Christophe Schweizer Biography

Christophe Schweizer is considered one of the most innovative and creative musicians on the European Jazz scene, both with respect to his abilities and versatility on the trombone and other low brass instruments (also as an interpreter of classical and new music), as well as especially to his work as a composer, arranger, and band leader.

Born in Switzerland and nowadays residing in Hamburg, Germany, he lived in New York for seven years starting in the mid-nineties. During this period, he worked with the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band for three years, and occasionally with the orchestras of Maria Schneider and Sue Mingus, playing two European tours with the latter.

While in New York, he developed several band projects which toured in Europe on a regular basis, playing from his various catalogues of compositions: the quintet “5SIX7” which specializes in unique rhythmic concepts; the quartet “FULL CIRCLE RAINBOW”, a project centered around the Hammond organ; the septet “NORMAL GARDEN”, which features his arranging for four horns, and the quartet “QUADRANT X” which reaches into open concepts. Many of the members from these groups have since risen to prominence, such as saxophonist Donny McCaslin, pianist Ethan Iverson, and trumpeter . “MOONSUN” also started during these years and is currently the main focus of Schweizerʼs output.

Since moving to Europe, Schweizer has collaborated with many musicians among which figure Markus Stockhausen, Nguyen Le, and Arkady Shilkloper. One of his current projects is the large group “DETECTED ORCHESTRA” in which Schweizer brings together musicians from Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and Russia to play his orchestrations, among which a programme of Joe Zawinulʼs music.

The writer Larry J.Kart, formerly co-editor of Down Beat Magazine, wrote to Christophe Schweizer:

„Thank you for the music. You are a very important musician for at least three reasons: because the music itself is new, intense, and fascinating, because it’s being made of personal organic necessity, and because other gifted musicians obviously find it fascinating to play.”

MOONSUN Christophe Schweizer

CS trombone, alto saxophone, piano, Hans Glawischnig bass, drums

MOONSUN, organized for the first time in 2000, unites five extraordinary personalities, all of whom are currently setting standards as instrumentalists, composers, and band leaders.

They have all played together for well over ten years in different constellations. This is one of the reasons why MOONSUN as an ensemble are capable of taking the improvisatory interpretation of the compositions much farther than what would be the norm.

Their expressive range reaches from barely audible to orchestral power. MOONSUN music is melodically intriguing, harmonically rich and driven by pulsating rhythm. Uncompromisingly contemporary while drawing on many traditions, Christophe Schweizerʼs work as played by MOONSUN pushes the boundaries of Jazz towards something he calls “Maximal Music”.

By means of their focus, intensity, and positive energy on stage, with the sole aim of communicating to the audience, MOONSUN have got ovations even from audiences unsuspecting of their kind of music, as e.g. at Braga Festival 2005.

With OPUS, the new album recorded while on tour in 2010, Christophe Schweizer and MOONSUN take their art to another level in an important step towards opening up their universe to an audience beyond that of the jazz world.

CS schedule 2011

April 24 electron festival geneve

May 14 festival de la microedition lyon

June 18 summer jazz night burghausen (tbc)

June 25 jazz open hamburg

September 25-29 concerts and recording with trio Samuel Rohrer – Florian Stoffner - CS

October 26 sexal jazz (tbc)