"Die an die großen Romantiker gemahnende Melodiosität, der zurückhaltende Gestus, der leise Atem, der durch die Stücke weht, und die gefühlststarke Kraft des Tons stehen ebenso für ein wirklich großes Pianoalbum wie die fein sich entfaltenden Schattierungen, Stimmungen, Emotionen und Improvisationen. Sprudelnde Phantasie und innige Wärme gehen Hand in Hand, ergänzen sich mal heiter verspielt, mal dramatisch vertieft zu lebensnahen Klanggemälden von wunderbar farbiger Intensität. Ein Geniestreich.."
Jazzpodium
"Das bisher beeindruckenste Album von CCK."
Jazzthing
AUDIOPHILE BESTSELLER Master Music, Hongkong | CD of the Month STEREO | “Audiophile Highlight” STEREO 5 Stars (Music), 5 Stars (Sound) | GRAMMY® Nomination Entry “Best Instrumental Jazz Album”, “Best Improvised Jazz Solo” (“LIOR”), “Best Instrumental Jazz Composition” (“CAIRA”) | WINNER International Songwriting Competition / Jazz (“PIKÉ”)
CD des DOPPELMONATS PianoNews, 5 Stars (Music), 5 Stars (Sound) | GRAMMY® Nomination Entry “Best Instrumental Jazz Album”.
TOP 10 WOM-Jahrescharts | ARTIST OF THE YEAR Scala Award
TOP 10, Jahrescharts Philadelphia Business Journal | GRAMMY® Nomination Entry “Best Instrumental Jazz Album”
By Cornelius Claudio Kreusch’s own judgement “My best ensemble album thus far.”
« When one thinks about Cornelius and his music,
One realizes, that he cannot be pigeon hold into any one musical style or genre. That he is versatile goes without saying. He combines elements of many musical styles to create the very unique sound that is his. And you will find it captivating.
The Steinway piano is nothing until an artist comes along, that breathes life into its instruments. And I have it on very good authority, that Steinway Pianos are never happier, than when they are under the hands of Cornelius Claudio Kreusch.
His music like his spirit is uplifting and it will bring a smile to your face just as it will bring a smile to the face of the piano that is here with us this evening. Please join me and give a very warm welcome to our friend Cornelius Claudio Kreusch. »
PETER GOODRICH,
Former Director Concerts & Artists
(North America)
STEINWAY & SONS
Photo © Jeffrey Braverman
“Whether centennial piano titans Tatum, Solal, Horowitz, Gould, Kühn, Hancock or Jarrett, Kreusch, pulls all them all into the maelstrom of his outrageous virtuosity.”
Attila Csampai (Bayerischer Rundfunk, HIFi & Records, Music Manual, Tonart)
“Hochversierter Virtuose und begnadeter Improvisator.”
Süddeutsche Zeitung
Photo © Ralf Dombrowski
Photo © Detlef Schneider
“It’s a wild ride.”
Time Out / New York
CORNELIUS CLAUDIO KREUSCH TRIO live at BERKLEE @ OTTOBRUNN
CORNELIUS CLAUDIO KREUSCH TRIO feat. Alto Saxophonist BOBBY WATSON
“TWO WORLDS ONE” feat. KREUSCH BROS., BADI ASSAD & JAMEY HADDAD>
Photo © By the Photographers
PIANiST
“A pianst
who sounds
like no one else.
Endlessly fascinating
to hear."
Boston Globe
Photo © Detlef Schneider
Photo © Jeffrey Braverman
“A pianst
who sounds
like no one else.
Endlessly fascinating
to hear."
Boston Globe
Photo © Nada Hakeem
« Hats off, gentlemen - a genius! »
So Schumann memorably wrote after first hearing the music of Chopin. Every music lover knows this exhilarating feeling of discovery that comes along when hearing something or someone that is new, compelling, challenging, irresistible, and unique...
Last fall, in London, I bought a CD by a German pianist named Cornelius Claudio Kreusch, « Live at Steinway Hall / New York ». I didn't even realize it was a jazz record. If I had been wearing a hat a few weeks later when I pushed the CD into my car stereo, I would have doffed it in tribute.
