choreographer Bausch's Für die Kinder von gestern, heute and morgen uses a track from "Stella" called German Measles; Bausch's Ten Chi , uses a track called Blue" from the album Mouth.
Wim Wenders used "Blue" in Pina, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2011 for Best Documentary Feature.
"Blue" and "German Measles" were both used in Pina Bausch'', a documentary directed by Anne Linsel in 2006 and re-released by the Goethe-Institut in 2012.
ICP and other ensembles
Thomas has been a member of the Instant Composers Pool Orchestra from 1993 to present. Founded by Misha Mengelberg, Han Bennink and Willem Breuker, ICP currently comprises Han Bennink, Michael Moore, Ab Baars, Tobias Delius, Wolter Wierbos, Guus Janssen, Mary Oliver, Tristan Honsinger, and Ernst Glerum.During Heberer's involvement, the band has recorded numerous albums for hatOLOGY and ICP, and performed extensively around the world including tours in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Europe, Japan, US. Notable US performances with ICP include the Library of Congress, Harvard University, and the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.
From 1987 to 2000, Heberer was a member of Alexander von Schlippenbach's Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, which at the time included Evan Parker, Kenny Wheeler, Aki Takase, Paul Lovens and others. During his involvement, the Orchestra recorded three albums for ECM, FMP and DIW, and performed in Europe and Japan.
Heberer was a member of Tome XX with saxophonist Dirk Raulf, bassist Tim Wells, bassist, Dieter Manderscheid, and drummer Fritz Wittek. From 1987 to 1996, the band recorded four albums under the JazzHausMusik label, touring across Europe, Africa, and South America.
From 1988 to 1996, Heberer was a member of the European Jazz Ensemble, along with Joachim Kühn, Gerd Dudek, Konrad Bauer, Charlie Mariano, Tony Levin and others. In addition to performing across Europe, he is included on two recordings from the time: "Meets the Khan Family" and "20th Anniversary Tour".
Heberer received significant attention in 1990 with his release of the album Chicago Breakdown: The Music of Jelly Roll Morton, recorded with bassist Dieter Manderscheid. The Penguin Guide to Jazz gave Chicago Breakdown four stars, the publication's highest rating, citing it "highly recommended." Heberer and Manderscheid went on to record two more duo albums: What a Wonderful World, in recognition for the centenary of Louis Armstrong, and Wanderlust, a reflection on American blues music. What a Wonderful World was critically acclaimed and received four out of five stars in Down Beat. As a duo, Heberer and Manderscheid have performed across Europe, Asia, and the US.
In 2013, Thomas and longtime collaborator Achim Kaufmann released their first recording on Red Toucan called Knoten, followed by a second recording with Ken Filiano joining Kaufmann and Heberer, called Interstices on NuScope Recordings in 2015.
In 2014, Heberer replaced the late Roy Campbell in the Nu Band, which comprises Mark Whitecage, Joe Fonda, and Lou Grassi; they toured Europe in 2014, 2016 and 2017. Two recordings were issued on Not Two Records: The Cosmological Constant and Live in Geneva.
Sideman
Thomas participates as a sideman in numerous ensembles and recordings with leaders such as Muhal Richard Abrams, Peter Brötzmann, Han Bennink, Eugene Chadbourne, Dave Douglas, Joe Fonda, Frank Gratkowski, Barry Guy, Christoph Haberer, Gabriele Hasler, Joe Hertenstein, Guus Janssen, Maria João, Paul van Kemenade, :de:Yoni Kretzmer|Yoni Kretzmer, Misha Mengelberg, Butch Morris, Bob Moses, Alphonse Mouzon, David Murray, Sunny Murray, Michael Riessler, Alexander von Schlippenbach, Andreas Schmidt, Frank Schulte, Elliott Sharp, Norbert Stein, Steve Swell, Aki Takase, Attila Zoller, John Zorn.Harald Schmidt
Thomas served as a member of the regular band supporting German talk show host and entertainer Harald Schmidt from 1995 to 2007. He was also featured as a guest several times including for the Miles Davis episode on November 22, 2002.From 1995 to 2003 the show aired four times a week for the German SAT1 private television channel. From 2005 to 2007, the show was performed 2 times per week for ARD, Germany's national television channel.
