www.departjazz.com
Born in New York, bassist Heiri Känzig has been a long-term player in the international scene. Already at age 23, he accompanied the great bebop trumpeter Art Farmer and since has played with innumerable illustrious colleagues in Europe and the USA.
Känzig, who studied in Graz, Vienna and Zurich, has long ranked among Europe's best bassists. He is a virtuoso technician whose sound and comes to the fore in the widest range of contexts ... from jazz and improvisation to World Music. He has received international acclaim as the long-standing bassist of the Vienna Art Orchestra, with which he has played since 1978. In high demand as a freelancer, he has played on over 120 CDs on BLue Note, Verve, ACT, Virgin, WB .......
He has regularly toured worldwide with a variety of musicians and, most notably, has played with such musicians as John Scofield,Betty Carter, Pierre Favre, Lauren Newton, Charlie Mariano, Kenny Wheeler, Betty Carter, Daniel Humair, Andreas Vollenweider, Billy Hart, Gary Thomas, George Gruntz, Franco Ambrosetti and Richard Galliano, Ralph Towner. In the early 90s, Heiri Känzig formed his own quartet with Art Lande, Kenny Wheeler and François Laiszeau.
Afterwards, he undertook projects with Kenny Wheeler, Charlie Mariano and Paul Mccandless before joining up as bassist with the Thierry Lang Trio, with whom he recorded his first CD on the Blue Note label.
Most recently, he has gained major recognition with the project "Tien Shan Schweiz Express", which blends musical elements from Central Asia, Mongolia and Switzerland.
Currently he is touring with his own band DEPART(Jojo Mayer/Harry Sokal) , Billy Hart/Charlie Miklin, Thierry Lang..... and is working on a new Project with a.o. Michael Zisman Bandoneon and Matthieu Michel Trumpet.
Check out the music on this site!
Kunzler's Jazz Lexicon describes Heiri Känzig as an "insiders' tip musician, specialized in individualistic yet highly melodic lines".
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Selected Discography from about 120 Records (* as leader / **co-leader)
**Mountain Messenger (ACT)