Theo Jörgensmann

Infobox musical artist
Name = Theo Jörgensmann

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Img_capt = Theo Jörgensmann and Marcin Oles in Budapest, Concert Hall Ship A 38, 2006
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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name =
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Born = Birth date and age|1948|9|29|df=y
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Origin = flagicon|Germany Bottrop, Germany
Instrument = Clarinet
Voice_type =
Genre = Modern Creative
Modal jazz
Free improvisation
Avant-garde jazz
Occupation = Clarinetist
Years_active = 1975 – Present
Label = Hathut Records
Associated_acts = Theo Jörgensmann Quartet
Contraband
German Clarinet Duo
URL =
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

Theodor Franz Jörgensmann (born 1948 in Bottrop, Germany) is a jazz and free-improvising Basset clarinet player and composer. He has been a professional musician since 1975.

Activities

Theo Jörgensmann belongs to the 2nd generation of European free jazz musicians. He was part of the clarinet Renaissance in the jazz and improvising music scene. Jörgensmann is one of a few clarinet players for whom unaccompanied solo recordings are a significant part of his work. [Solo recordings]

He started to play clarinet when he was 18 years old. From 1969 until 1972 Jörgensmann took private lessons from a music teacher at Folkwang Academy of Music in Essen. At the same time he started working with fellow musicians from the Ruhr industrial area. During this time he was also a chemical laboratory assistant. After a one and half year hitch in the German Army Jörgensmann worked with handicapped children and studied social pedagogics, but he never brought it to a conclusion. Since 1975 he has been a professional musician.

During a career spanning three decades as a free improviser Jörgensmann has worked with (among many others) Mike Richmond, Barre Phillips, Kent Carter, John Lindberg, Charlie Mariano, Wilber Morris, Eric Vloeimans, Jeanne Lee, John Fischer, Vincent Chancey, Kenny Wheeler, Paul McCandless and Lee Konitz.

At the end of the 1970s he was leader of one of West Germany's best-known jazz groups. At the beginning of the 1980s he took part in a "Clarinet Summit" (which was created by Joachim E. Berendt and himself) with John Carter, Perry Robinson, Gianluigi Trovesi and others. Since those days Jörgensmann has been involved in numerous international projects. He was a member of Willem van Manen's "Contraband" (1985-1998), Andrea Centazzo's "Mitteleuropa Orchestra" (1983-1985), John Fischer's "Interface" (1981-1996) and Franz Koglmann's "Pipetet" (1983-1985). At the same time he was also leader of clarinet quartet "CL 4" and co-founder of large ensemble "Grubenklangorchester". In 1987 Jörgensmann was the subject of a documentary film, "Theo Jörgensmann, Bottrop, Klarinette", directed by Christoph Hübner. [Theo Jörgensmann, Bottrop, Klarinette documentary film, 16mm, colour, 30 min. director: Christoph Hübner (1987) [http://www.projektklasse.de/html/termine/051124_biografie_huebner.html] ]

Between 1983 and 1993 he held a lectureship for clarinet and ensemble at University of Duisburg, and from 1993 until 1997 he was a lecturer for free improvising at "Music Therapeutics Institute" of Witten/Herdecke University. In company with the music-scientist Rolf-Dieter Weyer, Jörgensmann wrote a philosophical book about improvising in music.

In 1997 he started playing with a new Theo Jörgensmann Quartet, which toured in North America in 1999, 2001, and 2003, including playing twice at Montreal International Jazz Festival (1999 and 2003). In addition he has played with the young Polish twins Marcin Oles and Bartlomiej Oles since 2003. The album Oleś Jörgensmann Oleś, "Directions", was chosen by Polish internet jazz-magazine "Diapazon" as "The Record of the Year" in 2005.

elected discography

*"Oles Jörgensmann Oles", "Live in Poznan 2006" with Marcin Oles and Bartlomiej Oles (2007)
*"Oles Jörgensmann Oles", "Directions" with Marcin Oles and Bartlomiej Oles (2005)
*"Oles Jörgensmann Oles", "Miniatures" with Marcin Oles and Bartlomiej Oles (2003)
*"Theo Jörgensmann Quartet", "Hybrid Identity" (2002)
*"Theo Jörgensmann Quartet", "Snijbloemen" (2000)
*"Theo Jörgensmann Albrecht Maurer", "European Echoes" with Barre Phillips, Bobo Stenson, Kent Carter, Wolter Wierbos, Benoit Delbecq a.o. (1999)
*"Theo Jörgensmann", "Fellowship" with Petras Vysniauskas, Charlie Mariano, Karl Berger, Kent Carter and Klaus Kugel (1998)
*"Theo Jörgensmann Quartet", "ta eko mo" with Christopher Dell, Christian Ramond and Klaus Kugel (1998)
*"Hans Günther Wauer, Theo Jörgensmann, Günter Sommer", "Merseburger Begegnung" (1994)
*"Theo Jörgensmann Werkschau Ensemble", "aesthetic direction" with Albrecht Maurer (1993)
*"Theo Jörgensmann Eckard Koltermann Perry Robinson", "Materialized Perception" (1992)
*"CL 4"' "Seltsam ist Propheten Lied" (1987)
*"CL 4"' "Alte und neue Wege", with Lajos Dudas, Dieter Kühr, Eckard Koltermann; guest Gerald Doecke (1986)
*"Theo Jörgensmann Quartet", "Next Adventue" with Georg Gräwe, Kai Kanthak und Achim Krämer (1981)
*"Theo Jörgensmann Quartet", "Song of BoWaGe" (1988)
*"Theo Jörgensmann Quartet feat. John Thomas", "Go Ahead Clarinet" (1978)
*"Theo Jörgensmann Trio", "Live at Birdland Gelsenkirchen" (1978)
*"Theo Jörgensmann Quartet", "Straight out" (1977)
*"Theo Jörgensmann Quartet", "in time" guests "Clarinet contrast," with Perry Robinson (1976)
*"Contact Trio", "Contact Trio" (1972)