The lean man pictured in a Hamlet pose on the album plays the piano like an angel and a demon, and before long I had to pull off the road so that I could concentrate on the music he can imagine in his head and draw out of the instrument. His coruscating improvisations draw on many sources, but they don't sound like anyone else, and they are endlessly fascinating to hear (...) »
RICHARD DYER
Boston Globe,
Arts & Entertainment
KURZBIOGRAPHIE
Der Jazz Pianist, Komponist und Produzent Cornelius Claudio Kreusch arbeitete bereits mit Herbie Hancock, Bobby McFerrin, Salif Keïta, Kenny Garrett, Bobby Watson, Greg Osby, Richard Bona und vielen anderen bedeutenden Musikern.
Ursprünglich klassisch ausgebildet bei Schülern von Francis Poulenc und Vladimir Horowitz, studierte Cornelius Claudio Kreusch eng mit Charles Mingus' legendärem Pianisten Jaki Byard ebenso wie mit Charles Banacos. Er schloss seine Studien am Berklee College of Music (B.M.) in Boston und der Manhattan School of Music (M.M.) in New York City mit Auszeichnungen ab. Er erhielt den Berklee Performance Award '93 und '94 des Berklee College of Music, ebenso wie den President's Award '95 und '96 der Manhattan School of Music.
Neben seinen Musikstudien studierte Cornelius Claudio Kreusch auch Ingenieurwissenschaften (Technische Universität München) und Betriebswirtschaft (Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität München).
Der Künstler, der vom Boston Globe beschrieben wurde als "ein Pianist, der klingt wie kein anderer. Endlos faszinierend zu hören.", war Finalist beim Great American Jazz Piano Competition, Gewinner im International Songwriting Competition in der Kategorie Jazz, bekam den Kulturförderpreis der Stadt München und viele weitere Preise. Er gibt weltweit Konzerte, vom Montreux Jazz Festival bis zum Blue Note in New York, spielte in klassischen Konzertreihen, und tourte in vielen Ländern, von Indien bis Cuba.
Viele CDs unter eigenem Namen, darunter die Erfolge "Black Mud Sound" (ENJA), "Scoop" (ACT), "Live! At Steinway Hall / New York" (BMG), "Life is Beautiful" (MJM), "Heart & Soul" (GLM), Filmmusiken und Musik für verschiedenste Marken zeugen von einer ausgeprägten Schaffenskraft. "Ein geniales Talent, ein fingerfertiger Zauberer, ein kreativer Iconoclast mit furchtloser Virtuosität und Wanton Alchemie des Klangs" schreibt die französische Zeitung France Ouest.
Cornelius Claudio Kreusch gründete 2004 die Musik- & Technologie-Firma MUSICJUSTMUSIC®, die den international beachteten Preis der "100 Best Private Tech Companies in Europe" bekam.
Der Künstler ist verheiratet und hat fünf Kinder.
« Dieser rasende Musik-Alchimist,
dieser besessene Schnell-Denker, dieser eruptive Tonfabrikant raubt einem die Sinne und den halben Verstand: da kannst du nur den Hut ziehen und kapitulieren.
Kreusch reißt alle Klaviertitanen des Jahrhunderts, ob sie Tatum oder Solal, Horowitz, Gould, Kühn, Hancock oder Jarrett heißen, in den Gedanken-Strudel seiner aberwitzigen Virtuosität und unternimmt mit einigen alten Standards im Hinterkopf eine tollkühne Tasten-Ralley der ständigen Metamorphosen, in die gewaltige Kettenreaktion seiner sprühenden, unglaublich kreativen Phantasie. (...)
Kreusch entführt uns tatsächlich auf eine Traumreise der vollen Herzen und fliegenden Gedanken', er ist ein Musikderwisch auf seinem fliegenden Teppich, der uns empfänglich macht für die unglaublichen Energien, die das Leben in jedem Augenblick für uns bereithält. »
ATTILA CSAMPAI Bayerischer Rundfunk, TonArt, HiFi & Records, Music Manual
With Herbie Hancock, during the rehearsals at New York’s Silvercup Studios in Astoria, Queens for what was to become the first ever internet duo, involving the early internet, satellites, midi & ISDN (World Premier, 1995)
With Kenny Garrett, at the recording session for “Black Mud Sound” (ENJA), feat. also Anthony Cox on bass, Marvin “Smitty” Smith on drums & special guest, Moroccan singer Hassan Hakmoun (1996)
With electric bass player ZAF ZAPHA & CAMILLE GAINER on drums; the funky live edition for Black Mud Sound (1997 & following).
