Doors 8:15 PM, Music 9:00 PM – 2 set(s) of music
Line-up:
Will Vinson – Alto Saxophone
Jo Lawry – Voice
Jonny Mansfield – Vibraphone
Ivo Neame – Piano
Niklas Lukassen – Double Bass & Bass Cello
Marc Michel – Drums
About
Niklas Lukassen showcases an equally lyrical sensibility and skillful command on both the upright bass and the bass guitar. After his return from New York, he is today living between London and Berlin, from where he establishes himself as a resilient presence within the young European jazz scene. He magnetizes as a distinct rising voice that’s sought after in manifold musical situations. Moreover, his sound and artistic vision radiate enormous band leader potential.
For this special night at the Vortex Jazz Club, Niklas merges his talents as a composer, bassist and vocalist to debut some entirely new compositions in a line up that promise to reveal striking musical depths. Furthermore he showcase music from his upcoming album “Still Waters Run Deep”, which he recorded alongside luminaries Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ben Van Gelder, Wanja Slavin, Kit Downes, Francesco Ciniglio & more.
Niklas Lukassen is an award winning bassist and composer, who ventured from an inconspicuous village somewhere in the Southern German Black Forest out into a life of ample 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.
Today he pursues his doctoral degree as a practice performance researcher at the Royal Academy of Music in London, exploring innovative bass playing concepts. Unorthodox features of his personal playing style are e.g. the further artistic development of the bass cello, pick playing on the upright bass and use of gut strings on the bass guitar.
Immersed in different musical worlds, he has had the privilege of accompanying performances with luminaries such as Mike Stern, Jorge Rossy, Oz Noy, Sean Wayland, Valerie Simpson and most recently Kurt Rosenwinkel and Gwilym Simcock. Furthermore, Lukassen expands beyond his position as a bass playing sideman through composition/arranging work and his singing voice. As a vocalist he was a member of the German National Jazz Orchestra (BuJazzO).
Through his musical collaborations he has been fortunate 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.