Frank Gratkowski

Frank Gratkowski
Alto saxophone, clarinet , bass clarinet ,contrabass clarinet, flute, composition Born in Hamburg, 1963;

Started playing the saxophone at 16 and following a period at the Hamburg Conservatory (Hamburger Musikhochschule) moved in 1985 to study at the Cologne Conservatory of Music, graduating in 1990. Further studies with Charlie Mariano, Sal Nistico and Steve Lacy.

Frank Gratkowski has worked as a soloist in various international formations (Grubenklang Orchester, Klaus Koenig Orchester, Musikfabrik NRW, Tony Oxley Celebration Orchestra, Bentje Braam, WDR Big band etc.). Since 1990 he has given solo performances - with his solo program he was a prize winner in the contest "Musik Kreativ". 1991 came out a solo CD "Artikulationen", a new one is expectet in Autumn 2000. Since 1992 he has worked in a duo with pianist Georg Graewe (duo CD "VicissEtudes"), since 1999 also as a Trio with percussionist Paul Lovens (Germany), and in 1995 founded the "Frank Gratkowski Trio" with Dieter Manderscheid, bass (Germany) and Gerry Hemingway, drums (USA) (CDs "Gestalten" and "The Flume Factor" ).In 2000 the Trio will be extended to a Quartet by Duch trombonist Wolter Wierbos (a CD will be released in Spring 2001). Since 1999 he has also a Duo with Italian trombonist Sebastiano Tramontana and in "2000/1 he will be touring in a Trio with Wilbert De Jode (NL) on bass and Paul Lovens (D) on drums.

Frank Gratkowski played on nearly every German and on numerous International Jazz Festivals including Vancouver,Toronto, Chicago, New York, Seattle, Quebec, Les Mans, Muelhuus, Groeningen, Nickelsdorf, Barcelona, Lithuania, Warsaw, Prague, Bratislava, Sofia, Bucharest

Frank Gratkowski has been teaching saxophone at the Cologne and Hannover Conservatory of Music.

Furthermore he has performed with Robert Dick, Phil Wachsmann, Radu Malfatti, Herb Robertson, Marcio Mattos, Eugenio Colombo, Peter Kowald, Ray Anderson, Michael Moore, Ken Vandermark, Greg Osby, Kenny Wheeler, Louis Sclavis, John Betsch, Jane Ira Bloom, Connie and Hannes Bauer, James Newton, Muhal Richard Abrams, Ernst Reijseger, Fred van Hove, Theo Jörgensmann, Phil Minton, Mark Dresser, Mark Feldman, Hamid Drake, Michiel Braam, Mal Waldron a.m.o.

Further information about Frank Gratkowski can be found under:
www.FrankGratkowski.de (German)
www.Gratkowski.com (English)