Critical reception
Die Zeit critic Konrad Heidkamp called him "the master of German trumpet," The Penguin Guide to Jazz said "outstandingly gifted," the Rowohlt Jazz Lexikon credits him with having "developed a unique trumpet style," and colleague Alexander von Schlippenbach named him "our new trumpet genius."Teaching
From 1993 to 1997, Thomas lectured at the music conservatory Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt-Main, Germany.He has conducted numerous workshops with the ICP Orchestra as well as for the Goethe-Institut in South America, Asia and Africa.
Thomas compiles a regularly updated summary on trumpet techniques called .
Concepts
In addition to using regular staff paper for his compositions, Heberer has developed a notation code that he calls "Cookbook." is an instant composition method, which allows for a high amount of freedom on the musicians' side while allowing significant structural tools on the composer's side as well. It does so by implementing the idea of instant memory shaped according to a specific set of rules.His website gives the Cookbook semantics and several examples of scores.
Awards and recognition
- :de:SWR-Jazzpreis|SWR-Jazzpreis, 1990
- Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Vierteljahresliste, 1990, for "Chicago Breakdown: The Music of Jelly Roll Morton" with Dieter Manderscheid
- Jazz-Art Preis in 2002, for "What a Wonderful World" with Dieter Manderscheid
- Winner of DownBeat Critics TDWR Poll Award in 2002, for Instant Composers Pool Orchestra
- Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Jahrespreis 2004, for the Aki Takase Band "Plays Fats Waller"
- Finalist in DownBeat 58th Annual Critics Poll 2010, for Instant Composers Pool Orchestra
Select discography
| Ensemble/Artist | Title | Year | Label |
| Norbert Stein | Die Fünf Tage | 1987 | JazzHausMusik |
| Thomas Heberer | The Heroic Millipede | 1988 | ITM Records |
| Tome XX | Natura Morta | 1988 | JazzHausMusik |
| Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra | Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra | 1989 | ECM |
| Thomas Heberer, Dieter Manderscheid | Chicago Breakdown: The Music of Jelly Roll Morton | 1990 | JazzHausMusik |
| Norbert Stein | Die Wilden Pferde Der Armen Leute | 1990 | JazzHausMusik |
| Tome XX | The Red Snapper | 1991 | JazzHausMusik |
| European Jazz Ensemble | Meets the Kahn Family | 1992 | MA Music |
| Sotto in Su | Südamerika Sept. 90 | 1992 | JazzHausMusik |
| David Murray | Baltic Suite | 1993 | GOWI |
| Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra | The Morlocks and Other Pieces | 1994 | FMP |
| Tome XX | Third Degree | 1994 | JazzHausMusik |
| Christoph Haberer | Pulsation | 1994 | JazzHausMusik |
| European Trumpet Summit | European Trumpet Summit | 1994 | Konnex |
| Frank Schulte | Switchbox | 1994 | No Man's Land |
| Jazzensemble des Hessischen Rundfunks | Atmospheric Conditions Permitting | 1995 | ECM |
| Gabriele Hasler | Rosenstücke | 1996 | Foolish Music |
| Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra | Live in Japan '96 | 1996 | DIW Records |
| Sotto in Su featuring Sussan Deyhim | Vanitas | 1997 | Poise |
| Thomas Heberer | Kill Yr Darlins | 1997 | Poise |
| European Jazz Ensemble | 20th Anniversary Tour | 1997 | Konnex |
