ULI KEMPENDORFF

Uli Kempendorff's work as a musician takes place in the tradition and avantgarde of improvised music and jazz and has been documented on over three dozen CDs and LPs and radio broadcasts, on labels like WhyPlayJazz, ECM, Enja, unit records or Four Music. Among those are eight of his own productions with his groups "Field" and "Yellow Bird" and plenty of co-producing credits. Aside from his own projects such as "Field" (since 2018 with Christopher Dell, Peter Bruun and Jonas Westergaard), Kempendorff has been active in groups with Julia Hülsmann, Ulrich Gumpert, Benjamin Weidekamp, Felix Henkelhausen, Wanja Slavin, Rudi Mahall, Markus Pesonen, Pablo Held, Tobias Delius, Mike Pride, Lina Allemano and Christian Weber; he has toured, recorded and played with SEEED, Rolf Kühn, Bad Stream, Jimi Tenor and 'Little' Jimmy Scott.

In 2010, he started the concert series "Serious Series" which he curated until 2014. In 2016, he curated the concert series "In Between Festivals" in Wroclaw (PL), as part of the city's European Capital of Culture tenure. This was done in collaboration with Marc Schmolling, Stiftung Zukunft Berlin and MicaMoca. Until 2018 he also co-curated the series "JAB 105" at Berlin's club A-Trane with Gebhard Ullmann.

Concerts and teaching brought him to the Ivory Coast, Canada, the US, South America, Usbekistan, Mexico and to many countries in Europe. Kempendorff has received several grants from the city of Berlin, was a DAAD-scholar from 2006-2007 in NYC and spent a month at the Stadtmühle Willisau in Switzerland as a guest of the Alfred-Köchlin-Foundation. He is also an alumni of the Stiftung Àrvore (CH).

Foto: ECM

News

Concerts

Projects

FIELD (DE/DK)   Leader/Co-Leader

CHRISTOPHER DELL - Vibraphone
JONAS WESTERGAARD - Bass
PETER BRUUN - Drums
U. K. - Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Comp

Field's new record "Who Are You Sending This Time" was released in April 2025 on unit records.

With the release of its fourth album, FIELD has further developed its very own sound – a subtly interwoven web full of multi-directional counterpoints that is deeply rooted in jazz and moves freely between abstraction and concreteness.

"Between the titles of Kempendorff’s tunes and restrained, consistently dark melodic contours, the music feels like a dusky reflection of the world we currently find ourselves in, although the performances are rooted in factors that belie such gloom. There’s remarkable empathy on display even if the tone is usually subdued. To maintain such a pin-drop sensitivity with elliptical delivery, is no mean feat.”
Peter Margasak - NOWHERE STREET, May 2025

"This music is full of contradictions. It is bulky and yet elegant. It is quite dense and yet quite airy. It is quite free and yet quite gentle. The Quartet Field somehow works differently than any other band - and that's exactly what has kept listeners and critics busy for quite some time. " Hans-Jürgen Schaal - JAZZTHETIK May 2025

Videos:
Live: https://berta.berlin/field and Animation: https://youtu.be/KaPOE0ST3wk
In Cologne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjlZs74SQUg
Field + Lena Czerniawska: https://youtu.be/yWQwDsiU37k

Foto: Juliane Schütz

JULIA HÜLSMANN QUARTETT   

JULIA HÜLSMANN - Piano
MARC MUELLBAUER - Bass
HEINRICH KÖBBERLING - Drums
U. K. - Tenor Saxophone

After many years of different collaborations I joined Julia's trio for their seventh album on ECM records which was released November of 2019, was voted "Album of the Month" in London's "The Guardian" and received the German Jazz Award 2021 for Best Instrumental Album. "The Next Door", our second release on ECM, came out in August 2022 and is even better than the first record.

Foto: ECM

https://www.esteam-music.com/julia-huelsmann-magagement

ERNTE (DE/CH/GR)   Leader/Co-Leader

BENJAMIN WEIDEKAMP - Alto Saxophone, Clarinet
EVI FILIPPOU - Vibraphone
KASPAR VON GRÜNIGEN - Double Bass
DAVID MEIER - Drums
U. K. - Tenor Sax, Clarinet

ERNTE plays work and fight songs from resistance movements around the world.

