Primary Instrument: Saxophone
On his steady search for the right balance between “free” and “groove” Welf Dorr's composing and (alto) playing are mixing influences from the jazz of the 60’s with contemporary elements from hip hop, drum&bass and world music.
Originally from Munich (Germany) he studied at Berklee before he moved 1995 to New York.
Here he played and recorded a.o. with Frank Lacy, Sonny Simmons, Sabir Mateen, Kim Clark, Ronnie Drayton, Graham Haynes, Meshell Ndegeocello, Jeffrey Shurdut, Daniel Carter, Steve Swell, Lukas Ligeti, Vernon Reid, Juini Booth, Jojo Kuo and the Goldsparkle Brass Band.
Besides leading his own projects the Underground Horns and Funk Monk he is playing in Karl Berger's Improvisers Orchestra, Kenny Wollesen’s Himalayas, On Ka'a Davis and the Famous Original Djuke Players and the Nublu Orchestra conducted by Butch Morris (“You guys sound good”, David Murray).
In 2005 he recorded a concert with a quintet including Kenny Wollesen on drums (no unfamiliar name in the NYC downtown jazz scene) and Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet (long time member of Steve Coleman’s Five Elements).
1996 he founded Funk Monk with members from the US, Europe and Africa, a band that combines the hypnotic groove of hip hop with the complex harmonies of jazz.
1998 Funk Monk recorded their debut CD “Live at the Knitting Factory”.
Welf performed in the US, Europe, Mexico and Egypt including festivals such as Willisau (Switzerland) or Celebrate Brooklyn as well as places as City Hall of New York.
Discography:
Big Beat, Underground Horns (2010)
Seeds of Djuke, On Ka'a Davis (2009)
Funk Monk, Underground Horns (2008)
Humanity, Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut (2008)
Subway Music, Drumadics (2007)
Inzebulon, Kenny Wollesen’s Himalayas (2007)
Upper Planets, Kenny Wollesen’s WSU (2007)
East Village Pharmacy, EVP (2007)
People Get Rewarded For What I Am Condemned For, Jeffrey Shurdut (2006)
Zebulon 2, This is the Music of Life w’ Sonny Simmons (2005)
Flowers for Albert, Welf Dorr w’ Jonathan Finlayson & Kenny Wollesen (2005)
Persistence of Memory, Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut w’ Sabir Mateen (2004)
2002, Funk Monk (2002)
Uptime, Marc Constant Quintet w’ Frank Lacy (2001)
Live at the Knitting Factory, Funk Monk (1999)
