Projects    Beirach / Huebner / Mraz Duo and Trio

Beirach was born in 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. His inexhaustible creativity as pianist and composer as well as his love for classical music and his innovative chordal vision is reflected in innumerable recordings with some of the greatest musicians in the jazz scene. He has worked and recorded with stars like Freddie Hubbard, Lee Konitz, Chet Baker, John Abercrombie, Jack DeJohnette to name a few. He wrote Jazz history with some of his compositions of which ELM, EON and HUBRIS are regarded as being the most important. His work with saxophonist Dave Liebman and guitarist John Abercrombie is legendary, as is his solo work, and his playing style has influenced a generation of pianists. Beirach sees classical music as being as big an influence in jazz as the standards that came out of the Broadway shows, Hollywood films, and Swing. "Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Liszt - they all improvised during their concerts", says Beirach, "but this ability to improvise in classical music has been lost". Since Spring 2001 Beirach is Professor for Jazz Piano at the University in Leipzig.

Beirachs duo partner, Gregor Huebner was born in Stuttgart, Germany in 1967. He studied classic violin at the music conservatory in Vienna and at the Conservatory in. During this period he also studied jazz piano and composition. He later continued his studies at Manhattan School of Music in New York with Harold Danko and Ludmilla Uhlela. Apart from winning several competitions in Germany and the US he is a fine composer, pianist and violinist - his debut CD, Panonien, was released in 1997, amongst others featuring Harvie Swartz on bass and Tim Hagans on trumpet. Since that time he has been the permanent partner of Richie Beirach with whom has extensively toured Europe and Japan and recorded several CDs. In addition, Gregor is also a member of the New York Metropolitan Museum's Philharmonia Virtuosi string ensemble and of the Richie Beirach Quartet, first appearing as soloist on "The Snow Leopard". Gregor is also the pianist / violinist of EYE CONTACT and SON Radical. The melding of jazz and classic has always been an integral part of Gregor Huebner's musical direction.
George Mraz was born in 1944 in Pisek, in what is now the Czech Republic. He finished his classical contra-bass studies at the conservatory in Prague in 1966, and moved to the United States in 1968. A member of the Oscar Peterson Trio, the Thad Jones Trio, the Tommy Flanagan Trio, and other major groups, he soon became one of the major bassists on the American jazz scene. He has worked regularly with Richie Beirach since 1967. Their playing reflects an intimate compatibility which flows from the depths of shared times and talents.

CD 2000: "Round about Bartók" (ACT 9276-2) featuring George Mraz:
In their latest CD Beirach and Huebner join up with Czech master bassist George Mraz who was born in 1944 in Pisek, Czech Republic. George finished his classical contra-bass studies at the conservatory in Prague in 1966, and moved to the United States in 1968. A member of the Oscar Peterson Trio, the Thad Jones Trio, the Tommy Flanagan Trio, and other major groups, he soon became one of the major bassists on the American jazz scene. He has worked regularly with Richie Beirach since 1967. Their playing reflects an intimate compatibility which flows from the depths of shared times and talents. On Round About Bartók the three master musicians collaborated for the first time on the ACT label to transpose motifs from European classical and folk compositions into the improvisatory language of jazz. Such a project has its dangers. Ever since Gunther Schuller began experimenting in the late 1950's with what became known as "Third Stream" music by bringing improvising jazz musicians into orchestral settings, classical and jazz musicians have been attempting to integrate the two musics with only occasional success. Round About Bartók may be counted as one of those successes; the unique concomitant sensibilities of Beirach, Huebner and Mraz make for a creative process which transforms motifs from Bartók, Scrijabin, Kodaly and Porumbescus, Russian and Romanian folk songs, and a Richie Beirach original composition into moving vehicles for the expression of the trio's own passions and discoveries.

