GRIENER || RODER
Be Our Guest
GRIENER || RODER
Be Our Guest
about
A good rhythm section is the foundation of any good band. Not only does it provide the beat and feel, but it shapes the music in so many ways. Jan Roder and Michael Griener have been such a rhythm section for over thirty years, and if proof were needed, here it is. For the first time there is an overview of their work together from the very beginning. After a somewhat bumpy start at a jam session in Hannover in the early nineties (ask them about that next time you see them), they played in a few bands together before moving to Berlin in the mid-nineties. Their flexibility and originality made them one of the most sought-after rhythm sections at the intersection of jazz, avant-garde and free improvisation, shaping what we call the Berlin jazz sound at the turn of the millennium.
The recordings were compiled from a variety of sources, including concert recordings, unreleased (and some released) studio recordings, and even some recordings from private sessions. Alex Huber of SonarRec carefully restored all the sources and made them listenable.
Of course, there are gaps on these two CDs, firstly because recordings of important projects have not survived (just as the wild period of the 90s in Berlin is not exactly well documented), secondly because Roder and Griener's work together is already documented and available on several CDs, and finally because even on two CDs it is not possible to document everything they played and played together.
But it gives us a good insight into their musical work, and these recordings are also a testimony (not only) to the Berlin jazz scene from then until today.
Kontakt info[at]rodergriener.net
photo: miss HECKER
the musicians
Michael Griener
self-taught by listening to and playing with many of his elders, spent his formative years as a teenager with bass clarinetist Rudi Mahall and began his freelance career in 1988, initially working intensively with Günter Christmann in Hannover. Since moving to Berlin in 1994, he has established himself as one of the most versatile drummers on the contemporary jazz scene, as his work with Mal Waldron, Butch Morris, Tal Farlow, Evan Parker, Aki Takase, Tony Malaby and many others shows. Together with Jan Roder he forms the rhythm section of DIE ENTTÄUSCHUNG, ULI GUMPERT QUARTETT, MONK'S CASINO and various other formations.
Grounded in a deep knowledge of the jazz tradition, he moves mainly in the border areas between jazz and free improvisation, as for example in his trio with Ellery Eskelin and Christian Weber.
In 2002, Baby Sommer invited him to teach at the Hochschule für Musik in Dresden, where he still teaches jazz percussion today. In March 2006, Griener received the "Most Creative Soloist" award at the New German Jazz Awards in Mannheim. His music has been documented on numerous CD releases including Intakt, HatHut, FMP, Jazzwerkstatt, Moers Music and many more.
He has played with Tal Farlow, Herb Ellis, Mal Waldron, Evan Parker, Ellery Eskelin, Dave Liebman, John Zorn, Butch Morris, Ken Vandermark, Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, Barry Guy, Paul Lovens, Zeena Parkins, Keith Tippett, Sirone, Uli Gumpert, Aki Takase, Mats Gustafsson, Alexander v. Schlippenbach, Joelle Leandre, Günter Christmann, Conny Bauer, Johannes Bauer, Frank Gratkowski, Phil Minton, Tony Buck, Matthias Schubert, David Moss, Axel Dörner, Lu Hübsch, Tony Malaby
Jan Roder
born 1968 in Lübeck, Germany, plays bass and electric bass. He moved to Berlin in 1995 where he encountered musicians the likes of Dörner, Mahall, and v. Schlippenbach with whom he has played until today. Roder considers his musical 'home' to be post-free jazz and improvised music deeply rooted in the jazz tradition. He collaborates with musicians such as Aki Takase, Gunter Hampel, Irene Schweizer, Ulrich Gumpert, Ernst Ludwig Petrowski, Thomas Borgmann, Peter Brötzmann, WolfgangPuschnig, Axel Dörner, Wlli Kellers, Michael Griener, Oliver Steidle, Silke Eberhard, Christof Thewes, Matthias Schubert, Olaf Rupp..... and in projects such as Monks Casino, Die Enttäuschung, Soko Steidle, Squakk, Derek plays Eric (on electric bass), Silke Eberhard Trio, Ulrich Gumpert Quartett and Workshop Band, he played concerts and festivals on some continents and also works as a soloist and from time to time as a studio musician.
the CD
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from the liner notes
CD 1
1.) Christof Knoche Trio
- √C
Christof Knoche - soprano saxophone
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener - drums...
