Throughout the years Raphael Wressnig created his very own explosive and yet elegant organ style and quickly became well established as one of the icons of the new generation of organ players and a well respected figure in the international jazz and blues scene.
Raphael Wressnig was born on the 14th of October 1979 in
Graz, Austria. He started to learn various styles of playing the piano and the organ like Blues, Jazz and Funk as an autodidact at the age of 16.
He was influenced by traditional jazz organists like Jimmy Smith , Jack Mc Duff , Jimmy McGriff, „Groove“ Holmes and Hank Marr as well as by modern interprets like John Medeski and Larry Goldings and even rock, soul and gospel organists like Billy Preston.
Raphael Wressnig merged these influences into his very own style and soon founded „Raphael Wressnig’s Organic Trio“ which resulted in their debut album „Manic Organic“ in 2002. He started a 4 year, 6 records association with the Austrian guitarist and songwriter „Sir“ Oliver Mally. Blues singer and guitarist Larry Garner from Baton Rouge/Louisiana offered him to join his band – a collaboration that continues to the present day. Over the years he got tour and play with some of the best known blues players: Phil Guy, Louisiana Red, Sugar Blue (Grammy winner, ex-Rolling Stones, „Miss You“), James Armstrong, John Mooney, Steve James, Sharrie Williams, Doug McLeod as well as some of the finest jazz players: Horacio „El Negro“ Hernandez (Grammy winner, ex-Carlos Santanta, McCoy Tyner), Craig Handy (Mingus Dynasty, Roy Haynes Band, „Bill Cosby Show Theme“), Jim Mullen (ex-Average White Band) and he can recall jams with many of the top-notch artists: Tony Monaco (jazz organ master from Ohio), Billy Paul (Grammy award winning soul singer, „Me and Mrs. Jones“!), Sonny Rhodes, Ronnie „Baker“ Brookes among many others.During the last couple of years Raphael Wressnig primarily focused on playing organ trio or organ combo, and „Raphael Wressnig’ Organic Trio“ with Georg Jantscher on guitar and Lukas Knöfler on drums became one of the hippest and most unique organ trios and they established themselves as one of the hardest grooving bands in Austria. Their album „In Between“ was elected „Best jazz album of the year“ by the critics of the Concerto magazine in 2004. They continued reshaping the classic organ trio sound and defining new directions with the album „Boom Bello“ that was released in 2006 and features Alex Schultz, Sax Gordon, Christian Bachner and Luis Ribeiro. Alex Schultz become one of his main musical partners which resulted in counteless tours either as smooth trio or as hard driving blues group with legendary singer Finis Tasby from Dallas, Texas or with the knock out combo „R&B Explosion“ with four-time W.C. Handy award nominee and today’s rockiest saxophonist Sax „Gordon“ Beadle. In 2006 he released another great album: „Mosquito Bite“. This was the result of a long time and on-going collaboration with the young, multi awarded guitar player Enrico Crivellaro which is combining vintage and modern, jazz and blues.Raphael Wressnig extensively tours all over the world with either his projects or as sideman with the greats of the blues and soul-jazz scene: Europe, Scandinavia, North Africa, Asia, Caribbean.
He was playing some of the most renowned clubs e.g. New Morning/Paris, Lionel Hampton Club/Paris, Blue Note/Bienne, Quasimodo/Berlin, Stadtgarten/Köln, Moods/Zürich, Babylon/Istanbul, A-Trane/Berlin, Birdland/Vienna, Porgy & Bess/Vienna, Drop Inn/Cogenhagen, Le Jam/Montepellier, Crossroads/Antwerpen and some of the top festival stages e.g. Bagneux Blues Festival (FR), Veneto Jazz Festival (IT), Bluesfestival Cordoba (ES), Jazzfest Wiesen (AT), Handzame Dilirium Festival (BE), Passions Festival Cognac (FR), Jazz in Catharge (TN), Efes Pilsen Blues Festival (TR), Abruzzo nel Blues (IT), Burnley International Blues Festival (GB), Great British R&B Festival Colne (GB), Terre de Blues Festival Guadelupe (GP), Sang a Klang (LUX), Jazzfest Wien (AT), Jazzfest Saalfelden (AT), Jazz sur le Pommier (FR), Efes Blues Festival Moscow (RU), Efes Blues Festival St. Petersburg (RU), Jazz & others Bozen (IT), Jazz & Blues Festival Rapperswil (CH), Liburnia Jazz (HR) and many, many more. He was supporting the likes of Chucho Valdes (five-time Grammy winner and Cuba’s premier pianist), Joe Cocker, Mavis Staples, Al Jarreau, Al Foster, Manu Katche, Dianne Reeves, Van Morrison, Randy Brecker, Lucky Peterson, John Hiatt, Robben Ford (actually Robben was opening for us...pretty tough going on stage after him!), Roy Hargrove and countless others.Raphael Wressnig was winner of several prizes and awards: e.g. Concerto poll winner: „Best album blues“ 2001 and „Best artist blues national“ 2001 with the Blues Distillery and „Best album jazz“ 2004 with his CD „In Between“. He was elected „Organist of the month“ in July 2006 by the international archieves for the jazz organ and could reach 2nd position within their jazz organ poll. He was one of the nominees at the prestigious „Hans Koller Preis“ in 2003 and at the „French blues trophees“ in the category „Best European organist/pianist“ in 2005.Wherever you meet him you’ll find a open minded, down to earth person who is in a lifelong love with good music.
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