CD 2001: "Round about Federico Mompou": (grammy nominated 2002):
ased on the success of "Round about Bartok" the 3 master musicians decided to record a new record in 2001 using the compositions of the relatively unknown Spanish composer Federico Mompou. The new CD was recorded in May, 2001 in a joint production of ACT and WDR, a major german radio station. CD presentation to the public was on 20th of October 2001 in Cologne. Thereafter, the band toured clubs and festivals across Europe. For the their highly acclaimed performance at the CORK festival, Beirach, Huebner and Mraz were joined by New Yorks highly respected master drummer Billy Hart.

CD 2003: "Round about Monteverdi":
f4The Beirach-Hübner-Mraz Trio plays melodic themes with jazzimprovisation from madrigal compositions of Claudio Monteverdi, Palestrina, Gesualdo and Pergolesi

Their newest CD, “Duality, the first 10 years” was released by Niveau Records in 2007.  On this CD the two musicians introduce 13 of their own compositions in between jazz and classical music.

Selection of the latest recordings:
  
R. Beirach Trio:
The Snow Leopard", New York 1997 (alfa, evidence, harmonia mundi)
with G. Mraz, B. Hart, G. Hübner

R. Beirach/G. Hübner:
New York Rhapsody",Tokuma, Japan 1998

R. Beirach - G. Hübner Duo feat. George Mraz:
Round about Bartók", ACT 2000

R. Beirach - G. Hübner Duo feat. George Mraz:
Round about Federico Mompou", ACT 2001

R. Beirach - G. Hübner Duo feat. George Mraz:
Round about Monteverdi", ACT 2003

R. Beirach Trio:
No Borders",New York 2003 (venus records)
with G. Mraz, B. Hart, G. Hübner

R. Beirach - G. Hübner Duo
“Duality”
Niveau Records 2007
 

Reviews:

“In den 13 Titeln dieser CD ist kein Ton überflüssig, kein Solo zu lang. Der CD-Titel ist gleichzeitig Versprechen: The first 10 years, “Duality” macht neugierig auf die nächsten.”
Thorsten Meyer Jazzpodium August 2007

“Beirach und Hübner gelang ein anspruchsvoller und unterhaltsamer Spaziergang durch die Klanggalerie der Möglichkeiten des musikalischen Dialogs.”
Ralf Dombrowski Südduetsche Zeitung 25.05.07

“What isencouraging about this recital is that the players have not merely attempted a pastiche of Monteverdi, Palestrina, Schütz, Gesualdo and the like: they have respected the humanity of the music and brought there own humanity to it. Maybe the best of the series to date.
Guardian 2003 Keith Sadwick

"Es ist noch nicht zu spät, die Chance eines der faszinierendsten Jazzduos zu hören kommt wieder. ... Hübner geigte im steten Gedankenaustausch mit Beirach wunderbare Dinge, die bei aller Romantik selten so unsentimental und authentisch zu hören sind"
Hann. Allgem. Zeitung, 12.6.98

".. ein beeindruckender Improvisator fern aller Klischees, der nicht nur Bill Evans ... sondern auch Schoenberg, Debussy und Bartók zu seinen wichtigsten Einflüssen zählt .."
Hamb. MoPo, 6.5.99

" ... immer wieder Zwischenapplaus während der atemlosen Eskapaden und Musikjonglagen ... die Töne fetzen regelmäßig ... der Rhythmus reisst mit."
Baden-Baden, 1.6.97

"Er zelebriert Jazz zum Luftanhalten, beherrscht als einer der wenigen die Synthese von Klassik und Jazz"
Reutlinger Tageblatt, 28.5.97

"Die Beiden bewiesen, wie grenzenlos Musik ist."
SZ, 17.05.97

"Modern Jazz dieses Niveaus bekommt man ... nur selten zu hören, ..Beirach und ..Hübner zeigten welche Möglichkeiten kammermusikalischer Jazz ohne elektronische Effekte noch immer hat."
LN 9/10 Mai 1999

"Sanfte, lyrische Stimmungen zaubert das Duo mit Klavier und geige und verbindet die osteuropäische Klassik sogar nahtlos mit swingendem Jazzmaterial... das war intime Kammermusik auf höchstem Niveau".
NRZ, Lokalteil Essen, 20.5.00