Tobias Delius
Encyclopedia
Tobias Delius is a musician who plays the tenor saxophone
& clarinet
.
Delius moved to Amsterdam in 1984 and studied for a short while at the Sweelinck Conservatorium. He soon became involved with Amsterdam improvisers and dropped his studies to immerse himself in the improvised music scene. In 1990 he was awarded the Podiumprijs from the organisation Stichting Jazz in The Netherlands. In February 2004, Delius was awarded the VPRO/Boy Edgar Award
, the Netherlands' most prestigious award in improvised music.
He has worked in Europe and overseas with among others Steve Lacy
, Louis Moholo
’s Viva-la-black, Bill Frisell
, Mark Feldman
and Trio Clusone, Misha Mengelberg
, Steve Beresford
, Jeb Bishop
, Kent Kessler
& Hamid Drake
and Ray Anderson
.
Tobias Delius leads his own quartet with Tristan Honsinger
(cello), Joe Williamson (double bass) and Han Bennink
(drums). The CDs The Heron, Toby’s Mloby and Pelikanismus were enthusiastically received both at home and abroad.
Delius has a duo with bassist Wilbert de Joode, forms a trio with keyboard player Cor Fuhler
and various drummers (Louis Moholo
and Paul Lovens
to name two), and initiated the Trio San Francisco with reed players South African Sean Bergin
and Italian Daniele D’Agaro. He has formed apa ini, a group with Wilbert de Joode, Hilary Jeffery (trombone) and Serigne Gueye (djembe).
He can be heard in a variety of groups, including Available Jelly, Sean Bergin’s MOB, ICP Orchestra, Chris Abelen Quintet, Joost Buis and his Famous Astronotes, Frank van Bommel Quartet and Curtis Clark.
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
& clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
.
Music career
Delius began playing saxophone in 1980 in Germany. In 1983-1984 he lived in Mexico City where he played in the “Cuarteto Mexicano de Jazz” led by pianist Francixco Téllez.Delius moved to Amsterdam in 1984 and studied for a short while at the Sweelinck Conservatorium. He soon became involved with Amsterdam improvisers and dropped his studies to immerse himself in the improvised music scene. In 1990 he was awarded the Podiumprijs from the organisation Stichting Jazz in The Netherlands. In February 2004, Delius was awarded the VPRO/Boy Edgar Award
VPRO/Boy Edgar Award
The VPRO/Boy Edgar Award, is an annual award given to a Dutch jazz musician, composer, or bandleader. The individual must have made significant contributions to the Dutch jazz scene over a significant period of time. The award is a sculpture by Dutch fine artist Jan Wolkers, and a cash prize of...
, the Netherlands' most prestigious award in improvised music.
He has worked in Europe and overseas with among others Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy , born Steven Norman Lackritz in New York City, was a jazz saxophonist and composer recognized as one of the important players of soprano saxophone....
, Louis Moholo
Louis Moholo
Louis Tebugo Moholo , is a South African jazz drummer.He formed The Blue Notes with Chris McGregor, Johnny Dyani, Nikele Moyake, Mongezi Feza and Dudu Pukwana, and emigrated to Europe with them in 1964, eventually settling in London, where he formed part of a South African exile community that made...
’s Viva-la-black, Bill Frisell
Bill Frisell
William Richard "Bill" Frisell is an American guitarist and composer.One of the leading guitarists in jazz since the late 1980s, Frisell's eclectic music touches on progressive folk, classical music, country music, noise and more...
, Mark Feldman
Mark Feldman
Mark Feldman is an American jazz violinist.Feldman worked in Chicago from 1973 to 1980, and in Nashville, Tennessee from 1980 to 1986. He worked in New York City and Western Europe from 1986. Feldman often works with John Zorn, Sylvie Courvoisier, John Abercrombie, The Masada String Trio, Dave...
and Trio Clusone, Misha Mengelberg
Misha Mengelberg
Misha Mengelberg is a Dutch jazz pianist and composer. He won the Gaudeamus International Composers Award in 1961.-Biography:...
, Steve Beresford
Steve Beresford
Steve Beresford is a British musician who graduated from the University of York. He has played a variety of instruments, including piano, trumpet, euphonium, double-bass and a wide variety of toy instruments, such as the toy piano. He has also played a wide range of music...
, Jeb Bishop
Jeb Bishop
Jeb Bishop is an American jazz trombone player.He grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has studied music at Northwestern University, engineering and philosophy at North Carolina State University, and philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Arizona,...
, Kent Kessler
Kent Kessler
Kent Kessler is an American jazz double-bassist, best known for his work in the Chicago jazz and avant garde music scene.Kessler, born in Crawfordsville, IN, grew up on Cape Cod and began playing trombone at age ten. He and his family moved to Chicago when he was 13, and a few years later Kessler...
& Hamid Drake
Hamid Drake
Hamid Drake is an American jazz drummer and percussionist. He lives in Chicago, IL but spends much of his time traveling around the world for concerts and studio dates....
and Ray Anderson
Ray Anderson (musician)
Ray Anderson is an independent jazz trombone and trumpet player. Anderson is a boisterous trombonist who is masterful at multiphonics. Trained by the Chicago Symphony trombonists, he is regarded as pushing the limits of the instrument. He is a contemporary and colleague of trombonist/composer...
.
Tobias Delius leads his own quartet with Tristan Honsinger
Tristan Honsinger
Tristan Honsinger is a cello player active in free jazz and free improvisation. He is perhaps best known for his long-running collaboration with free jazz pianist Cecil Taylor and guitarist Derek Bailey....
(cello), Joe Williamson (double bass) and Han Bennink
Han Bennink
Han Bennink is a Dutch jazz drummer and percussionist. On occasion his recordings have featured his playing on clarinet, violin, banjo and piano....
(drums). The CDs The Heron, Toby’s Mloby and Pelikanismus were enthusiastically received both at home and abroad.
Delius has a duo with bassist Wilbert de Joode, forms a trio with keyboard player Cor Fuhler
Cor Fuhler
Cor Fuhler is an Amsterdam-based musician who plays in the style of electroacoustic improvisation. His primary instrument is the piano . He explores the possibilities of the piano, manipulating it’s sound with use of various string stimulators like ebows, rotating threads and spinning disks...
and various drummers (Louis Moholo
Louis Moholo
Louis Tebugo Moholo , is a South African jazz drummer.He formed The Blue Notes with Chris McGregor, Johnny Dyani, Nikele Moyake, Mongezi Feza and Dudu Pukwana, and emigrated to Europe with them in 1964, eventually settling in London, where he formed part of a South African exile community that made...
and Paul Lovens
Paul Lovens
Paul Lovens is a musician. He plays drums, percussion, singing saw and various selected and unselected cymbals. He has also performed with the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra and Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra....
to name two), and initiated the Trio San Francisco with reed players South African Sean Bergin
Sean Bergin
Sean Bergin is an avant-garde jazz saxophonist and flautist originally from South AfricaBergin was born in Durban on June 29, 1948. He is saxophonist, flautist, composer, educator and bandleader....
and Italian Daniele D’Agaro. He has formed apa ini, a group with Wilbert de Joode, Hilary Jeffery (trombone) and Serigne Gueye (djembe).
He can be heard in a variety of groups, including Available Jelly, Sean Bergin’s MOB, ICP Orchestra, Chris Abelen Quintet, Joost Buis and his Famous Astronotes, Frank van Bommel Quartet and Curtis Clark.