Born in 1968 in Bad Reichenhall/Germany I took classical piano lessons at age seven
for about eight years. In 1983 I attended the "Drummers Focus" drumming school in Munich for two years and several Jazz-workshops including Burghausen, Erlangen and Ingolstadt.
After high school graduation in 1988 I moved to Munich for civil service work.
Soon I had my first gigs with players like Roman Schwaller, Peter O'Mara, Peter Tuscher, Thomas Stabenow, Henning Sieverts, Evan Tate, Dusko Goykovich, Rick Keller, Johannes Enders, Roberto DiGioia, The Scales Brothers, Adrian Mears, Thomas Reimer, Helmut Kagerer, Steve McKenna, Barbara Dennerlein, Wolfgang Schmid, Joe Haider, Hermann Breuer, Joe Kienemann, and many others.
These collaborations let to some beautiful recordings:
Sieverts/O'Mara/May "Too early for this world" (GLM),
Peter O'Mara "Heritage" (SBF),
Helmut Kagerer "Gamblin'" (Jardis),
Rick Keller "One Take" (Rosebowl),
Scales Brothers "Our House" (Enja),
Johannes Enders "Homeground" (Enja),
Wolfgand Schmid's Kick "Kick Off" (Hot Wire).
In 1996 Roberto DiGioia recommended me for a recording with funk ikon Pee Wee Ellis, which included a European tour and the album "A New Shift", feat. Fred Wesley (Minor Music).
From 1997 until 2000 I did tours with Wolfgang Schmid's "Kick", Mose Allison and Peter Fessler and played with Artists like Diana Krall, Claudio Roditi, Jay Ashby, Bob Berg, Leni Stern, Bobby Shew, Karl Ratzer, Bireli Lagrene, Thilo Wolf Big Band feat. John Pizzarelli.
In 2000 I performed Kenny Wheelers "Music for small and large Ensemble" including the recording "Wake, Awake !" (Berlin Classic/Edel) with the Bamberger Symphoniker Big Band.In the meantime my good old friend Christian v. Kaphengst (b), who I met once at the Burghausen workshops, decided to form a band and asked me to play drums.
"Cafe du Sport" was born and won right away the renowned "Hennessy Jazz Search" in cologne,
followed by two recordings: "Cafe du Sport" and "2nd Service" (Minor Music).
From 2001 to 2004 Performances with The New York Voices, Pee Wee Ellis/Fred Wesley, Chico Freeman, Antonio Farao, Charlie Mariano, Bob Degen, Jason Rebello, Johannes Faber and my nr.1 piano-player from Munich: Christian Elsaesser - "Venice" (Organic Music).
In 2005 I had the chance to play with some Giants: Johnny Griffin / Kirk Lightsey Quartet, Don Menza and we went on a West African Tour with "Café du Sport" , arranged by the Goethe Institute.
2007 gigs with "Antonio Faraò Trio" feat. Franco Ambrosetti and two European tours with the Pee Wee Ellis "Assembly" feat. Fred Wesley including the reunion of the "J.-B.-Horns" together with Maceo Parker.
