Conrad Bauer, Johannes Bauer, Sebastian Berweck, Katrin Bethge, Robert Black, Pierre Boulez, Peter Brötzmann, Sylvain Cambreling, Raphael Camenisch, ensemble court-circuit, Chaya Czernowyn, Sascha Demand, Christof Dienz, Gerd Dudek, John Edwards, Tilman Ehrhorn, Titus Engel, Peter Eötvös, Karlheinz Essel, Stefan Froleyks, Malcom Goldstein, Marie Goyette, Jürgen Hall, Robin Hayward, Hans-Joachim Hespos, Erhard Hirt, Robin Hoffman, Shintaro Imai, Ensemble Intégrales, Sven Kacirek, Kammerensemble Neue Musik Berlin, Gordon Kampe, Matthias Kaul, Reso Kiknadze, Klangforum Wien, Roland Kluttig, Hans Koch, Peter Kotik, Peter Kowald, Kreuzchor Dresden, Felix Kubin, Helmut Lachenmann, Klaus Lang, L’art pour l’art, Matthias Lorenz, Paul Lovens, Alvin Lucier, Paul Lytton, Michael Maierhof, Max Marcoll, Martin Matalon, Russudan Meipariani, Elena Mendoza-Lopez, Ensemble Modern, musikFabrik nrw, Neues Ensemble, Phil Niblock, NDR Radio Philharmonie Hannover, Lucas Niggli, Ostravska Banda, Daniel Ott, Evan Parker, Emilio Pomarico, Felix Profos, Ensemble Resonanz, Carl Rosman, Peter Rundel, Elliott Sharp, Martin Schüttler, Jan-Peter E.R. Sonntag, Co Streiff, Hans Tammen, Chao-Ming Tung, Andrew Watts, Christian Weber, Ensemble wire worx, Wu Wei, Georg Wissel, Nils Wogram, Christian Wolff, Eva Zöllner a.m.o.
Sounds Like
John Eckhardt, a bassist of stature. (Gramophone)
John Eckhardt's performance is absolutely stunning.
(Paris Transatlantic)
No written explanation will get you prepared for the tremendous incisiveness of
Eckhardt's razor-sharp playing, which lays a hand on numerous facets of
present-day creativity without losing an ounce of clear-headedness. (Touching Extremes)
Eckhardt explores that space where sound and its organization show themselves to be a natural phenomenon, and taps into a whole world of moods beyond the one of human emotion. (Dusted Magazine)
John Eckhardt accomplishes a connection of sound research, evolving form and rhythmically pulsating shapes, while the music never settles for the mere beat. (Neue Zeitschrift für Musik)
Eckhardt's masterful and mesmerizing performances create a sense of total immersion in this deep-toned trip. (All about jazz)
This is work of great integrity, and underlying its surface austerity there's a rich musical imagination. (TheWire)
The sound quality of the instrument in the hands of John Eckhardt is striking. (Improjazz)
Varied, competent and very well played. It is a pleasure to listen, always inviting, never brutish.
(Sound of Music)
Stupéfiant et monumental!
(Octopus)
John Eckhardt est vraiment vraiment deep.
(CISM 89,3FM, Montréal)
John Eckhardt set out as an electric bass player in funk bands. Due to a growing interest in Jazz music, he picked up the double bass which quickly became the focus of his activities. He attended the Musikhochschule Lübeck from 1995-99 for classical training with Professor Jörg Linowitzki, while at the same time enjoying a busy professional life as a jazz bassist and improviser.
After his graduation summa cum laude, John Eckhardt focussed on 20th century and contemporary chamber and solo music. He was awarded DAAD (German academic exchange service) grants twice in 2000 and 2001 for graduate studies in the US with Robert Black.
Upon his return to Germany, he relocated to Hamburg and pursued a path that unified his broad range of interests. Having joined and founded a number of chamber groups playing compositional and improvised music, he has in addition been playing repeatedly with renowned groups such as Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Modern, musikFabrik NRW and L’art pour l’art as well as many individual performers - a.o. Evan Parker, Malcom Goldstein and Elliott Sharp. He performed at many international festivals and venues and has recorded extensively, e.g. Iannis Xenakis’ seminal solo double bass master piece, „Theraps“ on Mode Records, which received international praise.
At the same time, John Eckhardt continued his work as a composer/performer. His first solo double bass CD featuring his own music, „Xylobiont“, was released in 2008 on Evan Parker’s PSI Records label (see blog). He has realized several sound installations, mostly in collaboration with projection artist Katrin Bethge. In 2009, John Eckhardt will launch Funksteppa, a bass heavy club sound with his own trademark of beats, bass lines and soundscapes, all revolving around his live bass guitar playing. John lives within hearing distance of the Hamburg harbor.
Frohes neues, alter Obertonlehrer, jezt werden mal andere Saiten aufgespannt, Angriff der Pauker, Rauschunterzuckerung, Headsetbrett, weißt schon. Solltest mal LEM vertonen, passt sehr gut zu Deiner Musik. Vielleicht schaff ich's Sonntag zur Kirche, dann wird aber erst gebetet und dann gelärmt.
Hi John thanks for finding me! great performances both your own music and the Ferneyhough (hard piece!!I know it very well from Scodanibbio's..) bravo and meet you sometimes somewhere! f
