James Banner – solo

Sprache wechseln (EN/DE)

about/bio

James Banner, improvisor-composer based in Berlin, presents a sonorously rich improvised solo bass programme exploring long forms and short bagatelles, grating scordatura and aggressive tidal movements that come as much from his punk and heavy metal background as the improvised and new music scenes of which he is now a part.

In March 2022 he self-recorded, designed and released his debut album digitally and on limited edition cassette and CD, which was featured in a profile by SWR2 (German national radio).

As an improvisor and soloist he has also been invited to be part of sound installations, festivals and performances with artists and collectives such as Outernational’s Songs of Wounding (with Mariana Sadovska), PODIUM Esslingen (#bebeethoven Festival), IMPULS Festival (Leipzig/Halle), Paula Doepfner (for the trees to drop) and many more. He is also active as an instigator of original improvised music projects and has invited guests such as Vilde&Inga, John Hollenbeck and Jim Black for concerts in Berlin, as well as co-curating the series Practically Married at Berlin’s legendary club Donau115 since 2015. He also actively commissions new pieces and collaborates with composers – in 2022/23 he will workshop and premiere works by Nick Dunston, Yaz Lancaster and Jamie Elless, present his workshop on creating music for solo bass and improvising musicians at Leeds Conservatoire and Sheffield University, and premiere a new work by James Thomas.