Peter Kowald

A leading avant-garde musician, German bassist and occasional tuba player Peter Kowald was a long-time member of Globe Unity Orchestra, and has performed and recorded with many other major improvisers, European and American alike. Kowald picked up the bass in 1960, and two years later, started neglecting his other studies and hanging around Peter Brotzmann's studio. The two played Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman and more with various drummers, and listened to modern composers like John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Over the years, the two would record together off and on in duos, and as the Cooperative Trio with Andrew Cyrille, among other line-ups. But Kowald was first picked up professionally by Carla Bley and Michael Mantler's band for their 1966 European tour (which also included Brotzmann). After this, Kowald began collaborating with other German musicians and joined the Globe Unity Orchestra, which he would remain a member of for 12 years and 10 albums, composing, conducting and sometimes leading along with Alexander von Schlippenbach. Not long after joining, Kowald was invited to play in the Pierre Favre/Irene Schweizer quartet while on a visit to London, ultimately leading to more involvement with other European and German musicians. From 1973 until the end of his involvement in the Globe Unity Orchestra in 1978, Kowald also played regularly with the Schlippenbach Trio, Evan Parker, and Paul Lovens. Two years after leaving the Globe Unity Orchestra, Kowald became a member of the London Jazz Composer's Orchestra until 1985. The great bassist has participated in a wide variety of projects, working with dancers, poets and artists, in addition to other musicians. Kowald has recorded many duos with European, Japanese and U.S. musicians, including bass...