CCK, COX, CALHOUN
Earth shaking Trio (1998 & following).
With my brother Johannes Tonio Kreusch, on the fire escape of our loft in New York City, the Tin Palace (1999).
With JAMES GENUS on bass & WILL CALHOUN on drums as we listen back to takes from the “SCOOP” album (1996).
With JOHANNES TONIO KREUSCH on guitar & JAMEY HADDAD on handdrums & percussion, as we get ready to enter the stage for our project: TWO WORLDS ONE (2004).
With current afro-brazil-funk-jazz-electro power trio feat. ZAF ZAPHA on bass & MAXIME ZAMPIERI on drums.
With current quartet feat. former Art Blakey Jazz Messenger BOBBY WATSON on alto saxophone, ZAF ZAPHA on bass & MAXIME ZAMPIERI on drums, just before the soundcheck for our gala concert at the International Guitar Festival Hersbruck (2012).
With amazing Brazilian singer BADI ASSAD & brother JOHANNES TONIO KREUSCH after our recording for our album: TWO WORLDS ONE (2012).
With the funkiest of all, the late GEORGE DUKE, celebrating Claude Nobs at the Boat House in Central Park, New York City. Also in the room, the epochal Quincy Jones (1999).
With wild fellow pianist JOACHIM KÜHN, at our Duo Concert at Munich’s Gasteig Carl Orff Saal (1999).
With Jamaican poet & visual artist JIMMY RAGE, after our performance with Black Mud Sound, also featuring drummer DAVID FALL, bassist ZAF ZAPHA (2002).
With Guyana New York tap dancer TAMANGO, returning from our duo concert at the Cayenne Jazz Festival (2003).
With the late & amazing JOE SAMPLE & the late wonderful poet & playwrite THOMAS GRIMES backstage at the Blue Note New York (2000).
With thunderous bassist ANTHONY COX & guitarist JOHANNES TONIO KREUSCH during our first recording session for our trio album at the Red Velvet Studio. Stay tuned for the upcoming release ...
Photo © Andreas Kunert
Photo © Detlef Schneider
Photo © Nina Blümel
Photo © Cornelia Szymczak
Photo © CCK
Photo © Danielle Cheng
Photo © Bernd Noelle
Photo © Zaf Zapha
Photo © CCK
Photo © Anthony Cox
Photo © Lois Roach
CCK played with
(Selection)
Singers
Badi Assad
Laura
Maya Azucena
Emilio Barretto
Jen Chapin
Fanta Diabaté
Thomas Grimes
Hassan Hakmoun
Salif Keïta
Elisabeth Kontomanou
Dorothée Kreusch-Jacob
Bobby McFerrin
Ginger McKenzie
Jimmy Rage
Sheryl “Pepsii” Riley
Tonni Smith
Saxophonists
Ron Blake
Klaus Doldinger
Kenny Garrett
Antonio Hart
Bobby Watson
Bassists
Richard Bona
Anthony Cox
James Genus
Jens Loh
Nate McBride
Zaf Zapha
Drummers
Cyril Atef
Café da Silva
Will Calhoun
Terri Lyne Carrington
David Fall
Jamey Haddad
Kaba Kouyaté
Patrick Manzecchi
Marilyn Mazur
Antonio Sanchez
Marvin “Smitty” Smith
Maxime Zampieri
Piano Duos
Jaki Byard
Laszlo Gardony
Herbie Hancock
Joachim Kühn
Aydin Esen
Hans Poppel
“Crossover” Artists
FM Einheit
Lukas Ligeti
Johannes Tonio Kreusch
Papatef
Vincent Ségal
Markus Stockhausen
Simon Stockhausen
Ken Vandermark
Selected
Discography
Solo Piano
EYE OF THE STORM GLM
TRANSFORMER GLM
ZAUBERBERG (2 CDs) GLM
Heart & Soul GLM
Live At Steinway Hall / New York GLM
Dolomites MJM
Live in Tallinn MJM
Ensembles
Hotel Casablanca GLM
1994 GLM
GESTALT! GLM
Black Mud Sound - Live in New York City GLM
BlackMudSound GLM (Re-Mastered)
Sun Music BMS
Féfé BMS
Scoop ACT
BlackMudSound ENJA
The Vision ENJA
Special Projects
Melting Box MJM
Alpha Box BMS
Mandala BMS
A BIOGRAPHICAL PORTRAIT
by KENT ANDERSON
Equally a world-class pianist, creative producer as well as successful entrepreneur, the passion of Cornelius Claudio Kreusch is the music.