Composition √C by Rudi Mahall
Rec. 30. Mai 1994 Concert Hall of the University of Music Hannover
JR: While I was studying at the Musikhochschule with Detlev Beier, Christof, one of my fellow students, suggested that we play with Michael. We rehearsed for the first time in Michael's rehearsal room in an old WWII bunker on the outskirts of town, and I was a little skeptical about whether it would work because of our previous encounter, but it felt really good right away.
MG: The composition √C was written by Rudi Mahall and was part of the repertoire of the band Proust, in which Christof and I played together. The recording is from Christof's graduation concert before he moved to New York, where he still lives today.
2.) Mahall/Bauer/Roder/Griener
Edmund Bitter
Rudi Mahall - bass clarinet
Ralf Bauer – flugabone (bass flugelhorn)
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener - drums
Composition by the musicians
Rec. Jan. 9th, 1994 in Nürnberg
MG: After playing with Jan for a while, I suggested to Rudi Mahall that we play together. I had been playing with Rudi since 1982 and we always had problems finding the right players. I thought Jan would be a very good fit. Jan and I traveled to Nuremberg together and played a concert with Rudi and trombonist Ralf Bauer. And it was a really good fit.
Edmund Bitter ca. 1993
3.) Pipeline Omsk
Nordpol Stories
Henrik Walsdorff – alto saxophone
Axel Dörner -trumpet
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition Nordpol Stories by Henrik Walsdorff
Rec. June 7th, 1995 by Michael Griener at Torstraße 159, 10115 Berlin
JR: "Michael invited me to visit him in Berlin and play with some musicians he knew. From the very first piece, there was an incredible sense of excitement in the air and I felt like I had never been listened to so intensely before. I knew immediately that I wanted to live in a city where you could play music like that. I moved to Berlin a few weeks after that session."
Pipeline Omsk at Alexanderplatz 1996
4.) Dein Glück
Unser Hamburg, das ist schön
Alexander Dannullis -guitar
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition Unser Hamburg, das ist schön by Alexander Danullis
Rec. June 9th, 1999 at Studio M, Berlin
MG: "The history of jazz is full of musicians who have not received the recognition they deserve, whether because they lived in the wrong place, at the wrong time, or for other reasons. Alexander Dannullis is such an original artist and guitarist that I am always amazed that he is not better known. Jan met him through his sister in Hamburg and invited him to Berlin, where we shared an apartment at the time. During our first session I felt like I'd been hit by a train; so much energy and unbridled creativity came out of that guitar.
Dein Glück
5.) The Streetfighters Quartet
Ausversicht
Bruno Leicht trumpet (left channel)
Axel Dörner trumpet (right channel)
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition Ausversicht by Axel Dörner
Rec. July 21st, 2001 by Rainer Robben, AudioCue Studios, Berlin
MG: "The Streetfighters began as a mobile trumpet duo with Axel and Bruno in the late 1980s in the streets and pedestrian zones of Essen and Cologne. Since then they have played with various rhythm sections, including Jochen Rückert and Joscha Oetz, Wayne Dockery and John Betsch, before joining forces with Jan & me at the beginning of the millennium. Although Bruno is probably not so well known outside of Cologne, Axel describes him as "an important and significant musician of our time, a stylistically important voice on the trumpet today". This recording is an unreleased track from our CD on SIND Records.
The Streetfighters Quartet
6.) Tristano 317
Tautology
Silke Eberhard – alto saxophone
Aki Takase – piano
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition Tautology by Lee Konitz
Rec. Aug. 8th, 2001 at A-Trane, Berlin
JR: "We had both collaborated with Aki and Silke in different bands from time to time, when Aki had the idea that we should take a closer look at the music of Lennie Tristano. For a while we met regularly in Aki's rehearsal room in Tempelhof working on our own arrangements. That's how this formation came into being. We played a few concerts in Berlin, this being one of the few recordings."