Video: https://youtu.be/oF1KIEgMFKc?si=0uTE48zoDIUuDGmV

Foto: Dovile Sermokas

https://ernte.bandcamp.com/album/ernte

WITOLD   Leader/Co-Leader

KALLE KALIMA - Guitar
MORITZ BAUMGÄRTNER - Drums
U. K. - Baritone and Tenor Saxophone

Named after Witold Lutoslawski the basis of this trio is Lutoslawski’s “Melodie Ludowe”. Lutoslawski, one of the greatest European composers of the 20th century, wrote these songs shortly after World War II as “functional music” to support his family. The mixture of naive melodies, crooked folk forms and Lutoslawskis partly wonderful, partly cryptic and dense harmonies, offers exactly the right starting material for improvisation and trio-conversations with an invisible fourth man.

https://unitrecords.com/artists/witold/
Foto: Cristina Marx/Photomusix

https://youtu.be/H46sQrw6yzo

FELIX HENKELHAUSEN QUINTETT   

Wanja Slavin - Altsaxophone
Valentin Gerhardus - Piano, Synthesizer
Leif Berger - Drums
U. K. - Tenorsaxophone, Clarinets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2wwAksgJ9o

felixhenkelhausen1.bandcamp.com/album/the-excruciating-pain-of-boredom

https://felixhenkelhausen.bandcamp.com/album/misanthropic-tendencies

BRIGADE FUTUR III & BOTTOM ORCHESTRA   Sideman

Brigade:Futur III: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q622wThhMG4
http://www.brigadefutur3.org/

Kaspar von Grünigens Bottom Orchestra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMiPPmyw3Ug
http://kasparvongruenigen.com/bands/bottom-orchestra/

Releases

Who Are We Sending This Time?
FIELD

2025 Unit Records

FIELD's new release, back on Unit Records.

https://unitrecords.com/artists/field/

https://ulikempendorff.bandcamp.com/album/who-are-you-sending-this-time

Christopher Dell – Vibraphone
Jonas Westergaard – Double Bass
Peter Bruun – Drums
Uli Kempendorff – Tenor Saxophone

Under The Surface
JULIA HÜLSMANN QUARTETT

2025 ECM

Julia Hülsmann - Piano
Marc Muellbauer - Double Bass
Heinrich Köbberling - Drums
Hildegunn Oiseth - Trumpet, Goat Horn
U.K. - Tenor Saxophone

https://ecmrecords.com/product/under-the-surface-julia-hulsmann-quartet/

ERNTE
ERNTE

2024 enja/yellowbird

ERNTE's debut release on enja.
Available as Download and CD here:

https://ernte.bandcamp.com/album/ernte

Benjamin Weidekamp - Alto Saxophone, Clarinet
Evi Filippou - Vibraphone
Kaspar von Grünigen - Bass
David Meier - Drums
U.K. - Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet

The Next Door
JULIA HÜLSMANN QUARTETT

2022 ECM

Julia Hülsmann - Piano, comp
Marc Muellbauer - Double Bass, comp
Heinrich Köbberling - Drums, comp
U.K. - Saxophone, comp

https://ecmrecords.com/product/the-next-door-julia-hulsmann-quartet/

Someone Talked
FIELD

2021 enja/yellowbird

Field's new release on enja.
Available as Download, CD or VINYL here:
https://kempendorff.bandcamp.com/album/someone-talked

Uli Kempendorff - Tenor Sax
Christopher Dell - Vibraphone
Jonas Westergaard - Double Bass
Peter Bruun - Drums

Not Far From Here
JULIA HÜLSMANN QUARTETT

2019 ECM

Julia Hülsmann - Piano
Marc Muellbauer - Double Bass
Heinrich Köbberling - Drums
U.K. - Tenor Saxophone

https://ecmrecords.com/product/not-far-from-here-julia-hulsmann-quartet/

EDDA LOU
YELLOW BIRD

2018 enja/yellowbird

Zweite Platte mit Eigenkompositionen von YELLOW BIRD

Manon Kahle - Vocals, Banjo, Ukulele, Comp
Lucia Cadotsch - Vocals, Comp
Ronny Graupe - Gitarre, Comp
Uli Kempendorff - Bassklarinette, Klarinette
Tim Lorenz, Michael Griener, Max Weissenfeldt - Drums

https://yellowbirdmusic.bandcamp.com/album/edda-lou

Heal the Rich
FIELD

2017 WhyPlayJazz

Field's second recording.