The classically-trained pianist Cornelius Claudio Kreusch (who studied with several teachers including Mordecai Shehori, a disciple of Vladimir Horowitz, and Claude-France Journés, a disciple of Francis Poulenc, among others) and jazz legends Jaki Byard of Charles Mingus and Mal Waldron of Billie Holiday, as well as contemporaries Laszlo Gardony, Charlie Banacos, Ray Santisi and Leonid Chizhik. He is a graduate from Berklee College of Music (Bachelor of Music) in Boston and from Manhattan School of Music (Master of Music) in New York City, each as Honorable Alumnus. He also studied Arranging with Manny Albam in New York. Besides his extensive musical studies, Cornelius also studied civil engineering (Technische Universität München) and economics (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München).
This Steinway Artist is the recipient of many prizes and awards including the Berklee College of Music's Jazz-Performance-Awards ('93 and '94), Manhattan School of Music's President's Award ('95 and '96) and Germany's Scala-Award ('99) for Artist of the Year, as well as the Jazzprize Burghausen (’92), Jazzprize Biberach (‘90) and the city of Munich's Cultural Award ("Kulturförderpreis München"), as well as many GRAMMY® Nomination Entries.
He was selected as the youngest pianist for the 1. Concours International de Piano Jazz Martial Solal in Paris in 1989 and was one of five finalists at the Great American Jazz Piano Competition in 1994, the only European finalist in the history of this competition. Cornelius won first prize in the jazz section and an honorable mention in the hiphop category at the International Songwriting Competition in the same year of 2005.
Cornelius has performed at some of the most prestigious venues and music festivals including; the Blue Note, Steinway Hall and the Knitting Factory in New York, the Miles Davis Hall at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Munich Philharmonic Hall, Théâtre des Halles in Paris, Fondacion Miro in Barcelona, Tata Theater in Bombay, Sala Palatuli in Bukarest, and the Centro de las Artes in Mexico City, Teatro Amadeo Roldán in Havanna, King Fahad Cultural Centre in Riadh and many other places around the world.
He has performed and recorded with some of the most respected jazz and world musicians in the world including; Herbie Hancock, Salif Keïta, Richard Bona, Bobby McFerrin, Miles Davis' last saxophonist Kenny Garrett, saxophonists Bobby Watson (Art Blakey) and Greg Osby (M-Base), bassist Anthony Cox (Stan Getz, John Scofield) and drummers Marvin "Smitty" Smith , Will Calhoun (Living Colour), Terri Lyne Carrington, bassists James Genus (both Herbie Hancock), Zaf Zapha (Salif Keïta), hand-drummer Jamey Haddad (Paul Simon, Sting), and piano duos with Herbie Hancock, Joachim Kühn, Laszlo Gardony, Aydin Esen & Hans Poppel.
He has recorded with several prestigious recording companies including; GLM, ENJA records, ACT music + vision and Arte Nova/BMG, OehmsClassics, BlackMudSound Records, MUSICJUSTMUSIC® & GLM music, a body of over 20 albums in various genres.
Cornelius Claudio Kreusch also writes, records and produces under the ageis of Goldfinga, Pacific East, Bird Jaguar and Ocean Velvet, allowing him to extend his unbridled talents outside the scope of jazz to include; pop, classical, world, ambient, new age, and music for film.
A pianist “who sounds like no one else” (Boston Globe, John Dyer), CCK performed the first live internet concert on two pianos across the Atlantic together with Herbie Hancock back in 1995, long before the arrival of Skype.
Cornelius is also the Founder and CEO of state-of-the-art music and technology company MUSICJUSTMUSIC® (awarded the RedHerring100 for Best Private Tech Companies 2009). He serves on the board of & is active in several industry organizations & institutions, ranging from music, to technology, to copyright, to venture capital.
Together with his brother, classical guitarist Johannes Tonio Kreusch, he is the artistic director for various concert series and festivals, most notably the Ottobrunner Konzerte, which includes their annual festivals: FLAMENCO! Fusíon, Festival der Gitarre, Jazzfest Ottobrunn, Classical & Beyond, Klavier-Marathon, Ottobrunner Meisterkurse, as well as their bi-yearly international cooperation with the Berklee College of Music: Berklee@Ottobrunn.