7.) Zoran Terzić Trio
Klimperkasten
Zoran Terzić – piano
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition Klimperkasten by Zoran Terzić
Rec. Jan. 27th, 2004 by Rainer Robben, AudioCue Studios, Berlin
JR: I met Zoran around ’95 at a jam in Michael's rehearsal room. We played the tunes of Monk and others. After that we played in different formations and recorded a trio CD. I especially like Zoran's almost emotionless approach to music, akin to a speed-chess player. And then there are his great compositions...
8.) Bob Lenox Trio
MayDay, MayDay
Bob Lenox - piano & voice
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition MayDay, MayDay by Bob Lenox
Rec. Jan. 11th, 2005 by Jürgen Heckel at Studio P2, Berlin
MG: Bob was already an imposing figure in the Berlin jazz scene when we arrived. Having grown up in New York in the fifties and sixties, he could tell us endless stories about our heroes. Jan and I first played a couple of lounge gigs with him in posh hotels on Potsdamer Platz, where he just didn't care about keeping the gig and played full out the whole time. After that we formed a trio together, where he also sang and read his own poetry.
9.) Kayla Quartet
Falash Shimmy
Ben Abarbanel-Wolff – tenor saxophone
Richard Koch – trumpet
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition Falash Shimmy by Ben Abarbanel-Wolff
Rec. Sept. 26th, 2007 by Christian Betz at BerlinAudio, Schwedter Str.
MG: Ben moved to Berlin at the turn of the millennium after studying with Milford Graves at Bennington College. Jan and I recommended him for the Ulrich Gumpert Quartet, and he can be heard on the band's first CD on Intakt. I played with him for a while in bassist Sirone's quartet before Ben went ahead to form his own band and play his own compositions. This recording is from an unreleased session with Richard Koch on trumpet.
Kayla Quartet
10.) Ulrich Gumpert Quartett
Scrollin'
Ben Abarbanel-Wolff – tenor saxophone
Ulrich Gumpert – piano
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition Scrollin' by Ulrich Gumpert
Rec. Oct. 27th, 2010 by Johannes Müller at Kulturhaus Mitte, Auguststr, Berlin
MG: I've been playing with Uli Gumpert since the mid-nineties when I met him through bassist Matthias Bauer. Uli then asked me to play in most of his projects, including a quartet with Ernst Ludwig Petrowsky and Klaus Koch. When Klaus Koch died suddenly, I recommended Jan as his replacement, and we have been Uli’s preferred rhythm section ever since. In his quartet we have played with various saxophonists over the years, and when Jan & I met Ken at a festival in Thessaloniki, we invited him to Berlin to play this concert with us.
11.) Paul Brody's Sadawi
Warsaw
Paul Brody – trumpet
Michael Winograd – clarinet
Brandon Seabrook – guitar
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition Warsaw by Paul Brody
Recorded Nov. 28th, 2010 at Irondale Culture Center, Brooklyn, N.Y. C.
MG: I've been playing with Paul Brody for over twenty years. For his band Sadawi, he chose his favorite American and German musicians to play with, and that's how I met Brandon on a tour with Paul through Poland in 2005. Paul manages to convey his own musical vision to the musicians with only a few and usually rather vague instructions; that's what makes a good bandleader.
12.) GROB
GROB 4
Uwe Oberg - piano
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition by the musicians
Rec. Dec. 8th, 2012 by Martin Schmidt at Spielraum Studio Heiligenwald
JR: Uwe has a very special style and a keen musical communication. I met him through Michael and Christof Thewes who played together with Uwe in the band Lacy Pool. It was a natural next step for Michael and I to form the trio Grob with Uwe, a purely free-improvising group.
