Percussion Mallets

Instrumentalists:

Roland Härdtner - marimba,vibraphone, xylophone, concerttoms, bells, timpani, percussion, keyboards

Information about Roland Härdtner's musical career can be found under "biographie".

Amadou Kienou - djembé, tama
Amadou Kienou is a percussionist and a master of drums from the Griot family from Baba Kienou in Ouagadougou / Burkina Faso. Since his childhood days he is familiar with Africa's traditional music. Since many years, he has been travelling all the corners of the world to present his music and to get into an exchange of music with other people. He is accompanied often by his group „Foteban“, whose musicians are also from the Griot family.
Amadou Kienou doesn't play at big festivals and concert stages only, but he is also a sensitive teacher, who shares his knowledge again and again in seminars and workshops.
In April 2004 he prduced his recent solo album „ SYA – Rythmes de la tradition du Burkina Faso“, which was at once noticed worldwide and is acclaimed as one of the best album of its kind by professional circles.
Amadou Kienou plays as master of drums mainly the djembé, a traditional music instrument from West-Africa, which is carved of a tree trunk and played with the hands. Especially the Griots, the holders of the verbally passed culture, play this royal instrument.

Rhythm Club Pforzheim - percussion

• Claus Müller: "Fools Garden"
• Goran Mann: "Polizeimusikkorps Baden-Württemberg"
• Dieter Fuchs: "Route 66", "David Hanselmann", "Matter of Taste"
• Georg Schmid: "Nightfly", "Funhouse"
• Martin Röhm: "Slave", "Gonezoo"
• Markus Bodamer: Graduate of the "Los Angeles Music Academy"

Boris Ritter - piano, composition, arrangement
Boris Ritter was awarded with the “Outstanding Musicianship Award” from the „Berklee College of Music Boston“, USA. He has studied piano in Karlsruhe and was award winner at „Jugend komponiert“ (Young Composer) and „Jugend musiziert“ (Young Musician) at national German level. Besides this, he has been a long-time member of the „Bundesjugendorchester“ und musical director of the „Badische Landesbühne Bruchsal“. He plays and conducts at various musicals, like „Tanz der Vampire“, „3 Musketiere“, „Mamma Mia!“ and Elisabeth, also he is a lecturer at the „Musikhochschule Mannheim“.

Klaus Dusek - bass
Klaus Dusek studied contrabass at the „Musikhochschule Münster“. He was first winner at the contest „Jugend jazzt“ (Young Jazz Musician) and played in a number of jazz formations, including the „New Jazz Festival“ in Moers. Since 1984 he is a member of the „Städtische Orchester Pforzheim“.

Info

Percussion Mallets“ differs from Roland Härdtner's former CD-productions by a completely new way in the use of the mallets. There are neither arrangements from well-known operas, musicals or ballets nor arrangements of clasical compositions. „Percussion Mallets“ demonstrates, that Roland Härdtner he is not only able to play the mallets, but when playing the drums or the timpani rhythm is in his blood.

The birth of this CD is the coincidental meeting from Roland Härdtner and Amadou Kienou at a drum workshop held in Straßburg by the „Maître de Tambour“ in october 2002. The love for „punchy“ instruments united the two musicians against all the cultural odds. The interest in the other person's kind o drumming arose quickly and an active interchange emerged, which led to a common session on stage. After a lot of successful concerts, the idea of a common CD with music „between the cultures“ developed. Hence, „Percussion Mallets“ was recorded after a longer absence from creative work by Roland Härdtner with great accuracy, love and joy when playing music. This joy of playing was even enhanced by the six drummers from the „ Rhythm Club Pforzheim“, the „Swinging Mallets Trio“ and other musicians from the „Städtischen Orchester Pforzheim“. The CD, originally planned as a duo-project, had now 16 musicians participating in it. They conjured a result, which encourages to dancing, dreaming, enjoyment and especially to drum by yourself.

Press reviews

• Percussion Mallets - PZ 03.11.2005 - CD Rezension

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