Cornelius Claudio Kreusch’s passion is the music. His voice is the piano. Cornelius is married, has five children and enjoys everything forward-thinking, creative and fun for humans.
Photo © Detlef Schneider
Photo © Detlef Schneider
Photo © Detlef Schneider
Photo © Carola Müller
Photo © Todd France
With CCK’s afro-jazz-funk band FO DOUMBÉ feat. griot vocalist FANTA DIABATÉ, KABA KOYATÉ on balafon, djembe, guitar & vocals (both from Guinea), bassist & co-leader ZAF ZAPHA (French Guyana) as well as amazing drummer DAVID FALL from Senegal/France (2002-2005). Man, were we lighting the music up. We had thousands dance to the rhythms & melodies on our tour of Greece.
Photo © Klaus-Henning Hansen
“LISZT 2000."
Simon Stockhausen
about CCK
“If CCK wouldn’t exist, the music industry would have invented him."
Prinz
Kurzbiographie:
Der Jazz Pianist und Komponist Cornelius Claudio Kreusch arbeitete bereits mit Herbie Hancock, Bobby McFerrin, Salif Keïta, Kenny Garrett, Bobby Watson, Greg Osby, Will Calhoun, Anthony Cox, Terri Lyne Carrington, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, James Genus und vielen anderen bedeutenden Jazz Musikern. Ursprünglich klassisch ausgebildet bei Schülern von Francis Poulenc und Vladimir Horowitz, studierte er u.a. eng mit Charles Mingus' legendärem Pianisten Jaki Byard, und schloss seine Studien am Berklee College of Music (B.M.), Boston, und der Manhattan School of Music (M.M.), New York City, mit Auszeichnungen ab. Er bekam den Berklee Performance Award '93 und '94, ebenso wie den President's Award '95 und '96 der Manhattan School of Music. Der Pianist war Finalist beim Great American Jazz Piano Competition, Gewinner im International Songwriting Competition in der Kategorie Jazz und gibt weltweit Konzerte, vom Montreux Jazz Festival bis zum Blue Note in New York, spielte in klassischen Konzertreihen, und tourte in vielen Ländern, von Indien bis Cuba bis Saudi Arabien. 24 CDs unter eigenem Namen, darunter die Erfolge "BlackMudSound" (ENJA), "Scoop" (ACT), "Live! At Steinway Hall / New York" (BMG), "Life is Beautiful" (MJM), “Heart & Soul” (GLM), verschiedenste Preise und Kritikerlob zeugen von einer ausgeprägten Schaffenskraft. Sein aktuelles Solo-Album ist die hoch gelobte Doppel-CD “ZAUBERBERG - A musical Hommage to Thomas Mann” (GLM). Der Bayerische Rundfunk beschrieb ihn einmal wie folgt: "Dieser rasende Musik-Alchimist, dieser besessene Schnell-Denker, dieser eruptive Tonfabrikant raubt einem die Sinne und den halben Verstand: da kannst du nur den Hut ziehen und kapitulieren. Kreusch reißt alle Klaviertitanen des Jahrhunderts, ob sie Tatum oder Solal, Horowitz, Gould, Kühn, Hancock oder Jarrett heißen, in den Gedanken-Strudel seiner aberwitzigen Virtuosität und unternimmt mit einigen alten Standards im Hinterkopf eine tollkühne Tasten-Ralley der ständigen Metamorphosen, in die gewaltige Kettenreaktion seiner sprühenden, unglaublich kreativen Phantasie.”
Reviews:
"A pianist who sounds like no one else. Endlessly fascinating to hear."
(Boston Globe)
"One of the greatest improvisors in Europe."
(Jazzthing)
"A genius talent, a nimble fingered sorcerer, a creative iconoclast. The alchemist."
(France Ouest)
"Cornelius Claudio Kreusch really has all the qualities: He masters the piano and jazz. He has an always alert imagination, that allows him to be different. Something that always appeared to me as essential as an Improvisor. His “Zauberberg” is full of magic moments, that sound anew from track to track, which is a truly difficult task. He does it perfectly. He has got a wonderful touch, plays full of energy, full of emotion, rich in contrast, unexpected and with excellent tequnique. I hope, that this CD will find the appreciation that it deserves. He has got mine!"
(Martial Solal)
