ULI KEMPENDORFF

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Uli Kempendorff was born in Berlin in 1981. His work has been documented on over three dozen CDs and LPs and radio broadcasts, on labels like WhyPlayJazz, ECM, Enja or Four Music. Among those are five of his own productions with his groups "Field" and "Yellow Bird". 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 programmed until 2014. In 2016, he programmed 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-programmed 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 and was a grantee of the Stiftung Àrvore.

He was a founding member and head of the IG Jazz Berlin, a kind self-organised union working for a better funding of the arts and especially Jazz and Improvised Music in Berlin. In this function, Kempendorff also spent time as a spokesman for music in the Coalition of Berlin's Independent Scene and has done pro bono work in cultural politics on the state and federal level from 2012-2023.

He was part of the faculty at the HMTM Hannover for Saxophone from 2021-2024. He studied Saxophone and Improvisation at the "Hanns Eisler" Conservatory in Berlin and at City College, NYC.

Foto: ECM

News

NEWS – 2023-01-06

New Video of ERNTE on berta.berlin: https://youtu.be/oF1KIEgMFKc. Record will come in 2024.

New Record out now by Janning Trumann Octett on Tangible Music with a lot of great musicians from Cologne: https://tangible-music.de/release/fundaments-we-share/

ECM put up a video for Julia Hülsmann's "Empty Hands", shot in La Buissonne Studio in Provence: https://youtu.be/y1c_44I32uo

"Fluss", new record by the Richard Koch Quartet on XJazz with a few guest appearances by me: https://richardkochquartett.bandcamp.com/album/fluss

BR Klassik sendet FIELDs Konzert in der Unterfahrt vom Februar 2022 am 11.11.2022

Deutschlandfunk JazzFacts Fragebogen mit mir am 27.10.2022, eine Stunde Interview und Musik (nachhören hier: https://on.soundcloud.com/qQENp)

New FIELD Video out! Collab with Lena Czerniawska: https://youtu.be/JghPqHilD2M

New record with Julia Hülsmann Quartet out on ECM released on Aug 26, 2022 https://ecm.lnk.to/TheNextDoor

New record with Bariton (Mahall, Griener, Roder) out on gliggmusic. Order it from me uli.kempendorff(at)gmail.com

New FIELD live Video from a concert at LOFT Cologne: https://youtu.be/ZjlZs74SQUg

JazzPodium Feature in May 2022: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6hbcsl64mqz45m7/Jazzpodium%20Feature%20Mai%202022.jpeg?dl=0

Concerts

March 28, 2024 / JULIA HÜLSMANN QUARTETT / Berlin (DE) @ A-Trane

April 12, 2024 / GANNA Ensemble / Bremen (DE) @ jazzahead clubnight

April 19, 2024 / Nathan Ott Quartett (w/ Christof Lauer, Jonas Westergaard) / Darmstadt (DE) @ Bessunger Knabenschule

April 20, 2024 / Nathan Ott Quartett (w/ Christof Lauer, Jonas Westergaard) / Magdeburg (DE) @ JazzTage

April 21, 2024 / Nathan Ott Quartett (w/ Christof Lauer, Jonas Westergaard) / Lübeck (DE) @ Waldzimmer

May 08, 2024 / BARITON / Berlin (DE) @ Zukunft

May 09, 2024 / BARITON / Pohrsdorf (DE) @ Saxstall

May 24, 2024 / Kaspar von Grünigens BOTTOM ORCHESTRA / Schaffhausen (CH) @ Festival

June 19, 2024 / Laura Robles Astrocombo / Berlin (DE) @ Schlot

June 30, 2024 / ERNTE (DE/CH) + Evi Filippou / Lissabon (PT) @ Jazz No Parque

July 28, 2024 / JULIA HÜLSMANN QUARTETT / Chur (CH) @ JazzChur

September 01, 2024 / ERNTE (DE/CH/GR) / Bad Belzig (DE) @ Burg Eisenhardt

September 06, 2024 / JULIA HÜLSMANN QUARTETT / Singen (DE) @ Jazzclub

September 07, 2024 / JULIA HÜLSMANN QUARTETT / Eupen (BE) @ Jazzclub

October 10, 2024 / JULIA HÜLSMANN QUARTETT / Novi Sad (RS) @ Festival

January 09, 2025 / JULIA HÜLSMANN QUARTETT / Köln (DE) @ Philharmonie

January 21, 2025 / JULIA HÜLSMANN QUARTETT / Saarbrücken (DE) @ tba

March 12, 2025 / JULIA HÜLSMANN QUARTETT / Berlin (DE) @ Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal

Projects

2018 05 10 field foto dovile sermokas 48 %281%29

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 "Someone Talked" was released this July on enja records.
https://kempendorff.bandcamp.com/album/someone-talked

FIELD plays compositions written by its leader which draw from of a whole variety of musical influences and inspirations from within and without the Jazz idiom which remains a musical home base for the group. With Christopher Dell on vibraphone, Jonas Westergaard on bass and Peter Bruun on drums, the band brings together some of the most interesting players on the German and Danish scene and has quickly become a tightly knit group since its reforming in 2018.

"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

Videos:
Live: https://berta.berlin/field and Animation: https://youtu.be/KaPOE0ST3wk
Animation by Sophia Martineck: https://youtu.be/KaPOE0ST3wk
Field + Lena Czerniawska: https://youtu.be/yWQwDsiU37k

Foto: Dovile Sermokas

http://field4.de

 

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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: Dovile Sermokas

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

 

2023 02 19 ernte foto dovile sermokas 6066

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

http://kasparvongruenigen.com/index.php/bands/ernte/

 

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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.

Foto: Cristina Marx/Photomusix

https://youtu.be/H46sQrw6yzo

 

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BARITON   

RUDI MAHALL - Baritone Saxophone
U.K. -Baritone Saxophone
JAN RODER - Double Bass
MICHAEL GRIENER - Drums

Mahall, world-reknown for his exploits on the bass clarinet, and Kempendorff, usually at home with the tenor sax, knew they had to play together and needed to get on even footing in order to do so - each stepped out of their comfort zone and went in deep and reached for the Baritone. None better to accompany them than long-time associates Griener and Roder.

Video: https://youtu.be/ajozaEFdlII

Foto: Katja Mahall

Video: https://youtu.be/ajozaEFdlII

 

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FELIX HENKELHAUSEN QUINTETT   

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

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

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

 

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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

 
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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

 
Bildschirmfoto 2021 07 12 um 23.42.23

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

Kaufen
 
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Not Far From Here
JULIA HÜLSMANN QUARTETT

2019 ECM

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

Kaufen
 
Bildschirmfoto 2019 04 13 um 15.54.49

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

Kaufen
 
Rs026 4250459990360.main.2400

Heal the Rich
FIELD

2017 WhyPlayJazz

Field's second recording.

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

EUR 15,00 via PayPal
 
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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

Kaufen
 
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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.

Erhältlich direkt über mich: uli.kempendorff@gmail.com

"All-Star-Formation der Berliner Szene. Bebop fürs 21. Jahrhundert (...) eine ungestüme Spielfreude bricht sich immer wieder Bahn und macht die Musik so anziehend. Hier passiert immer wieder etwas Neues, aber der Hörer wird bei dieser Achterbahnfahrt auf eindrucksvolle Weise mitgenommen."  
Jazzthing 101

"Aus den vielen wubbernden, expressiven Blasen, die aus dem quirligen Kunst-Untergrund der Hauptstadt aufsteigen, zeigt Field seine Stärken vor allem als ausgefuchste neugierige Band, in der die Soli der Vier nur eines ihrer Mittel zum Zweck gemeinsamen Musikmachens und Forschens sind. Von wilden Eruptionen bis zu feinsten Pinselstrichen, getupften impressionistischen Tönen, die Bandbreite der Musik sorgt für Abwechslung, man sollte sich das mit dem Titel wirklich überlegen."
Concerto, 10-11/13, 4 1/2 Sterne

EUR 15,00 via PayPal
 
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Louise
Uli Kempendorff Quartet

2010 JazzHausMusik

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

"So viel Geschmeidigkeit. So viel Widerspenstigkeit. Der Berliner Saxophonist Uli Kempendorff fegt mit seiner Band alle Mauern zwischen Tradition und Avantgarde hinweg. Diese CD bedarf nicht vieler Worte zur Beschreibung. Sie soll einfach nur so viel wie möglich gehört werden."
Wolf Kampmann, Jazzthetik, 01-02/2011

EUR 16,99 via PayPal
 

Other Releases
as Sideman

2010

planned for 2024: releases with Felix Henkelhausen and Ernte.

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)
JULIA HÜLSMANN QUARTETT - The Next Door (ECM, 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)