Ronny Graupe - Guitar
Jonas Westergaard - Double Bass
Oliver Steidle - Drums
U.K. - Tenor Saxophone

https://whyplayjazz.bandcamp.com/album/heal-the-rich

Sing
YELLOW BIRD

2015 enja/yellowbird

Debütalbum von YELLOW BIRD - AmericanaFolkJazzTwoPartHarmonySinging

Lucia Cadotsch - Vocals
Manon Kahle - Vocals, Banjo, Ukulele
Ronny Graupe - Git, Bass
Uli Kempendorff - Bassklarinette, Klarinette
Michael Griener - Drums

https://yellowbirdmusic.bandcamp.com/album/sing

Let Me Go With You
FIELD

2013 Unit Records

"Let Me Go With You" ist der Erstling von FIELD in der Besetzung mit Ronny Graupe - Gitarre, Jonas Westergaard - Bass, Oliver Steidle - Drums und erschien 2013 bei Unit Records.

https://ulikempendorff.bandcamp.com/album/let-me-go-with-you

Louise
Uli Kempendorff Quartet

2010 JazzHausMusik

Ronny Graupe - Guitar
Marc Muellbauer - Double Bass
Kay Lübke - Drums
U.K.- Tenor Sax, Clarinet

write me, I'll mail it to you.

Other Releases
as Sideman

2010

awaiting release 2025: new records with Mega Mass, Alexander Wienand and Edith Steyer.

INDRA TRIO - Brahma (unit records, 2025)
WITOLD - plays Lutoslawski (unit records, 2025)
FELIX HENKELHAUSEN QUINTETT - The Excruciating Pain of Boredom (enja, 2025)
ERNTE - Ernte (Enja, 2024)
BRIGADE FUTUR III - Ein bisschen Zeit haben wir ja noch (WhyPlayJazz, 2024)
IGOR OSYPOV - Motherland?2K14 (Whirlwind Records, 2024)
JANNING TRUMANN OKTETT - Fundaments We Share (tanglible music, 2023)
RICHARD KOCH QUARTETT - Fluss (XJAZZ, 2022)
BARITON - Wer kann es am besten? (gliggmusic 005, 2022)
JÜRGEN FRIEDRICH - Semisong (nWog Records, 2022)
FELIX HENKELHAUSEN QUINTETT - Misanthropic Tendencies (BlackBird, 2021)
DIE ÄRZTE - Hell/Dunkel (2020/2021)
BAD STREAM - Sonic Healing (Antime, 2020)
JULIA HÜLSMANN QUARTET - Not Far From Here (ECM) Herbst 2019
KASPAR VON GRÜNIGEN – Songs Of Work (WhyPlayJazz) 2019
BRIGADE FUTUR III - Alles wird gut gegangen sein werden (WhyPlayJazz) 2017
REINHOLD SCHMÖLZERS ORCHESTRACONTREUR - Aerial Image (Unit Records) 2016
COAL OVEN - All Mountains (Bandcamp Release) 2016
JANIS GÖRLICHS BUMMELZUG EXPLOSION - In der Ferne (Shoebill Records) 2016
TIM DAISY/NOAH PUNKT/ULI KEMPENDORFF– Movements (otherunwise) 2015
GUY ONE - Suro Yama (Philophon Records) 2015
MALTE SCHILLERS RED BALLOON - Not So Happy (Unit Records) 2014
JANIS GÖRLICHS BUMMELZUG EXPLOSION - In die Ferne (Shoebill Records) 2013
BENJAMIN WEIDEKAMP QUARTET - Seriell, Nicht Seriös (WhyPlayJazz) 2013
ULI GUMPERT WORKSHOP BAND - Berlin-New York, The End of Dow Jones (jazzwerkstatt) 2013
REINHOLD SCHMÖLZERS ORCHESTRACONTREUR - Miraculous Loss Of Signal (Unit Records) 2012
STEFAN SCHULTZE LARGE ENSEMBLE - Run (Double Moon Records) 2011
PETER TENNER JAZZORCHESTER - 10117 Berlin (Mons Records) 2008
FOUR IN A ROW & GERLINDE KEMPENDORFF - O hätt ich doch mein Kind verkauft (Phonector) 2007
ULI KEMPENDORFF QUARTET - Out With It (Phonector) 2006
FOUR IN A ROW - Four in a Row (JazzHausMusik) 2004
SEEED - Music Monks (EastWest/Downbeat/Warner) 2003

Reviews

Fans of pianist Julia Hülsmann’s work will find familiar flavors enhanced by the unique spice of tenor saxophonist Uli Kempendorff being added to her long-running ensemble. He’s most vividly showcased on „Le Mistral“, one of two tunes contributed by bassist Marc Muellbauer. What begins with a quiet stirring develops into a freely interlocking sound - one honed by years of experience and held together by the band’s open-ended circuitry.
The poetry of Kempendorff’s playing is forthcoming, and the same holds true of his writing, even as „Einschub“ is harmonized enigmatically.
Tyran Grillo, DOWNBEAT, January 2020, 4 stars

