Michael Wollny Trio - Living Ghosts Tour 2025

forum jazz e. V. (Merzhausen) and Renate & Waltraut Sick Foundation (Freiburg) present:
Michael Wollny Trio

"He is one of the best in jazz. Because he can turn any conceivable music into an experience that takes your breath away." o SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG"
"They are one of the world's great jazz-driven piano trios." o THE GUARDIAN
"The most exciting piano trio in Europe." THE TIMES

The Schweinfurt-born jazz pianist and composer Michael Wollny is considered one of the most outstanding musicians in Europe. He became known through his work in the trio [em] with Eva Kruse and Eric Schaefer and as a solo artist and impresses with his virtuoso and cross-genre style. Wollny's albums often combine influences from classical, avant-garde and pop music. He has worked with artists such as Nils Landgren, Heinz Sauer, Vincent Peirani and Joachim Kühn and is known for his unconventional compositions and improvisational freedom. As a professor of jazz piano at the Leipzig College of Music and Theater, he has been shaping a new generation of musicians for years.

"As an improviser, you often don't play the compositions, but rather your own memories of them. And these memories come back to you at the moment of playing, continuing their existence in the here and now," says pianist and composer Michael Wollny.

Wollny recently embarked on the adventure of the internationally acclaimed projects "XXXX" and "Ghosts" with US bassist Tim Lefebvre, who has already lent his very special sound and vibe to the music of David Bowie, Wayne Krantz and Elvis Costello. Wollny says: "When you work with Tim, you are not only working with one of the world's best bassists - Tim always has one foot in the world of sound processing and is constantly expanding his electronic instrumentarium. He also creates a great musical and sonic clarity and this has an incredibly organizing effect on the music as a whole, without ever limiting you."

Wollny has been playing with drummer Eric Schaefer for almost 20 years. Like Lefebvre, Schaefer is an original, a musician with his very own, almost orchestral approach, unmistakable groove and impressive individuality. "This special constellation simply does something to the three of us and has a powerful effect," says Wollny. "Last but not least, we share a long time together and a specific sound in the trio, which we are now developing in a completely new direction."

Michael Wollny: Piano
Tim Lefebvre: Bass
Eric Schaefer: Drums