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Ernst Bier - Biography

 
 

born in Barntrup / 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: master class with Elvin Jones
    (Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts, Florida)
     

Teaching experience

  • 1977 - 79: Teacher for drums and improvised music at Göttingen PH University
     
  • 1978 - 80: Drum teacher at the University for the Arts, Kassel, Germany
     
  • 1982: Drum teacher for the Jazzmobile Workshop (Amhurst, Mass., USA)
     
  • since 1992: Leader, along with saxophonist Mack Goldsbury, of the Living School Workshops in Berlin, Germany

 

Photo: Mehmet Dedeoglu

 

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 König, Simon Nabatov, Ed Schuller etc.

Video 1996

 

  • 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 Önder Focan Quartet
     
  • since 1997: Drummer with the Chris Bennet Group
     
  • since 1999: Drummer with the Karl Schloz Trio
     
  • 2000: Founding of  Tribesmen
     
  • since 2001: Drummer with Helter Skelter
    with Helmut Joe Sachse
     
  • since 2002: Drummer with SIJF
    with Önder Focan and Stefan Weeke
     
  • since 2003: Drummer with Enfant
    with Uschi Brüning and E.L. Petrowsky

     
  • since 2004: Drummer with Amy's Threesome
  • E-Drums with Plastikmucke
  • Drummer with Drumbone

  • since 2006: Drummer with Independent Jazz Quartet

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

  • since 2008: Drummer with Nesin Howhannesijan Trio
  • Founding of  Swing Report

  • since 2010: Founding of  In Spirit
  • Drummer with Der Moment

  • since 2011:Drummer with Maren Montauk
  • Drummer with Friedhelm Schönfeld Quartett
  • Founding of Unity6
  • Founding of  North Atlantic Tonal Organisation
  • Drummer with The Dyed Blondes - Tod in New York

  • since 2012: Drummer with Agita Rando Trio
  • Founding of  Jafricats

  • since 2014: Founding of Hawking

Concerts and tours with:

Herb Ellis, Stefan Weeke, Larry Coryell, Armando Castagnoli, Alexander von Schlippenbach, Maciej Fortuna, Chritoph Titz, Vardan Ovsepian, Nao Takeuchi, Conny Bauer, Mathias Schubert, Rudi Mahall, Reggie Moore, Martn Lillich, Volker Schlott, Karl Berger, Ulrich Gumpert, Dan Gottschall, Uschi Brüning, Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, Kevin McHugh, Günther Heinz, Peter Weniger, Peter Fessler, Friedhelm Schönfeld, Rolf von Nordenskjöld, Christopher Dell, Katja Riemann, Jonas Westergaard, Magnus Schriefel, Kevin Burrell, Helmut Forsthoff, Bucky Pizzarelli, Howard Alden, Mike Magnelli, Eric Doney, Regis Molina, Gerhard Gschlößl, Rolf Kühn, Sonny Fortune, Piotr Wojtasik, Christian Brückner, Scott Hamilton, Ibadet Ramadani, Max Nauta, Uli Kempendorf, Jason Liebert, Benny Lackner, Nikolas Neuser, Jonathan Robinson, John Tchicai, Nils Landgren, Herb Geller, Kelvin Sholar, Don Friedmann, Leszek Możdżer, Nigel Kennedy, Alan Skidmore, Jalalu Kalvert Nelson, Ernie Odom, William Parker and many more.

Further references (festivals, TV appearances): [more]

 

 
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Photos: Mehmet Dedeoglu

 


mail: ernst.bier(at)jazzdrumming.de
 

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