13.) Squakk+
Nova Swing Coda
Christof Thewes – trombone
Rudi Mahall – bass clarinet
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition by the musicians
Rec. on Nov. 27, 2012 by Andreas Stoffels & Jean-Boris Szymczak at Studio P4, Berlin
JR: The Trio Squakk was made up of Michael and myself together with Christof Thewes – a great trombone player and super guy. Very fast... At Christof’s iniative, the band Squakk came into being as a trio after Christof heard us with Uli Gumpert. We thought about guest musicians and at Christof's suggestion we invited Rudi Mahall, who turned out to be the perfect addition to the trio. This tune is a release from our CD on Intakt Records.
Squakk+
CD 2
1.) Die Große Enttäuschung
Gekannt
Rudi Mahall – bass clarinet
Axel Dörner - trumpet
Christoph Thewes - trombone
Henrik Walsdorff – alto saxophone
Gabriel Coburger – tenor saxophone, flute
Flo Stoffner - guitar
Andi Lang - bass (right channel)
Kasper Tom – drums (right channel)
Jan Roder - bass (left channel)
Michael Griener – drums (left channel)
Composition Gekannt by Axel Dörner
Rec. on August 7th, 2020 by Christian Betz at Jazz am Kaisersteg, Berlin
MG: Die Enttäuschung is a very special band with a unique aesthetic. After I started playing with the band in 2016, we wondered if it would be possible to transfer this music to a larger line-up. A grant from Musikfonds made it possible to try this idea, and so we put together a band of musicians who were already familiar with this music, so that we could bring the rather complex compositions on stage in a very short time. We called it Die Große Enttäuschung.
Die Große Enttäuschung
2.) Schubert/Roder/Griener
IL BIS
Matthias Schubert – tenor saxophone
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition IL BIS by the musicians
Rec. August 25th, 2021 by Olaf Rupp at Sowieso, Berlin
MG: I've known Matthias since 1983, when I was a teenager and asked him for an autograph at a Gunter Hampel concert. Later I was lucky enough to share the stage with him on many occasions. He is a fantastic musician who always plays with full commitment and risk; he is a unique player and should be much better known. He was the first to come to our minds when Jan and I were thinking about who to play with in a trio. This concert was especially good and we were lucky to have Olaf Rupp there to record it.
Schubert/Roder/Griener
3.) Kucan/Roder/Griener
Avalanche Milk Jot
Vlatko Kucan -soprano saxophone
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition Avalanche Milk Jot by the musicians
Recorded September 27th, 2021 by Vlatko Kucan at TrueMuze Rec. Studio Hamburg
JR: We probably met Vlatko in the 90‘s through Alexander Dannullis. He is a great horn player in Hamburg with whom we often played In 2021 he invited us to Hamburg for to recored and play a concert, where we spent some very inspiring days together. Unfortunately the recordings are still waiting to be released, so here is a small sample.
4.) Okuda/Roder/Griener
Okiagari - Koboshi
Rieko Okuda - piano
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition Okiagari - Koboshi by the musicians
Rec. October 5th, 2021 by Markus Mittermeyer at Traumton Studio, Berlin.
JR: Rieko Okuda moved to Berlin after some years in New York. For many years, our paths rarely crossed. About 10 years ago she invited me to a concert at Sowieso and I was overwhelmed by her energy. After that I was able to experience her enormous versatility in various projects, so I really wanted to introduce her to Michael, which turned out to be a stroke of luck.
5.) Meinhold/Roder/Griener
Grippe in Zeiten von Corona
Niko Meinhold - piano
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition by Niko Meinhold
Rec. October 5th, 2021 by Markus Mittermeyer at Traumton Studio, Berlin.
JR: In the early 2000s, Niko Meinhold and I played together in the Silke Eberhard Quartet. Later, Niko and I played repeatedly with Anna Kaluza in her trio, as well as with BerIO (Berlin Improvisers Orchestra) , then again later in this trio with Michael.
Niko is an extraordinary pianist who thinks in terms of composition, who never ignores the structural elements of music-making, especially when playing freely. Yet ever aware and flowing with creative impulses. Everything is in flux.
