KAUFMANN/GRATKOWSKI/DE JOODE

Frank Gratkowski and Achim Kaufmann met at the Hochschüle für Musik Köln, a conservatory with strong avant-gardist principles. They recorded three CDs with Dutch double bassist Wilbert de Joode. The virtuoso improvisations of the threesome often start on an abstract and investigative level, gradually developing into colourful, adventurous ensemble playing that balances between jazz and contemporary classical music. ‘They always sail together as one solid force, no matter that they are still free at times’ (Downtown Music Gallery).