Jens Winther

Jens Winther ( born October 29, 1960 in Næstved, † February 24, 2011 in Geneva) was a Danish trumpeter and flugelhorn player and composer of modern jazz.

Life and work

Winther came to Copenhagen in 1978, first played in local bands and began his international career as a solo trumpeter of the Danish Radio Orchestra ( 1982-1989 ) and the mid-1980s in Ernie Wilkins ' Almost Big Band. In 1989, Winther to New York City, for two years in the Jazz Composer's Workshop under the direction of Bob Brookmeyer to work. He also played in the WDR Big Band Cologne ( The Escape 1994), in the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band ( Merryteria, 1998), in the Big Band by Carla Bley ( Fleur Carnivore, 1988) and with Palle Mikkel Borg and Miles Davis (Aura, 1985).

For big bands, but also for symphony orchestra and choirs Winther wrote numerous compositions. His Concerto for trumpet and orchestra was premiered in 1994 at the music festival in Riga. With the Symphony Orchestra of Aarhus, he led in 1999 to his second trumpet concerto The Eagle, followed by the composition of Pluto and Beyond, which he wrote for the Metropole Orchestra.

Since the late 1980s Winther also worked with his own bands and took the label Storyville Records and stunt a number of albums, including 1988 Looking Through Tomas Franck, Thomas Clausen, Jesper Lundgaard and Alex Riel, Scorpio Dance (1991 ) with Tomas Franck and Al Foster; In 1996, the big band album The Four Elements with members of the International Association of Schools of Jazz, the Winther's four -part work aufführten on the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Began in 2005 with his European Quintet with Tomas Franck, Antonio Faraò, Palle Danielsson and Dejan Terzic Album Concord. In his last years he also worked with his fusion project JW- Electrazz and in a trio with Tino Derado ( piano) and Pepe Berns ( bass), with whom he recorded in 2009 the album Love Songs. He also went on tour in 2010 with Klaus Lenz. Winther died of a stroke.