Three Duos & One Trio // #PANDAjazz

Volker Meitz - synthesizer

Kellen Mills - bass

Christian Marien - drums

The concert is conceptually based on two of Volker Meitz’ projects: First, on the album „Nine Duos“ that he released on Trouble In The East records. Second, on the festival „Berlin Solo Impro“ which he curates and organizes, and which features multiple artists performing solo followed by an ensemble finale. As a synthesis of the two, this evening features Meitz and his colleagues playing duos in all three possible combinations, closing with a performance by all three. This unique format is going to showcase both the sonic possibilities arising from individual instrumental pairings as well as the combined vocabulary and interaction of the respective performers.

Volker Meitz: Berlin based pianist / keyboarder, involved in several projects loosely centered around the jazz realm, where his focus has been shifting from popular to freely improvised and experimental music over the years. Next to being a versatile composer and performer, he curates the Berlin Solo Impro music festival. Volker has worked with jazz names like Eric Schaefer, Taiko Saito, Silke Eberhard, Kalle Kalima, and Tom Arthurs, experimental musicians like Matthias Müller, Almut Kühne, Tony Buck, Olaf Rupp or Lucy Railton, vocalists Lisa Bassenge, Astrid North, Peter Fessler, electronic/club acts such as Jazzanova or Analogue Freestyle, performing around Europe and from New York to Beijing and Johannesburg.

Kellen Mills: Bassist and composer. He’s leader of his ‘solo’ project TRYON, a large ensemble founded in Berlin 2020 *w/ Rieko Okuda, Erik Leuthäuser, Kiki Manders, Jasper Stadhouders, Taiko Saito, Eliad Wagner, Edith Steyer, Jonathon Lindhorst, Dovydas Stalmokas, Omri Abrmov, Quentin Cholet. Additionally Kellen has a newly formed Trio with Edith Steyer and Vojta Drnek; as well as Xcountry Bungalow ensemble with Joe Hertenstein and Eliad Wagner. Performs regularly in both the jazz and echtzeit musik scene in Berlin and abroad. His own perfomance is based around both bass textures, rock, noise and electronics intermingled. And he uses his “punk” ethos to establish new territories.

Christian Marien: Studied music in Amsterdam and Berlin, where he has lived since 2000. He is an active member of the Berlin jazz and improvised music scene and runs collaborative bands such as Superimpose (Matthias Müller), I Am Three (Silke Eberhard, Nikolaus Neuser), the Insomnia Brass Band (Almut Schlichting, Anke Lucks), and C'mon C'mon (Jasper Stadhouders). With the Christian Marien Quartet (Tobias Delius, Jasper Stadhouders, Antonio Borghini), he founded his first own ensemble in 2022. In recent years, he has also focused on solo playing. In 2022, his first solo release appeared on his own newly founded label, MarMade Records. 

https://troubleintheeastrecords.bandcamp.com/album/nine-duos

http://www.volkermeitz.de/projects/Volker_Meitz_SoloDuo/

----------------------------------

Volker Meitz – synthesizer
Kellen Mills – bass
Christian Marien – drums

This concert is conceptually based on two of Volker Meitz’s artistic projects: first, his album Nine Duos, released on Trouble In The East Records; and second, the festival Berlin Solo Impro, which he curates and organizes, featuring solo performances followed by an ensemble finale.
As a synthesis of both ideas, this evening presents Meitz and his colleagues performing duos in all three possible constellations, concluding with a trio performance. This unique format highlights the sonic possibilities of each instrumental pairing while showcasing the combined vocabulary and interaction of all three musicians.

About the artists

Volker Meitz is a Berlin-based pianist and keyboardist active in a wide range of projects loosely rooted in jazz, with a focus that has shifted over the years toward free improvisation and experimental music. Alongside being a versatile composer and performer, he curates the Berlin Solo Impro festival. He has collaborated with jazz artists such as Eric Schaefer, Taiko Saito, Silke Eberhard, Kalle Kalima, and Tom Arthurs, as well as experimental musicians including Matthias Müller, Almut Kühne, Tony Buck, Olaf Rupp, and Lucy Railton; vocalists Lisa Bassenge, Astrid North, and Peter Fessler; and electronic/club projects such as Jazzanova and Analogue Freestyle. His performance career spans Europe, New York, Beijing, and Johannesburg.

Kellen Mills is a bassist and composer, and the leader of his large-ensemble project TRYON, founded in Berlin in 2020 (with Rieko Okuda, Erik Leuthäuser, Kiki Manders, Jasper Stadhouders, Taiko Saito, Eliad Wagner, Edith Steyer, Jonathon Lindhorst, Dovydas Stalmokas, Omri Abramov, and Quentin Cholet). He also co-leads a newly formed trio with Edith Steyer and Vojta Drnek, as well as the Xcountry Bungalow ensemble with Joe Hertenstein and Eliad Wagner. Mills performs regularly in both the jazz and Echtzeitmusik scenes in Berlin and internationally. His playing explores bass textures, rock, noise, and electronic elements—using a “punk ethos” to carve out new sonic territories.

Christian Marien studied music in Amsterdam and Berlin, where he has lived since 2000. An active figure in the Berlin jazz and improvised music community, he co-leads ensembles such as Superimpose (with Matthias Müller), I Am Three (with Silke Eberhard and Nikolaus Neuser), the Insomnia Brass Band (with Almut Schlichting and Anke Lucks), and C’mon C’mon (with Jasper Stadhouders). In 2022, he founded his first own ensemble, the Christian Marien Quartet (with Tobias Delius, Jasper Stadhouders, and Antonio Borghini). In recent years, he has increasingly focused on solo work, releasing his first solo album in 2022 on his own label, MarMade Records.

Links:
Album Nine Duos: https://troubleintheeastrecords.bandcamp.com/album/nine-duos
Project page: http://www.volkermeitz.de/projects/Volker_Meitz_SoloDuo/

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher PANDA platforma e.V.