Alexander ‚Sandi’ Kuhn

Alexander Kuhn Photo
Alexander Kuhn, Photo: Sven Götz

Biography

Alexander 'Sandi' Kuhn is a German jazz musician.

Alexander ‚Sandi’ Kuhn (born 1981) is a german jazz saxophonist and composer, currently living in Stuttgart in the South of Germany.

2004/2005 he studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston with Herb Pomeroy, Joe Lovano, Bill Pierce, Frank Tiberi, Hal Crook, Ed Tomassi, and Dave Santoro. There, he had the chance to play with a lot of wonderful musicians and to learn much about music and life.From 2008 on, he studied with Prof. Bernd Konrad at State University of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart where he graduated 2010 summa cum laude.

2011/2012 he moved to New York City to pursue a masters degree at Aaron Copland School of Music. He studied with a lot of great musicians such as Michael Mossman, Antonio Hart, John Ellis and David Berkman who helped him to further develop as an artist.

Besides his own projects, Alexander ‚Sandi’ Kuhn works as a composer and sideman in several other bands such as Volker Engelberth Quintett, Kühntett, 3Mann:Einwort, Composers Pool Orchestra, Barbara Bürkle Band and can be heard on various releases (Sandi Kuhn & KuhnStoff "Being Different 2011, Kühntett "Checkpoint Jazz" 2011, Generations Unit "Tease my Shoes" 2011, Barbara Bürkle Band "Look for the Silver Lining" 2013, Christoph Neuhaus ‚PATH‘ 2016. Volker Engelberth Quintett ‚Jigsaw Puzzles’ 2016 and ‚Prismatic Colors‘ 2018).

Sandi Kuhn received various awards and scholarships for his musical endeavors (such as Berklee Scholarship 2004, 2nd Prize at the international Jazz Competition in Straubing 2007, Winner of the "European Burghauser Jazz Competition" 2009, Young Lions Award 2010, Art Foundation Baden-Württemberg 2011, DAAD Scholarship 2011/12 etc.).

In 2013 Sandi Kuhn received the prestigious German Jazz award "Landesjazzpreis Baden-Württemberg".

His second album "The Ambiguity of Light", which he recorded with his international sextett (the Sandi Kuhn Group), was released in January 2013 on JAZZNARTS RECORDS. His third album ‚The Place in the North’, recorded with his current Sandi Kuhn Quartet was released on U N I T Records in January 2019.

Alexander Sandi Kuhn is currently teaching jazz ensembles and improvisation at State University of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart.

Current Album

Alexander ‚Sandi’ Kuhn - The Place in the North

Alexander ‚Sandi’ Kuhn - The Place in the North

True to the motto 'the good things come to those who wait', Alexander Sandi Kuhn took his time for his new release and now presents the essence of his artistic work on 'THE PLACE IN THE NORTH'. As with his previous albums ('Being Different' and 'The Ambiguity of Light'), the multi-award-winning saxophonist (including the Landesjazzpreis Baden-Württemberg 2013) remains true to his compositional handwriting on the new release and combines his American and European influences in a multi-faceted way.

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"... delicate, coherent sounds of almost magical pull." (Jazzpodium on "The Ambiguity of Light")

Kuhn writes 'songs' in the true sense of the word. Pieces with strong melodies, clear structures and finely worked out harmonies. Pieces with soul, depth and recognition value. By no means pleasing jazz entertainment, but neither is it over-intellectual art music. The same qualities are reflected in his saxophone playing. In his improvisations, Kuhn is always on the lookout for melodies and motifs from which he develops musical stories carried by his warm and human sound.

"You follow his solos from the first to the last note, also because you have the feeling that it is all felt that way at that moment." (J. Schwab, Hessischer Rundfunk)

While his last album was still conceived as a New York snapshot, Kuhn collected the material for the new silver disc over a longer period of time and documents his musical work of the last few years on it. 'THE PLACE IN THE NORTH' is a tribute to a magical place in the north of Israel where Kuhn, inspired by the tranquillity and beautiful nature, was able to tie up the last loose ends for his project. The Place in the North' and 'Untitled Beauty', the last two of the nine tracks on the new album, were also written there.

He recorded the album with his long-time musical companions Jens Loh on double bass and Axel Pape on drums. Both have been the rhythm section for Kuhn's national and international projects for almost ten years. The quartet is completed by the Cologne pianist Volker Engelberth, who has established himself as a constant in the German jazz piano scene in recent years. As a permanent band, the four musicians have played a large number of concerts in recent years and have worked together on the pieces for the new album. Listen for yourself.

Discography

  • 2019 Alexander ‚Sandi’ Kuhn ”The Place in the North“ (Unit Records)
  • 2018 Volker Engelberth “Prismatic Colours” (Unit Records)
  • 2016 Volker Engelberth “Jigsaw Puzzles” (Unit Records)
  • 2016 Christoph Neuhaus “The Present and Path” (Doublemoon Records)
  • 2013 Alexander ‚Sandi’ Kuhn ”The Ambiguity of Light“ (JazznArts Records)
  • 2013 Barbara Bürkle „Look for the Silver Lining“ (Neuklang)
  • 2011 Alexander ‚Sandi’ Kuhn “Being Different“ (Personality Records)
  • 2011 Kühntett „Checkpoint Jazz“ (Doublemoon)

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