Ta Lam 11

LINE-UP

Jürgen Kupke, Volker Schlott, Benjamin Weidekamp, Vladimir Karparov, Daniel Erdmann, Michael Thieke, Heiner Reinhardt, Gebhard Ullmann, Joachim Litty, Hinrich Beermann (clarinets, saxes, bass clarinets, wood flutes) Hans Hassler (accordion)

ABOUT

The Tá Lam project for 24 years was a worldwide unique and today legendary ensemble of 10 woodwinds from Berlin plus the the Swiss accordion icon Hans Hassler. The 'rhythm section' of this band are 4 bass clarinetists. The CDs received the highest ratings in magazines all over the world and some of them already today are collector's items. The CD 'Mingus !' received 5 stars in Downbeat from editor John Ephland. There is no more touring but 'Tá Lam 11' is still available - for special occasions.

History:

1991 Recording of the first CD 'Tá Lam' by Gebhard Ullmann overdubbing up to 16 woodwinds. With Hans Hassler on accordion as the featured guest musician. Invitation of 'Tá Lam 6' to the Jazzfest Berlin by George Gruntz.

1992 first concerts in Berlin with 'Tá lam 8' – one of the first East/West ensembles after the fall of the Berlin wall.

1993 CD release on 99 Records, Berlin. The CD made several best-of-the-year lists throughout Germany.

1994 Recording and release of the second CD entitled 'Moritat' on 99 Records.

1995 Dr. Ulrich Ohlshuasen calls the CD 'Moritat' in the prestigious newspaper FAZ 'a masterpiece’. The CD was on the best-CDs-of-the-year-list of the German Phono Academy.

1996 Concerts at the festivals in Kempten, the New Jazz Festival in Moers, the Jazzfestival in Mulhouse, at Musik im Museum in Frankfurt and more all over Germany.

1998 'Tá Lam 8' becomes 'Tá Lam Zehn'. Festival appearance in Burghausen, there after hearing the band Albert Mangelsdorff invited the new Tá Lam project to perform at the Jazzfest in Berlin a second time. In the chamber music hall of the Beethoven House in Bonn. Festival Jazz Ost/West in Nürnberg. Invitatiopn to the Texaco Jazz Festival in New York City. Feature in the national German TV (ZDF Aspekte). More concerts at the Empty Bottle in Chicago, the European Music Festival in San Francisco, in Berkeley and the Jazzfestivals Vancouver, Saskatoon, Toronto and Washington D.C.Release of the sampler 'Tá Lam' on the Canadian label Songlines. Concert at the Jazz Festival Berlin on the main stage.

1999 Invitation to the Graz Meeting (Austria).

2000 CD release of 'Vancouver Concert' recorded live at the Vancouver Jazz Festival (Leo Records). This time best-of-the-year lists all over Europe and North America.

2005 New line-up of 'Tá Lam Zehn'.  Concerts in Berlin, at the Palmengarten Festival in Frankfurt and at the Festival Jazz Em Agosto in Lisbon.

2008 'Ta Lam 11' Premiere of the new line-up.

2009/2010 Concerts in Germany. Finetuning of the new Mingus program

2011 Release of 'Mingus !' (Jazzwerkstatt) and concerts all over Germany. 

Quotes:

'What an extraordinary record Tá Lam is ... beautifully recorded, this is an intriguing disc ...' (Penguin Jazz Guide 1999) 

' ... at year's end this CD (Tá Lam) will undoubtly make my list of 98's most rewarding listens' (Chris Kelsey, Cadence magazine 1998)

'Der kongeniale Kontrast, die Kommunikation von Ullmann's Holzblasinstrumenten mit der bunten Schwere von Hans Hasslers Akkordeon hat keinerlei Eile und - spielt auf dem Bürgersteig der Dämmerung' (Anna-Bianca Krause, Tip Berlin 1994)

' ... hat etwas von jener selten gewordenen Unaufdringlichkeit, die zum Hören verführt ohne Zeit zu vergeuden' (Zitty Berlin 1995)

'Tá Lam ... hat einen Klang gefunden, der in der internationalen Musiklandsschaft wohl einzigartig ist.'(Wolf Kampmann 1998)

 '... his scores weave a wonderful dance for the ears ... the German composer and woodwind virtuoso is clearly a major talent' (Vancouver Sun 1998)

'Was diese CD zu einem Meisterwerk macht, ist nicht nur die Vielfalt der Ideen, Stimmungen und Klänge sondern auch die Detailschärfe, der Drang nach vorn, die blitzende Spiellust.'(Dr. Ulrich Ohlshausen, Frankfurter Rundschau 1995)

'Gebhard Ullmanns Tá Lam Zehn war schlicht eine musikalische Offenbarung.' (Bündner Zeitung 1998) 

'Diese CD (Tá Lam) bringt Farbe in die Grauzone zwischen Jazz und Neuer Musik.' (Jazz Podium 1993)

 '...one way or another Gebhard Ullmann is maling a play for our ears. Turn up the volume, it is too good to miss.' (Steve Day, Avant Magazine London 2000)

'This project is an overwhelming piece of music.'(Dave Liebman)