New York Times “An aesthetic of aerodynamic fluency”

Something Else! “A truly forward thinking pianist… astonishing”

La Gazette Bleue D´Action “Magnificent”

All about Jazz “Impressive”

Süddeutsche Zeitung “An exceptional pianist with a fresh new sound “

Stern “so much tenderness and affection…the listener is intensely moved”

Jazzthetik “A marvel of balance“

Such praise by the critics is the result of a remarkable career during which Weber has firmly established himself as a global star. On stage and in the studio Weber has worked with Tomasz Stańko, Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny and Albert Mangelsdorff. More evidence for the high esteem in which this jack of all musical trades is held can be found in the honours he’s received to date: the Steinway Prize for solo piano at the Montreux Festival; 1st prize at the Monaco Jazz competition; ECHO jazz “best national pianist” in the jazz category; the WDR Jazz Prize for improvisation. His first album “Minsarah” was awarded the German record critics prize. He caught Lee Konitz’s attention and in 2007 they recorded “Deep Lee” together, in 2012, followed the recording “Live at the Village Vanguard”, the French magazine jazzman awarded them “Choc de l ‘année” as the best band of the year.

Incidentally this was the first time that a German jazz pianist has participated in a live recording at the legendary New York Club, likewise with Weber’s appearances with his own projects at the New York Winterjazz, the Angel City Jazz Festival in L.A. and the Tokyo Jazz Festival.

At all of these events, he has performed as the first, and for a long time the only pianist from the Federal Republic of Germany. He represents the country as no other pianist does on stage worldwide at these renowned festivals.

 

In 2011 Weber played with Lionel Loueke (“House guitarist” by Herbie Hancock), Thomas Morgan, Dan Weiss in the group ‘Biosphere’. The debut album “Biosphere” is a sensual commutation of complex rhythms and jazz covers of Jamiroquai and Coldplay tracks; a short time later the trio “CrissCross” featured Donny McCaslin (saxophonist and producer of the album “Black Star” by David Bowie) and Dan Weiss as a tribute to the two jazz pianists Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk. In 2015 Weber and his compatriot Markus Stockhausen released their 2015 acclaimed duo work “inside out” on the legendary ECM-label. In 2018, Weber released the quartet album ‘Lucent Waters’ with Ralph Alessi, Linda Oh and Nasheet Waits under his own name on ecm records.

 

The current album ‘Imaginary Cycle’ (ecm records) was conceived with an unusual line-up of brass ensemble and piano.Weber presents a cycle in four parts, plus an opening and an epilogue. The German pianist is accompanied by a group of four euphoniums, a trombone quartet as well as the flautist Anna-Lena Schnabel and Michel Godard on the rarely used historical brass instrument ‘Serpent’. Together they perform a work that blurs the boundary between improvisation and composition.

 

In addition to jazz projects, the pianist has also found time for classical excursions from time to time in his career, playing piano concertos by Mozart, Ravel, Gershwin and Piazzolla as a soloist with philharmonic orchestras. In masterclasses and teaching assignments at universities in Germany and abroad, the 48-year-old now passes on his knowledge to students of the next generation. He is also involved in several projects with the NDR Big Band in Hamburg