For understated reinvention of the familiar, cool virtuosity, and the seductive ECM sense of a long gestation preceding and succeeding the recording, German pianist and composer Julia Hülsmann’s Not Far from Here is a standout. Hülsmann, who has been releasing subtle ECM gems with trio partners Marc Muellbauer and Heinrich Köbberling on bass and drums for a decade, has now added traditional-to-freeblasting Berlin tenor saxophonist Uli Kempendorff.
John Fordham, THE GUARDIAN, Album of the Month, Nov 2019

German pianist Julia Hülsmann offers a view from the outside, entrusting the raw emotion to tenor saxophonist Uli Kempendorff.
Nate Chinen, NPR, December 2019

Kempendorff ist ein zupackend-markanter Solist, von kürzelhaften Splittern über einen sonor-lyrischen Balladenton bis zu hoch-expressiven Passagen.
FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU, Juli 2019, Stefan Michalzik

Es war eine packende Bebop-Exkursion als Höhepunkt einer Reihe unterschiedlichster Stücke zwischen Monks Mysterien und Hülsmanns Elegien, angereichert mit klaren Basskonturen von Marc Muellbauer, unaufdringlich auf Zusammenhalt achtenden Schlagmustern von Heinrich Köbberling und einem wundersamen Tenorsaxophon von Uli Kempendorff, das mit seinen schön geschwungenen, hohen Melismen den Anspruch anmeldete, ein Altsaxophon sein zu wollen. Was kein Fehler sein muss. Es gab immer Jazzmusiker, die scheinbar gegen ihr Instrument opponierten und damit Neues hervorgebracht haben. In der Stadt Albert Mangelsdorffs, des Widerstandkämpfers gegen die sperrige Posaune, weiß man so etwas.
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG, Wolfgang Sandner, Juli 2019

Für „Not Far From Here“ holt Hülsmann nun den Tenorsaxophonisten Uli Kempendorff zu dem Bassisten Marc Muellbauer und dem Schlagzeuger Heinrich Köbberling ins Team, das damit zu einem der maßgeblichen Quartette des zeitgenössischen Jazz in Deutschland wird. (…) ein in der Gewichtung von Raumwirkung und musikalischer Energie vorbildlich audiophiles und gestalterisch inspiriertes Quartett-Album.
STEREOPLAY 11/2019

Mit Kempendorff, einem unakademisch originellen Freigeist, der sich trotzdem stilsicher im Bandkontext zu verankern weiß, gelingt das paradox anmutende Kunststück, das angestammte Trio nicht nur zu erweitern, sondern es genau dadurch in seinem Kern nochmals zu schärfen. Eine meisterhafte Einspielung: klangästhetisch konturiert und doch von gestalterischer Freiheit, meditativ in sich ruhend und doch hell nach außen leuchtend.
DEUTSCHLANDFUNK Tonart 12/2019

FIELD:
“Heal The Rich” richtet sich denn auch nur vordergründig an einen kleinen Personenkreis, in Wirklichkeit ist es gedacht für alle Menschen, die da Ohren haben zu hören.”
TAZ, März 2016

"The melodies veer at sharp angles, and in the rhythms, turbulence is the standard rule of engagement. Tenor saxophonist Uli Kempendorff, vibraphonist Christopher Dell, double bassist Jonas Westergaard, and drummer Peter Bruun express a curious form of lyricism, and perfect a method for crafting fluid statements from unconventional phrasings." Dave Sumner: The Best Jazz on Bandcamp: July 2021

„Anarchisch, voller rhythmischer Verschiebungen, und doch groovte es mächtig. Die vier Berliner Jazzer sind musikalische Freigeister, verwegene Tüftler und Klangverfremder, die zwischen komplex Arrangiertem und freien, aufgelösten Strukturen Geniales zuwege bringen. Ihr Quartettspiel wahrt bei allen Freiheiten immer den Blick für die Querverbindungen und spannenden Verflechtungen: unabhängig und doch immer mit Bezug zueinander.“ RHEIN NECKAR ZEITUNG, Mai 2018

"(…) wie die vier Musiker plötzlich eine leuchtende Klangkollage in den Raum modellieren, leise, versonnen, mit singenden Becken und hellen Glockentönen, ist in seiner pastellenen Farbigkeit wirklich zauberhaft. Eine Musik wie von einem Windspiel, flüchtig, schwebend.
Zwischen diesen beiden Polen der Ausdrucksintensität, zwischen Windspiel und Jimi Hendrix, bewegt sich dieses Konzert und bietet damit eine Fülle von atmosphärischen Eindrücken und musikalischen Gestaltungsweisen.”
SUEDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG, November 2015

Julia Hülsmann Quartett und Field, 2015-2020 (February 2020)