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Soren Gemmer

Pianist and composer working as a band leader as well as a sideman. A healthy appetite for different musical expressions has led to work in modern and mainstream jazz, in free improvisation and in indie music as a synth/Wurlitzer player. The debut album AT FIRST (ILK) was released in 2013 and received widespread critical acclaim for its blend of modern jazz and a love and awe of late romantic and 20th century classical piano music. The upcoming release THE LARK (WhyPlayJazz RS028) presents an elaboration of the trademark melodicism displayed on the debut.

Born and raised near Aalborg in the Northern part of Denmark, Søren Gemmer by no means took to music early on. Being an avid personal computer enthusiast (when those where just getting personal) and an avid reader from an early age, Søren engaged in musical activity from a visual perspective, conceptualizing about music rather than paying any sort of attention by ear. Not until being caught by the allure of the rock drummer fantasy in local bands did the true emotional potential of music present itself to him. It is this duality of cognition and emotion, complexity and simplicity so to speak, and the challenge of balancing them that eventually drew Gemmer to become a musician.

Since 2009 he has been living in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is currently completing his Advanced Postgraduate Diploma specializing in adapting stylistical elements from 20th century composers Messiaen and Ligeti into modern jazz composition and improvisation.

Collaborations and sideman appearences include live work with film maker, poet and national icon, Jørgen Leth, a raft of Danish jazz's 'Who's Who', Gilad Hekselman, Palle Mikkelborg, Thomas Agergaard and a couple of utterly coincidental, yet successful, appearences with the Danish Radio Big Band. He has studied with jazz pianists Jacob Christoffersen, Nikolaj Hess, and Anders Persson, improvisers Torben Snekkestad and Kresten Osgood, as well as renowned classical pianist and educator Anne Marie Fog.

Gear

Fender Rhodes Würlitzer 200A Sequential Circuits Prophet-600, Analog Synth Korg Polysix, Analog Synth Moog Sub-37 Strymon Timeline, Delay Pedal Strymon Bluesky, Reverb Pedal


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Extended Analysis

Søren Gemmer: The Lark

Read "Søren Gemmer: The Lark" reviewed by Phil Barnes


Danish pianist Søren Gemmer returns with an augmented line up for this his second album and follow up to the aptly named At First from 2013. Key addition is trumpet and flugelhorn player Mads La Cour, who appears on 4 compositions and two of the group improvisations, and is particularly effective on the title track “The Lark" where he adds a simply beautiful, luminous, solo. It's a wonderful track that builds gradually, Gemmer's piano solo in particular setting things up ...

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Recording

Danish pianist Søren Gemmer releases "The Lark" on WhyPlayJazz

Danish pianist Søren Gemmer releases "The Lark" on WhyPlayJazz

Source: All About Jazz

With a series of portraits fleshed out in melodic lines The Lark unites personal experience and collective modern jazz exploration. The second release from pianist and composer, Søren Gemmer, presents an elaboration on the trademark melodicism displayed on the internationally acclaimed debut album. The album is the follow-up release to the highly successful At First that received widespread critical acclaim for its blend of modern jazz and a fascination of late-romantic classical piano music. The Lark features five distinct voices, ...

On the debut album AT FIRST: "Søren Gemmer's combination of classical background and american jazz influence is a gem on new CD 'at first'." Philip Baron - host of Musiq3 on national radio in Belgium - RTBF

"This Danish pianist's debut album is a big surprise - the young man makes the impression of already being an accomplished and mature artist. Superbly composed themes by the band leader...It turns out, that we are dealing with one of the most promising debuts of recent years." Marek Romanski - Audio-Video Magazine (POL)

"The harmonics and subtle colour that Soren Gemmer adds to each piece is wonderful to hear. At First is an invigorating debut that is easy to fall in love with quickly. A lush and moving work for any music fan. Start listening now..." Stephan Moore - Jazzwrap (UK)

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Lark

WhyPlayJazz
2016

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At First

ILK Music
2013

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The Lark

From: The Lark
By Soren Gemmer

Russians

From: At First
By Soren Gemmer

Videos

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