Remembering Klaus Koch (* 1936 in Leipzig; † 2000 in Berlin). Through his bass playing, he was one of the pioneers of the New Jazz movement in Europe. Moving effortlessly between jazz and contemporary classical music, he developed a distinctive and unmistakable musical language characterized by structural openness, sensitivity to sound and a particular attentiveness to collective processes. In his engagement with international currents in free jazz and European improvised music, Koch developed an approach to music that focused less on virtuosic self-display than on communicative intensity and the exploration of the spaces between sounds. His work combined energetic intensity with moments of fragile restraint, making him an important source of inspiration for the East German scene.
A collaboration spanning generations, bringing together longtime companions, leading figures and prominent musicians from Berlin’s music scene, pays tribute to Klaus Koch and honors his influence on the development of jazz in the GDR. Taking his musical legacy as its starting point, the concert connects historical experiences with contemporary perspectives, re-examining the artistic freedoms, aesthetic questions and social conditions that shape improvised music.
Friedhelm Schönfeld Trio
Friedhelm Schönfeld: alto and tenor saxophone, composition | Matthias Bauer: double bass | Günter “Baby” Sommer: drums
Ulrich Gumpert Workshop Band
Ulrich Gumpert: piano | Joe Hertenstein: drums | Günter “Baby” Sommer: drums, percussion | Ben Lehmann: double bass | Friedhelm Schönfeld: tenor saxophone | Heiner Reinhardt: bass clarinet | Silke Eberhard: alto saxophone | Conrad Bauer: bass trombone | Paul Schwingenschlögl: trumpet
“Joe” Sachse Ensemble
Helmut “Joe” Sachse: guitar, percussion | Friedhelm Schönfeld: tenor saxophone | Heiner Reinhardt: bass clarinet | Silke Eberhard: alto saxophone | Conrad Bauer: bass trombone | Paul Schwingenschlögl: trumpet | Joe Hertenstein: drums | Isabel Rössler: double bass | Maike Hilbig: double bass | Ben Lehmann: double bass | Matthias Bauer: double bass