6.) Kaluza/Meinhold/Roder/Griener
Aquatinta
Anna Kaluza – alto saxophone
Niko Meinhold - piano
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition by the musicians
Rec. Nov 2nd, 2021 by Olaf Rupp at Au Topsi Pohl, Berlin
MG: I met Anna in 2003 after a concert in Cologne, where she lived at the time. She introduced me to Simon Rummel, in whose ensemble I still play today. Jan and I quickly started playing with her in a trio and have been playing together in various formations ever since. I mainly play with Niko in the band of the Romanian singer Maria Raducanu, and after I found out that Anna and Niko play together a lot, it made sense to play in a quartet as well..
7.) Kühne/Delius/Roder/Griener
Hoopla Situp
Almut Kühne - voice
Toby Delius - clarinet
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition by the musicians
Rec. Nov 3rd, 2021 by Olaf Rupp at Au Topsi Pohl, Berlin
JR: I've personally known Toby personally since 2007, where we played in the quartet Mrs. Conception with Axel Dörner and Steve Heather, Mrs. Conception, as well as a short-lived band with Matthias Schubert, Toby, and Michael. Almut is a great singer and improviser, who I have also known for a long time. Michael initated a session with Toby and Almut with the two of us. I liked the idea and the resulting music..
Kühne/Delius/Roder/Griener
8.) Fite/Rupp/Griener/Roder
the Travelator incident
Niklas Fite – guitar ( left channel)
Olaf Rupp – guitar (right channel)
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition by the musicians
Rec. Nov 4th, 2021 by Olaf Rupp at Au Topsi Pohl, Berlin
JR: I have been aware of Olaf 's Music since I moved to Berlin. We first played together in 2002 with Rudi Mahall in a trio that became JR3, with 2 releases on Relative Pitch and Audiosemantics so far. Olaf is a special musician with a uniquely personal language, a constant flow among tones, sounds and noises - a flow and awareness that is second to none. Downright brilliant.
MG: Niklas, a young guitarist from Sweden, was introduced to traditional jazz at an early age by his father, guitarist Andy Fite. Over time he developed a growing interest in free improvisation, which eventually brought him to Berlin, where our paths crossed. I was intrigued to bring him together with Olaf to explore the musical synergy that would unfold.
9.) Wald
Typhoons and Windbreaks
Taiko Saito - vibraphone
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition by Saito/Roder/Griener
Rec. Nov 4th, 2021 by Olaf Rupp at Au Topsi Pohl, Berlin
JR: I have known of Taiko for a very long time, although we only started playing together around 6 years ago. Since then we play together every now and then, for example in the Band Rosa Moka and Silke Eberhard's Potsa Lotsa. I thought that with her amazing versatility and technical finesse she would be a good match for Michael and me, and I was right, as you can hear on our CD Wald, from which this track originates.
Wald
10.) Monk's Casino
Let’s Cool One/Let’s Call This
Rudi Mahall – bass clarinet
Axel Dörner – trumpet
Alexander von Schlippenbach - piano
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Compositions Let’s Cool One/Let’s Call This by Thelonious Monk
Rec. Nov 6th, 2021 by Olaf Rupp at Au Topsi Pohl, Berlin
JR: In the mid-90‘s, the band Die Enttäuschung mainly performed their own arrangements of Thelonious Monk compositions. With the addition of Alex v. Schlippenbach, we added the remaining pieces and created a comprehensive program of all of Thelonious Monk's compositions. This compilation was released in 2005 on three CDs by Intakt records. After Uli Jenneßen left the band in 2012, I was especially happy to welcome Michael on board. This track is part of the double LP "Monk's Casino Live at Au Topsi".
Monk's Casino
11.) Stadhouders/Gordoa/Roder/Griener
Caldo de orejas
Jasper Stadhouders – guitar
Emilio Gordoa - vibraphone
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition by the musicians
Rec. Feb 1st, 2022 by the musicians at Kühlspot Social Club, Berlin
MG: One of the advantages of living in a city that attracts so many artists is that new musicians are constantly emerging and new connections are being made. Jasper and Emilio are part of a younger generation of improvisers who have been enriching the Berlin music scene for some time, and we were so intrigued by their music that we invited them to perform together. We were very pleased with the result and continue to work together whenever our differing schedules allow.
