HANS KOCH
Genres: Avant-Garde Jazz, Jazz Related Improv, Composition, World Fusion, Jazz Related Electronica, Hip-Hop • Switzerland

1948, Biel, Switzerland; bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, electronics. Having studied at the Conservatory in Biel and Zurich, Hans Koch began his musical career as a classical clarinetist, working from 1973 to 1980 at the Music College of Winterthur. In 1978, he met Martin Schütz, also at the Conservatory, and they formed a jazz trio at the beginning of the 1980s, finally settling with the drummer Marco Käppeli. Moving through the Horace Silver and John Coltrane repertoire, they were later influenced by Albert Ayler, Steve Lacy, Anthony Braxton and Evan Parker, gradually moving to compose their own pieces. Performances eventually led to a recording of the trio on ECM and then a second disc the following year (1988) on Sound Aspects. In 1985 he won the best soloist award at the Jazzfestival Lugano and in 1986 was awarded the "Kulturpreis from the city of Biel".  During the same read more...