Niklas Lukassen

“A great bassist with very musical instincts!“ – Mike Stern

Niklas Lukassen showcases an equally astonishing lyrical sensibility and skillful command on both the upright bass and the bass guitar. After having lived in New York for several years, he today resides between London and Berlin. Immersed in both scenes and choosing to experiment between the chairs, he continues to establish himself as a significant presence within the young European jazz scene. Moreover, his sound and artistic vision radiate a striking band leader potential.

Niklas Lukassen is a bassist and composer, who ventured from an inconspicuous village somewhere in the South German Black Forest out into a life of excitement and opportunity through his personal musical journey. Soon after discovering his love for the bass and particularly improvisation, he moved to Berlin, aged 16, to study at the Jazz Institute and to cut his teeth in the capital’s music scene.

A formative part of his career lies in New York where he lived for several years and obtained a Masters’s Degree from Manhattan School of Music on a full scholarship under the mentorship of Ron Carter. To further explore innovative bass playing concepts, he today pursues his doctoral degree as a practice performance researcher at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Unorthodox features of his personal playing style are the artistic development of the bass cello, pick playing on the upright bass and use of gut strings on the bass guitar.

Still Waters Run Deep is Niklas Lukassen’s soon to be released debut album as a band leader. On it, he merges his talents as a composer, bassist and also as a vocalist on one track. Aged 27 at the time of the albums recording, Niklas Lukassen has already lived through several formative life changes that have transformed his perspective on music. As a result, his artistic voice belongs to itself and doesn’t cradle from just one specific place.

Fittingly, his international quartet with saxophonist Ben van Gelder, pianist Kit Downes, drummer Francesco Ciniglio, unites protagonists of the jazz scenes of Amsterdam, London, Paris and Berlin. Enriched by musical contributions from guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, vocalist Céline Rudolph, saxophonist Wanja Slavin & trombonist Geoffroy De Masure, his album reveals further striking musical layers. The creation of Still Waters Run Deep, resembles an improvisational synergy, which like water, flows through river forks into unexpected directions, at times producing pounding waves of collective, raw energy. Resulting, Still Waters Run Deep surfaces a many-layered new artistic voice with a distinctive, radiant musical vision.

Immersed in contrasting musical worlds, Niklas has has been fortunate to accompany performances with artists such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Joe Lovano, Mike Stern, Jorge Rossy, Richie Beirach, Norma Winstone, Oz Noy, Jo Lawry, Will Vinson, Sean Wayland & Valerie Simpson. Furthermore, Niklas expands beyond his position as a bass player and composer through his singing voice. As a vocalist he was a member of the German National Jazz Orchestra (BuJazzO). Through his musical collaborations he has been privileged to tour extensively throughout Europe, the UK, North America, Asia and North Africa. Notable stages he performed on include the Lincoln Center, the Beacon Theatre, the John F. Kennedy Center and the Berlin Philharmonie.

Niklas is currently working on his second band leader album featuring pianist Gwilym Simcock and drummer James Maddren. The trio explores untrodden musical paths with Niklas on the bass cello, a unique and novel instrument.