| Misha Mengelberg | The Root of the Problem | 1997 | hatOLOGY |
| Michael Riessler | Honig und Asche | 1998 | ENJA |
| Instant Composers Pool | Jubilee Varia | 1999, 2010 | hatOLOGY |
| Thomas Heberer's T.O.M. | Stella | 2001 | Poise |
| Instant Composers Pool | Oh, My Dog! | 2001 | ICP |
| Thomas Heberer, Dieter Manderscheid | What a Wonderful World | 2002 | JazzHausMusik |
| Thomas Heberer's T.O.M. | Mouth | 2003 | Poise |
| Instant Composers Pool | Aan & Uit | 2004 | ICP |
| Aki Takase | Plays Fats Waller | 2004 | ENJA |
| Norbert Scholly, Frank Schulte, Thomas Heberer | SSH Plays Shhh | 2005 | Konnex |
| Norbert Stein | Code Carnival | 2005 | Pata Music |
| Instant Composers Pool | Weer Is een Dag Voorbij | 2006 | ICP |
| Thomas Heberer, Dieter Manderscheid | Wanderlust | 2006 | JazzHausMusik |
| Thomas Heberer's Lip Lab | Lex Luna | 2007 | JazzHausMusik |
| James Choice Orchestra | Live at Moers | 2007 | Moers Music |
| Instant Composers Pool | Live at the Bimhuis | 2008 | ICP |
| Andreas Schmidt, Samuel Rohrer, Thomas Heberer | Pieces for a Husky Puzzle | 2009 | JazzWerkstatt |
| Joe Hertenstein, Pascal Niggenkemper, Thomas Heberer | HNH | 2010 | Clean Feed |
| Instant Composers Pool | Orchestra | 2010 | ICP |
| Instant Composers Pool | !ICP! 50 | 2010 | ICP |
| Thomas Heberer's Clarino | Klippe | 2011 | Clean Feed |
| Thomas Heberer | Klippe/One | 2011 | NoBusiness Records |
| Joe Hertenstein Quartet | Polylemma | 2011 | Red Toucan |
| Peter Brötzmann's Full Blast and Friends | Sketches and Ballads | 2011 | Trost |
| Getatchew Mekuria & the Ex & Friends | Y'Anbessaw Tezeta | 2012 | Terp Records |
| Thomas Heberer's Clarino | Cookbook | 2012 | Red Toucan |
| Instant Composers Pool | ICP Complete Boxed Catalogue | 2012 | Challenge Records |
| Thomas Heberer, Achim Kaufmann | Knoten | 2013 | Red Toucan |
| Datenverarbeiter | Fleur Noire Joue Les Images | 2014 | Fuego |
| Thomas Heberer, Pascal Niggenkemper | Miner's Pick | 2014 | FMR |
| Instant Composers Pool | East of the Sun | 2014 | ICP |
| Thomas Heberer, Achim Kaufmann, Ken Filiano | Interstices | 2015 | NuScope Recordings |
| The Nu Band | The Cosmological Constant | 2015 | Not Two |
| Instant Composers Pool | Live at the Vortex London | 2015 | ICP |
| Joe Hertenstein, Pascal Niggenkemper, Thomas Heberer | HNH 2 | 2015 | Clean Feed |
| Instant Composers Pool | Restless in Pieces | 2016 | ICP |
| Yoni Kretzmer Five | Five | 2016 | OutNow Recordings |
| The Nu Band | Live in Geneva | 2017 | Not Two |
Select filmography
| Ensemble/Artist | Title | Director | Year | Producer/Distributor |
| Aki Takase | Plays Fats Waller | Stephane Jourdain | 2005 | La Huit |
| Pina Bausch | Pina Bausch | Anne Linsel | 2006 | WDR/Arte |
| Instant Composers Pool | ICP Orchestra | Guy Girard | 2006 | La Huit |
| Misha Mengelberg | Afijn | Jellie Dekker | 2006 | Data Images/ICP |
| Eugene Chadbourne | The Jack & Jim Show | Robert O'Haire | 2007 | Modern Alchemy |
| The Ex | Convoy Tour: 25 Years of the Ex | The Ex | 2009 | EX Records |
| Han Bennink | Hazentijd | Jellie Dekker | 2010 | Data Images/ICP |
| Instant Composers Pool | Barbara Hin, Martin van der Veen | 2010 | Sushi Film | |
| Pina Bausch | Pina | Wim Wenders | 2011 | Neue Road Movies |
| Instant Composers Pool | Cherry Duyns | 2015 | ICP |