Christoph Grab


Christoph Grab is a Swiss jazz musician, composer, and university professor.

Career

He studied saxophone, composition, and arrangement at the renowned Swiss Jazz School in Bern. During his studies, he had the opportunity to learn from major figures such as Andy Scherrer, Sal Nistico, Jerry Bergonzi, Joe Lovano, and Dave Liebman, all of whom greatly influenced his musical development.
Grab is highly active as both a performer and composer. He has written numerous compositions and arrangements for various ensembles and collaborates with the Zurich Composers Collective. His current musical projects include BLOSSOM, REFLECTIONS, and the soul jazz group ROOT AREA.
In addition to leading his own bands, Grab is a member of many ongoing ensembles such as Baumann/Grab/Haemmerli/Renold, Christoph Steiner’s Escape Argot, Elmar Frey Septett, Raphael Jost Group, Reto Anneler’s STILLE POST, ELLINGTONALITY, Axel Fischbacher Oktett, Spittin’ Horns, and the Herbie Kopf Quartett, among others. Throughout his career, he has also performed with numerous past groups, including RAW VISION, SCIENCE FICTION THEATER,, Neuromodulator, KOJ/Nadelöhr, Kurt Weill Vibes Revisited, ContempArabic Jazz Ensemble, Marion Denzler Group, The Blindside, Lukas Bitterlin Quartett, Blastic, and the Grab/Kopf Quartett.
Interestingly, Grab also explores experimental music—he works with live electronics and modifies toys into sound machines, which has attracted attention from the electronic and DJ scenes as well.
Besides his work as a performer, Grab is also an educator. Since 1998, he has been a professor of saxophone and improvisation at the Jazz Department of the Zurich University of the Arts.

Award

  • Grab received first prize in the 1992 national competition for young soloists organized by the Freidel-Wald Foundation in Basel.
  • He received the Swiss Jazz Award at the Ascona Jazz Festival

Discography

Christoph Grab's BLOSSOM
  • * Blossom – with Ralph Alessi, Lukas Traxel, Pius BaschnagelRoot Area
  • * Root Area – with Nicole Johänntgen, Victoria Mozalevskaya, Marcel Thomi, Elmar Frey
  • * The RAY Session – with Nicole Johänntgen, Marcel Thomi, Elmar Frey
  • * In Pursuit Of Happiness – with Nicole Johänntgen, Marcel Thomi, Elmar FreyChristoph Grab's RAW VISION
  • * Argument – with Silvan Jeger, Maxime Paratte
  • * RAW VISION – with Frank Möbus, Ronny Graupe, Bernhard Bamert, Thomas Lüscher, Silvan Jeger, Maxime Paratte
  • * CODE TALKER – with Frank Möbus, Bernhard Bamert, Thomas Lüscher, Silvan Jeger, Maxime Paratte
  • * Fool's Dance – with Ronny Graupe, Thomas Lüscher, Raphael Walser, Maxime ParatteHausquartett
  • * From the cadavre exquis collection – with Christoph Baumann, Hämi Hämmerli, Tony RenoldScience Fiction Theater
  • * PIMP TOWN – with Flo Stoffner, Christian Rösli, Flo Götte, Tobias Schramm
  • * DOLLY SHOT – with Felix Utzinger, Christian Rösli, Valentin Dietrich, Andy WettsteinChristoph Grab's REFLECTIONS
  • * Reflections – with Lukas Traxel, Pius Baschnagel
  • * Live at Haberhaus – with Lukas Traxel, Pius Baschnagel, Lukas Thoeni, Andreas Tschopp
  • * Oneness – with Bänz Oester, Pius Baschnagel, Lukas Thoeni, Andreas TschoppChristoph Grab's TOUGH TENOR
  • * Basics – with Marcel Thomi, Elmar FreyChristoph Steiner's ESCAPE ARGOT
  • * Still Writing Letters – with Florian Favre, Christoph Steiner
  • * You.Me.Them – with Florian Favre, Christoph SteinerReto Anneler's STILLE POST
  • * Stille Post – with Reto Anneler, Lukas Traxel, Claudio StrübyFriedli Grab Pfammatter Spillmann Traxel
  • * Motian Mythology Christoph Grab's CRYPTIC BLUES
  • * personal – with Flo Stoffner, Christoph Sprenger, Dieter Ulrich
  • * cryptic blues – with Nils Wogram, Flo Stoffner, Christoph Sprenger, Dieter UlrichRaphael Jost
  • * Moosedays – with Raphael Jost, Raphael Walser, Jonas Ruther, Lukas Thöni, Florian Egli, Lukas Wyss, Nils Fischer
  • * Swingin' Christmas – with Raphael Jost, Lukas Thöni, Raphael Walser, Jonas RutherEllingtonality
  • * Vol. 1 – with Alessandro D'Episcopo, Hämi Hämmerli, Elmar FreyNeuromodulator
  • * N – with Ephrem Lüchinger, Eric Hunziker, Marius PeyerZurich Jazz Orchestra
  • * Three Pictures
  • * Song
  • * Beyond Swiss Tradition
  • * New Plans Elmar Frey Sextett
  • * News From The Past – with Daniel Schenker, Stefan Schlegel, Alessandro D'Episcopo, Daniel Fricker, Elmar Frey
  • * Seven Colors – with Daniel Schenker, Rodrigo Botter Maio, Stefan Schlegel, Alessandro D'Episcopo, German Kleiber, Elmar FreyLukas Bitterlin Quartet
  • * driftwood – with Hanspeter Pfammatter, Daniel Schläppi, Lukas BitterlinMarion Denzler Group
  • * with every breath i take – with Marion Denzler, Chris Wiesendanger, Herbie Kopf, Tony RenoldKOJ / Nadelöhr
  • * nadelöhr – with Christian Strässle, Ueli Bernays, Dominik Burger
  • * charming stories – with Christian Strässle, Matthias Gloor, Dominik Burger
  • * merry melodies – with Christian Strässle, Matthias Gloor, Dominik Burger
  • * PIFFKANEIRO – with Louis Sclavis, Christian Strässle, Matthias Gloor, Dominik BurgerTerra Q
  • * thoughts – with Matthieu Michel, Mario Scarton, Wolfgang Zwiauer, Marcel PapauxPortenier-Grab
  • * the art of duo – with Markus PortenierChristoph Grab's REALITY SCAN
  • * the soul of the city – with Robert Morgenthaler, Björn Meyer, Tony RenoldKurt Weil & Vibes Revisited
  • * late but not too late – with Kurt Weil, Stefan Stahel, Kalli Gerhards, Nick Liebmann
  • * moving forward-reaching back – with Kurt Weill, Stefan Stahel, Mark Egan, Danny GottliebContempArabic Jazz Ensemble
  • * welcome to egypt
  • * nuba hsin Switzerjazz
  • * switzerjazz – with Nat Su, Daniel Schenker, Hans Feigenwinter, Daniel Fricker, Elmar FreyKieloor Entartet
  • * the red light fuge – with Lucas Niggli, Matthias Gloor, Matthias Kielholz, u. v. m.Blastic
  • * ''clockwise''