About
Kuhn Fu, the multicultural band led by guitarist and composer Christian Kühn, simply takes what it needs: the wild, unrestrained energy of rock, and the freedom of composition and interplay from jazz.
Their new album GamGumSupon is the band's most direct and hard hitting record to date. Jazz, metal, punk, big band and rock collide in a highly idiosyncratic sound marked by compositional density, immense energy and a fierce joy in playing. KUHN FU call it Punk Jazz Psychedelia. At the heart of the band is a fierce woodwind section and a hard-driving rhythm section, creating music that constantly shifts between composition and improvisation, subtlety and intensity.
Founded in 2012 in Groningen, Netherlands, KUHN FU has released seven studio albums and two live records, was nominated for the German Jazz Prize 2023 in the category Composition of the Year, and has toured extensively across Europe, playing more than 400 concerts in 23 countries.
Originally formed as a quartet, KUHN FU now exists in formations ranging from quartet to octet. The international lineup is Christian Kühn (guitar, composition), Ziv Taubenfeld (bass clarinet), Esat Ekincioglu (bass), George Hadow (drums). In later years, the band expanded to include John Dikeman (tenor saxophone), Sofia Salvo (baritone and alto saxophone), Frank Gratkowski (flute, alto saxophone and clarinet) and Mateusz Rybicki (clarinet and tenor saxophone).
"If Igor Stravinsky composed jazz today, it might sound like Kuhn Fu's songs" Improspot.pl
"Consistently and harmoniously, the accomplished musicians combine anarchic wit with individual virtuosity, while Kühn's clever arrangements provide guardrails for their often breathtaking journey." FAZ Norbert Krampf
"Furious urgency with the greatest apparent casualness, intricate complexity with the greatest palatability - Kuhn Fu manages to combine these phenomenally well." Frankfurter Rundschau
"Kuhn Fu lives up to its martial name. The multicultural jazz ensemble brings enormous energy to the stage and is at the same time a demonstration of the wonderful togetherness in music." Süddeutsche Zeitung
Rhythm Section
Christian Kühn (guitar, voice, composition)
is the German bandleader who moves like a rat on stage. He has been accused of schizophrenia by the jazz press and is constantly fighting a war against "the invisible jazz wall". He lives in Berlin, loves Duke Ellington, Shostakovich, Rock n Roll and his red telecaster.
Esat Ekincioglu (bass, voice)
Esat Ekincioglu is a Turkish/Dutch bass player, improviser, composer and manager based in Groningen, the Netherlands. A versatile and in-demand bass player, Esat spends much of the year on the road, playing throughout Europe, the Near East and China.
George Hadow (drums)
George Hadow is an English drummer originally from South-West Devon, England. He relocated to Amsterdam in 2012 after attending the Dutch Impro Academy the year prior, where he is now a prominent figure in the avant-garde scene.
Horn Section
Ziv Taubenfeld (bass clarinet)
Ziv Taubenfeld is a bass clarinetist born in the Galil region, Northern Israel. After establishing himself as a key figure in Amsterdam's jazz and improvised music community, he recently relocated to Lisbon. While improvisation is at the core of Taubenfeld's work, his main project- Full Sun- often engages with large form compositions. Recent collaborations include Hamid Drake, Carlos "Zingaro", and Michael Moore among others.
Sofia Salvo (baritone saxophone)
Sofía Salvo is a baritone sax player and improviser from Buenos Aires, Argentina, currently living in Berlin, Germany. Her performances include a strong combination between acoustic noisy sounds and dark introspective melodies. She has been a fixture in the Berlin impro scene since her arrival 2020.
John Dikeman (tenor saxophone)
John Dikeman is an American saxophonist currently residing in Amsterdam. Drawing inspiration from a wide range of sources, John's playing runs the gamut of improvised music and technique, ranging from reductionist extended technique based improvisation to full throttle free jazz.
Frank Gratkowski (alto sax, clarinet, flute)
Born in Hamburg in 1963, Frank Gratkowski is one of the most prolific saxophone and clarinet players worldwide. He studied with Heiner Wiberny, Charlie Mariano, Sal Nistico, and Steve Lacy.
Mateusz Rybicki (clarinet, tenor sax)
Mateusz Rybicki is a Polish clarinetist, tenor saxophonist and composer, closely associated with the Wrocław improvised and jazz music scene.
Kuhn fu has played many gigs in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Denmark, Italy, France, Spain, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Turkey, and Israel.
If you like the music, please contact us for a gig or simply show us your love by sharing it with your friends.
We hope to see you at a concert!
