Johannes Wallmann, a German-born, Vancouver Island-raised, Wisconsin-based pianist, has made a name for himself as a creative and skilled composer of complex, yet engaging music. He spent twelve years in New York City and five in Oakland, Califorina. The sounds of his quintet, The Town Musicians (Fresh Sound New Talent 469), are influenced by the sounds of the places Wallmann has lived. The rhythmic pulses of New York City and Oakland meet the rugged coasts and open spaces of the Midwest. Wallmann’s fifth album, The Town Musicians is his fifth as a leader. He is joined by his long-standing NYC trio partner Sean Conly (bass) and Jeff Hirshfield (drums); a frequent collaborator, Russ Johnson, a Milwaukee-based trumpeter; and Gilad Hekselman, a rising jazz guitarist star who was once a student of Wallmann at the New School. Wallmann’s Bay Area saxophonist Dayna Stevens joins the band as tenor on two tracks. Wallmann’s compositions are featured on The Town Musicians, with the exception of an instrumental rendition of Fredrick Loewe’s hit song “I Could Have Danced All Night”. Wallmann’s unique writing is rooted in jazz tradition and inspired by Ellington and Coltrane music. Johannes Wallmann was born in Munster, Germany. He was raised in Canada on Vancouver Island where he learned classical guitar and piano. He decided to pursue a career as a musician and moved to New York City and Boston in 1995. There he studied jazz composition and piano at Berklee College of Music (B.Mus. 1995), and New York University (M.A. 1997; Ph.D. 2010). He also won two Canada Council artist grants and numerous scholarships. He quickly became a popular sideman in many musical styles after moving to New York City in 2015. Wallmann has toured extensively in North America, Europe and Asia. He performed at the Brooklyn Conservatory (New York City), Massey Hall(Toronto), the Coleman Hawkins Jazz Festival, Topeka, KS), and the Hong Kong Coliseum, Pacific Coliseum and SkyReach Centers (Edmonton), as well as in jazz clubs across North America. Wallmann has recorded or performed with Ingrid Jensen, Ralph Alessi, saxophonists Gary Bartz and Seamus Blake; trombonist Josh Roseman, jazz tubaists Howard Johnson, Marcus Rojas, and bassists Martin Wind and Jeff Andrews; drummers Danny Gottlieb and Tim Horner; Terry Clarke; and Faye Wong, Canto-pop singer. Wallmann is a composer and bandleader and has previously released four CDs: The Johannes Wallmann Quintet (1997), Alphabeticity 2003, Minor Prophets (2006), which Cadence Magazine calls a “glowing statement rippling inventiveness”. Wallmann also recorded or performed with trumpeters Ingrid Jensen and Ralph Alessi; saxophonists Gary Bartz, Seamus Blake, Dennis Mitcheltree, Pete Yellin, and Phil Dwyer; jazz tuba and trombone and tuba rhythm section that uses improv, New Orleans brass band tradition, rock and a to traditional swing to traditional to traditional to ECM to traditional swing to traditional to traditional to rock to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to ECM to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to ECM to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to ECM to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to ECM to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to ECM to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional to traditional Wallmann’s 15-piece group, The Sweet Minute Big Band, will be featured on another album, Always Something. Wallmann, who was appointed Director of Jazz Studies at UW Madison’s School of Music in the fall of 2012 to be the first holder of the John Peterson Chair for Jazz Studies, moved to Madison, Wisconsin, to take up the position. Wallmann is the director of UW Madison’s jazz studies program. He also teaches jazz composition, jazz piano, and the UW Jazz Orchestra. Wallmann was previously the Director of Jazz Studies at California State University East Bay for five years. Wallmann has held adjunct teaching positions at New York University (1997-2007), and the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music (33/2007). Students at New York University named him “Music Teacher of Year” in 2005. from www.johanneswallmann.com