olo recordings

*"So I Play" (1996)
*"Zeitverdichtung" (1987)
*"Laterna Magica" (1983)

Duo recordings

*Theo Jörgensmann Eckard Koltermann "Pagine Gialle" (1995)
*Theo Jörgensmann John Fischer "Radio Swiss Days Volume Three" (1994)
*German Clarinet Duo "Hommage à Jimmy Giuffre" (1993)
*Károly Binder featuring Theo Jörgensmann "Live at Music Academy Budapest" (1993)
*Hans Günther Wauer Theo Jörgensmann "Introitus" (1990)
*Károly Binder Theo Jörgensmann "In Budapest" (1989)
*German Clarinet Duo "Schwarzlicht" (1987)
*Theo Jörgensmann Bernd Köppen "Für den letzten Gast" (1986)
*John Fischer Theo Jörgensmann "Deep Blue Lake" (1983)

As a sideman

*"Ig Henneman Tentet", "Indigo" with Ab Baars, Lori Freedman, Wilbert de Joode, Tristan Honsinger, Steve Arqûelles (1998)
*"Eckard Koltermann Collage 11", "Achtung, wir senden" with Toon de Gouw, Simon Nabatov (1990)
*"Willem van Manen Contraband", "Live at Bim Huis Amsterdam" (1988)
*"Franz Koglmann Pipetet", "Schlaf Schlemmer, Schlaf Magritte" (1985)
*"Andrea Centazzo Mitteleuropa Orchestra", "Doctor Faustus" with Carlos Zingaro, Enrico Rava, Carlo Actis Dato, Albert Mangelsdorff, Gianluigi Trovesi, Franco Feruglio (1984)
*"John Fischer European Interface", "The Breghenz Session" with Melvyn Poore, Andrea Centazzo (1983)
*"Georg Gräwe Grubenklangorchester", "Bergmannsleben" (1982)
*"Clarinet Summit", "You better fly away" with John Carter, Perry Robinson, Eje Thelin, Stan Tracey, Didier Lockwood, Gianluigi Trovesi, J.F. Jenny-Clark, Aldo Romano (1980)
*"Michael Sell Brass Ensemble", "5 Stücke f. 11 Instrumentalisten" with Willem van Manen, Paul Rutherford (1979)
*"Hessischer Rundfunk Radio Recordings 1969-1993", "Walzer für Sabinchen" with Alexander von Schlippenbach, Günther Christmann, Peter Kowald, Rüdiger Carl, Paul Lovens (1973)

Selected compositions

*"Snijbloemen" composition for clarinet, vibes, bass and percussion. (2000) Recorded Hat-Hut records hatOLOGY 539
*"Die Eroberung des Schönen" experimental opera for 3 writers, 1 actor, 1 painter and 1 musician. (1995) WDR-Tv production.
*"Der Garten" dance-theater-piece for 2 dancers, clarinet, bass clarinet, sound-maschine and percussion. (1994) Choreography: Claudia Lichtblau. Composition: Theo Jörgensmann/Eckard Koltermann
*"Hommage á Béla Bartók" chamber music for violin, clarinet, bass clarinet and contra bass. (1994)

Theory

Jörgensmann wrote in his book "Kleine Ethik der Improvisation":"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 (they call it swing)." ["Kleine Ethik der Improvisation: vom Wesen, Zeit und Raum, Material und Spontangestalt", by Theo Jörgensmann & Rolf-Dieter Weyer, with silhouettes of Hermann "Es" Richter]

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 3-924-272-99-9

Awards

* Kunstförderpreis der Stadt Aachen 1980
* Kulturpreis der Stadt Bottrop 1991

References

* "Die Klarinette" documentary film, NDR-Tv (1987)
* "Wagner Bilder" a film and video-installation with a.o. Bochumer Symphoniker, Christoph Schlingensief; colour, 72 min. director: Christoph Hübner (2001/2002)

External links

*
* [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=316747977 Theo Jörgensmann MySpace Page]
* [http://www.theojoergensmann.kulturserver.de/theo Theo Jörgensmann Quartet]
* [http://www.galleryoftones.com/ensembles/joergens/inhalt.html The German Clarinet Duo]