12.) Die Enttäuschung
verlacht
Rudi Mahall – bass clarinet
Axel Dörner - trumpet
Jan Roder - bass
Michael Griener – drums
Composition by Axel Dörner
Rec. June 24th, 2022 by the musicians at Kühlspot Social Club, Berlin
MG: Replacing a drummer in an existing band is never an easy task, especially in a band with such a unique musical language and history as Die Enttäuschung. But it certainly helps that I've played with these guys longer than anyone else: with Rudi for over 40 years, and with Axel and Jan for about 30 years. After Uli left the band, they had trouble finding a suitable drummer, so they asked me to join them in 2016. Since then we have managed to release 4 CDs plus the new Monk's Casino double album and the band seems to be more active than ever.
This composition by Axel is from our release Music Minus One on 2:19 Records.
Die Enttäuschung
videos
WALD
Jazz & Experimental In Berlin Festival
January 20th, 2024
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Die Enttäuschung
Live at Peppi Guggenheim
March 2nd, 2023
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Schubert & Roder & Griener
at Sowieso, Berlin
Aug, 25th, 2021
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Ulrich Gumpert Trio & Ken Vandermark
Conference At Baby's
Dec 16th, 2010
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List of released collaborative recordings
(As of December 2023)
- 2005 Zoran Terzic Trio – :1 | Konnex Records – KCD 5139
- 2005 Baby Bonk – Sagt Die Wahrheit |Konnex Records – KCD 5147
- 2007 Tal Balshai - Endless Fields | HonigTeeMusic - MTM 001
- 2007 Ulrich Gumpert – Quartette | Intakt Records – Intakt CD 127
- 2008 Ulrich Gumpert Workshop Band – Suites | Jazzwerkstatt – jw054
- 2009 Griener, Roder, Thewes : Squakk |Jazzwerkstatt – jw046
- 2010 Paul Brody's Sadawi – Far From Moldova |Morgenland – ml 7001
- 2012 Floros Floridis – My German Friend |NORMAL 334 CD
- 2013 Ulrich Gumpert Workshop Band – Berlin New York - The End Of Dow Jones | Jazzwerkstatt – jw 10142
- 2014 Griener, Mahall, Roder, Thewes: Squakk – Willisau & Berlin | Intakt Records – Intakt CD 231
- 2014 Ulrich Gumpert Workshop Band - Plays Mingus | Jazzwerkstatt jw 138/3
- 2015 Satoko Fujii Orchestra Berlin – Ichigo Ichie |Libra Records (5) – 212-037
- 2015 Ulrich Gumpert Quartett – A New One | Intakt Records – Intakt CD 257
- 2016 Reich durch Jazz – Reich Durch Jazz |Trouble In The East – TITE Rec 003
- 2017 Die Enttäuschung – Lavaman | Intakt Records – Intakt CD 289
- 2018 Satoko Fujii Orchestra Berlin – Ninety-Nine Years | Libra Records (5) – 211-047
- 2018 Griener, Roder, Thewes – Roadside Picknick | gliggmusic
- 2020 The Streetfighters Quartet – The Streetfighters Quartet | Sind (2) – SIND_022020-1
- 2022 Die Enttäuschung & A. v. Schlippenbach – Monk's Casino | Two Nineteen Records – 2-19-007
- 2022 Bariton – Wer kann es am besten? | gliggmusic – 005
- 2023 Céline Voccia Trio – Abîme | Jazzwerkstatt – jw226
- 2023 WALD – SAITO RODER GRIENER | Trouble In The East – TITE REC- 029
- 2023 Die Enttäuschung - Music Minus One | two nineteen records 2-19-010
- 2023 Die Enttäuschung - Die komplette Enttäuschung | Two Nineteen Records 2-19-011