AXEL DÖRNER
Genres: Jazz Related Improv, Composition, Avant-Garde Jazz • Germany

German trumpeter Axel Dörner is first and foremost a group player. Despite a growing discography and a very busy performance schedule, he is rarely seen leading a session or presenting a solo album. Yet, he has developed one of the most unique voices in free improvisation. Synchronized with other European horn players like Radu Malfatti, John Butcher, and Franz Hautzinger, he developed a completely different language for the trumpet in the late ‘90s, starting anew by focusing on the sound of his breath. With enough amplification, the most microscopic gestures sound like electronic flurries. But what distinguishes Dörner from the aforementioned players is that instead of turning this "new way" into a religion, he integrated it into his arsenal and continued to perform with maximalist free jazz groups. Dörner came late to the trumpet. Born in 1964 in Köln, Germany, he studied the piano, first at the conservatory in Arnhem, The read more...