Achim Kaufmann (piano, composer, electronics) was born in Aachen, Germany (December 3, 1962), and has been living in Amsterdam since 1996 where he is now part of the vibrant, internationally acclaimed improvised music scene. He frequently collaborates with musicians such as Han Bennink, Michael Moore, Wilbert de Joode, Michael Vatcher, and Wolter Wierbos, to name a few.
In the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, he toured regularly with his gueuledeloup quartet (with reed player Michael Moore, percussionist John Hollenbeck, cellist/bassist Henning Sieverts). That group created a unique mix of impressionistic free jazz, collage-style compositions comprising of multiple rhythmic layers and traces of non-Western musics in which compositional and improvisational elements were distinctly blurred.
The quartet’s two CDs, gueuledeloup (Red Toucan, 2002) and double exposure (Leo, 2000) have been named "models of some of the finest forward-thinking chamber jazz coming out of Europe today." (down beat critic Greg Buium)
The improvising trio with Frank Gratkowski and Wilbert de Joode was formed in 2002. Veering between abstract lyricism and uninhibited aggressiveness, the chemistry of this group is remarkable, the split-second decision-making and level of communication being almost telepathic.
Kaufmann/Gratkowski/de Joode have released three discs so far (kwast, unearth, and palaë). More material from their recent tour to North America can be expected to be released at some point in the future.
Trio Kamosc (with Michael Moore and Dylan van der Schyff, formed in 2004) is another group that quirkily mixes composition and improvisation in unique ways, including "blatantly traditional" materials that are treated as found objects.
The trio played a beautiful set at the 2007 Vancouver jazz festival; hopefully there will be more work before too long.
Achim recently composed and recorded Borderline – From the Shadows of a Journey, an audiodrama for two voices and five musicians, created as a joint project with his wife Gabriele Guenther (text), singer db boyko, and the Vancouver-based ensemble, Talking Pictures (Ron Samworth, Peggy Lee, Dylan van der Schyff, and Bill Clark).
It was premiered in June 2007 in Vancouver, a CD is currently in preparation.
Achim is currently working on repertoires for different piano trios: He recorded with Jim Black and the Icelandic bass player Valdi Kolli in January and with Han Bennink and Wilbert de Joode in September, 2007.
In addition, he has written music for string quartet and works as a solo performer.
A (mostly improvised) solo piano record entitled knives was released by Leo Records in 2004. As a pianist, Achim strives to combine polyphonic pianism with subtly prepared and manipulated strings and interiors.
His solo piano work is a matter of ongoing research, one of the constants being a kaleidoscopic approach to superimposing tempos and rhythms.
He has recently also added amplification and electronic processing to his vocabulary.
Achim has also played and/or recorded with musicians from different backgrounds such as George Lewis, Mark Helias, Tomász Stanko, Steve Swallow, Chris Speed, Paul Lovens, Tristan Honsinger, Gerry Hemingway, Mark Dresser, Misha Mengelberg, Ab Baars, Tobias Delius, Lê Quan Ninh, Matthias Schubert, Lori Freedman, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Jean Derôme, Peggy Lee, Harris Eisenstadt, Torsten Müller, Håkon Kornstad, Paul Rutherford, Thomas Lehn, Peter Brötzmann, Maartje ten Hoorn Playstation 6, Joost Buis Astronotes, Michael Vatcher, Mary Oliver, David Stackenäs, Hasse Poulsen, Thomas Heberer, Andy Moor, Bill Elgart, Dieter Manderscheid, Gerd Dudek, Steve Argüelles, Richie Beirach, Al Foster, Adam Nussbaum, Bob Brookmeyer, Lee Konitz, Julian Argüelles, and many more.
Selected discography
Achim Kaufmann Trio weave (J4E 4737) 1998
Achim Kaufmann 4 double exposure (Leo Records 289) 2000
Achim Kaufmann 4 gueuledeloup (Red Toucan 9319) 2002
Kaufmann/Gratkowski/de Joode kwast (Konnex 5129) 2003
Achim Kaufmann piano solo knives (Leo Records 409) 2004
Kaufmann/Gratkowski/de Joode unearth (nuscope 1016) 2005
Kaufmann/Moore/van der Schyff/Wierbos kamosc (Red Toucan 9329) 2006
Kaufmann/Gratkowski/de Joode palaë (Leo Records 504) 2007
Achim Kaufmann/Mark Dresser/Harris Eisenstadt untitled - to be released on nuscope 2008
Achim Kaufmann/Valdi Kolli/Jim Black untitled – to be released by Pirouet 2008
Achim Kaufmann/Wilbert de Joode/Han Bennink untitled to be released in 2008
Achim Kaufmann/Gabriele Guenther/db boyko/Talking Pictures
Borderline – From the Shadows of a Journey
(in preparation)
