Bass
Nils Kugelmann has achieved something very special with his debut album Stormy Beauty (ACT). In addition to a nomination for the German Record Critics' Award, an appearance in the European jazz charts and enthusiastic audiences everywhere, it has also been consistently celebrated by the national and international press. The Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote about Stormy Beauty: "A brilliant album by one of the most universal musicians in this country". BR Klassik ranks the album among the top ten international jazz albums of 2023 and states: "Nils Kugelmann's compositions [...] are among the most elegant you can hear in jazz today." And SWR describes his debut as "music that gets under your skin".
Kugelmann fuses with his double bass like no other and liberates it from the role of accompanying instrument with a force that is unrivalled. His intelligent and powerful playing has already led the 28-year-old to appearances with the Benny Golson Quartet, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Johannes Enders and Trio Elf. Nils Kugelmann has also received numerous awards as a bandleader and sideman. He won the European Young Artist Award at Jazzwoche Burghausen with his trio and the German Jazz Prize 2024 as part of the Shuteen Erdenebaatar Quartet. In addition to further prizes at the Young Munich Jazz Prize, Biberacher Jazz Prize, Bavarian Jazz Association Award and the Future Sounds Competition, Kugelmann has also been honoured for his work as a composer and musician with the Music Scholarship of the City of Munich and the BMW Young Artist Jazz Award.
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