Rainer Brüninghaus

Rainer Brüninghaus ( born November 21, 1949 in Bad Pyrmont ) is a German jazz pianist and composer.

Life and career

Brüninghaus was classically trained since the age of nine and founded sixteen years his first jazz trio. From 1968 to 1972 he studied at the University of Cologne Sociology, 1971-1975 music. During his studies he founded the experimental jazz-rock group Eiliff, with whom he recorded two LPs and a single.

From 1973 to 1975 he was a permanent member of Volker Kriegel's jazz-rock group Spectrum and initially involved in the Mild Maniac Orchestra. From 1973 he was also (until 1985 ) occasionally guest on the hr - Jazz Ensemble and the dance and entertainment orchestra of Hessischer Rundfunk. 1975 began a seven -year collaboration with Eberhard Weber Colours in the group, which also includes Charlie Mariano belonged. In 1976, he was a first solo concert at the Heidelberg Jazz Festival. Heinz Sauer caught up with him in 1978 as a pianist for his meeting with the saxophonist George Adams and Archie Shepp at the Frankfurt Jazz Festival. From 1979, he also played with Manfred Schoof in duo and in the quintet. In the 1980s, he also realized his own projects, including Free Wafted with Kenny Wheeler and Jon Christensen ( ECM) and founded in 1981 his own trio in which played until the end of 1984 Markus Stockhausen and Fredy Studer; In 1985, he took then John Abercrombie and Trilok Gurtu in the band. In addition, Charlie Mariano, Hugo Read and Jo Thönes were for short periods to do so. In 1988 began his continuing cooperation with Jan Garbarek. He also worked with Acoustic Alchemy, the WDR Big Band Cologne and with musicians such as Bob Brookmeyer, Gary Burton, Bobby McFerrin, Jim Hall, Karin Krog, Lauren Newton, Paul McCandless and Reto Weber.

Brüninghaus taught from 1984 to 1992 as a lecturer in piano at the Hochschule für Musik Köln. From his didactic activity also music theory articles for various music magazines emerged. In addition to his many compositions for large and small ensembles Brüninghaus also wrote music for some award-winning films and television series. Brüninghaus is also the Artistic Advisory Board of the Union of German jazz musician. Today he lives in Rösrath in the Bergische Land.

Critics votes

The best known in the area of ​​fusion musicians become " preferred soft chord layers and wide sweeping melodic phrases, without neglecting the rhythmic flow ". " In jazz Brüninghaus is the most imaginative representatives of Minimal Art" and combines in his improvisations and compositions repetitive minimalist patterns " with a reminiscent of Bill Evans Jazz phrasing ."

Prizes and awards

Brüninghaus was awarded the 1983 Jazz Prize of Südwestfunk and was awarded the Prize of the German Record Critics' Award for his ECM recording " Continuum ".

Lexigraphic entries

• Wolf Kampmann Reclams Jazz Encyclopedia Stuttgart, Reclam 2003; ISBN 3-15-010528-5
• Martin Kunzler, Jazz Encyclopedia Vol 1 Reinbek 2002; ISBN 3-499-16512-0