Ernst Bier

Ernst Bier - Biography

born in Barntrupp / Lippe

Studies

* 1975 - 77: studied with Billy Brooks (Swiss Jazzschool, Bern)

* 1982 - 85: private studies in New York with Charlie Persip and Vernell Fournier

* 1985: three-week master class with Elvin Jones (Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts, Florida)

Work experience as performing musician:

* 1977 - 82: Leader of the band “Just Friends”

* 1979 - 82: Drummer in Belgian guitarist Paolo Radoni's trio

* 1980 - 82: Drummer in Hungarian guitarist Attila Zollar's trio

Ernst Bier has also played with:

Allan Praskin, Lee Harper, Harry Sokal, Rudi Wilfer, Lou Blackburn, Matthias Schubert, Don Friedman and Chet Baker, among others

* 1982: Move to New York

* 1982 - 83: Drummer with the house band under the leadership of Ted Curson at New York's Blue Note jazz club

* 1982 - 84: Concerts and tours with the Attila Zoller Trio

* 1983 - 86: Drummer with the tap dance group 'New York City Tapworks'

* since 1984: Drummer with the Perry Robinson Quartet

* 1985: European tour with the American Tapdance Festival

Concerts and Tours with:

Bob Mover, Junior Cook, Ron McClure, Ricky Ford, Ray Anderson, Reggie Workman, Lester Bowie etc.

* 1987: Move to Cologne, Germany

* 1987- 92: Numerous concerts and tours in Europe and the USA with the Perry Robinson Quartet

* 1988 - 90: Producer of and drummer with the Sweet Georgia Brown Tap Dance Show

* 1989: Tour with the Dave Pike / Charles McPherson Quintet

Concerts and tours with:

Gene 'Mighty Flea' Connors, John Marshall, Rainer Winterschladen, Klaus Koenig, Simon Nabatov, Ed Schuller etc.

* 1992: Move to Berlin

* since 1992: Numerous concerts and tours in Europe and the USA with the Perry Robinson Quartet

* since 1993: Drummer with the Christoph Adams Trio

* 1993 - 98: Drummer with the Felix Wahnshuffle Trio

* 1994 - 98: Drummer with the Oriental Connection

* 1994: Founding of the Ernst Bier / Mack Goldsbury Quartet

* 1995 - 96: Drummer with the Johannes Barthelmes Group

* 1996 - 99: Drummer with the Billy Bang Quartet

* 1997: Tour of Turkey with the Oender Focan Quartet

* since 1997: Drummer with the Chris Bennet Group

* since 1999: Drummer with the Karl Schloz Trio

* 2000: Founded the group the Tribesmen

* since 2001: Drummer with Helter Skelter feat. Helmut Joe Sachse

* since 2002: Drummer with SIJF feat. Oender Focan and Stefan Weeke

* since 2003: Drummer with Enfant feat. Uschi Bruening and E.L. Petrowsky

* since 2004: E-Drums with Plastikmucke
* Drummer with Drumbone

* since 2005: Drummer with Jazz Paracites
* Founding of Metro Sonic Ensemble
* Founding of Ernst Bier - Sonny Fortune Group

since 2008: Founding of Unity5

Concerts and tours with:

Herb Ellis, Larry Coryell, Walter Norris, Alexander von Schlippenbach, Conny Bauer, Mathias Schubert, Rudi Mahall, Reggie Moore, Karl Berger, Ulrich Gumpert, Uschi Bruening, Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, Guenther Heinz, Helmut Forsthoff, Bucky Pizzarelli, Howard Alden, Mike Magnelli, Rolf Kuehn, Sonny Fortune, Mundell Lowe, Scott Hamilton and many more

Further references (festivals, TV appearances): Festivals:

* Zurich Jazz Festival * Frankfurt Jazz Festival * Freiburg Tent Music Festival * Montreal Jazz Festival * Nuernberg Jazz Festival * Hannover Jazz Days * Helsinki Jazz Festival * Jazzfestival Goettingen * Brussels Jazz Festival * Roenneby/Sweden Jazz Festival * Hamburg Fabrik Festival * Ulm Jazz Festival * Stuttgart Jazz Open * Caribean Jazzcruise Festival * Jazz Festival Bern * Munich Jazz Festival * Village Jazz Festival, New York * Leipzig Jazz Festival * Bodrum/Turkey Jazz Festival * Malta Jazz Festival * Jazz Front Berlin * Glauchau Jazz Festival * Magdeburg Jazz Festival * Visions Festival New York * Jazzwoche Burghausen

TV-appearances

* 1979: Just Friends (HR III)

* 1980: Paolo Radoni Trio / Brussels Jazz Festival (Belgian Fernsehen)

* 1984: Attila Zoller Trio (WNTV, USA)

* 1988: Perry Robinson Quartet (ZDF music channel)

* 1989: Perry Robinson Quartet (WDR III)

* 1990: Perry Robinson Quartet (WDR III)

* 1994: Ernst Bier / Mack Goldsbury Quartet (Deutsche Welle)

* 1996/97: Documentary on drummer Ernst Bier by Werner Kubny “Nachts wenn du schlafen gehst” (”At Night When You Go To Sleep”) (3Sat / WDR III)

* 1999/2000: Christoph Adams Trio (3Sat / WDR III)

* 2007: The Great Guitars of Jazz at Jazzwoche Burghausen (BR3)

Radio recordings and productions:

WDR, Radio Bremen, Bavarian Radio, RIAS, SFB, NDR, SDR, Radio Saarland, Radio DDR, Hessen Radio, ORB, WKCR New York, radio stations in Schweden, Holland, France, Belgium and Canada.

Tour Info : http://www.jazz-kalender.de/insite_ernstbier.asp