Clemens Wenger

Back for Good

clemenswenger — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 02:20:06 +0000

Hi! Hello!
2012 is here and I just updated my live dates. Not too much to do until march, so it´s time to work on new compositions, organizing JazzWerkstatt events in 2012 and doing things I haven´t had time for in the last months.
At the moment I´m finishing mixing nee. tracks we recorded some months ago. My mixing approach to that is very experimental and I enjoy working on the tunes a lot. The plan is to release an LP before Easter.
I´m also working on the recordings of Studio Dan´s “The Big Gruntz!” program, that also features some instrumental excerpts of my opera. So you´ll soon be able to listen to some heavy opera stuff…. any patrons out there to help financing the premiere????
Weather not so nice in Vienna….bye!

Let´s get it on!

clemenswenger — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 22:57:56 +0000

Long time no Post! Nice concerts are happening in November and December, let´s start with the JazzWerkstatt Wien New Ensemble:

Our first album will be released on December 7th at JazzWerkstatt Wien ZOOM! Night. We´ll play a set and feature the composer / electronics player Sam Britton a.k.a. Isambard Khroustaliov from London.
One week earlier, November 30, we´ll play a concert at legendary music club Miles Smiles in Vienna. The second part of the evening belongs to my other band nee. feat. Max Gaier. Here´s a live recording from our gig at Porgy&Bess in September:

Back to the New Ensemble – nice digital artwork by Nikolai Maderthoner, photo by Rania Moslam:

With 5 Achterl in Ehr´n we´re finishing our 3rd album at the moment, release party will be on the 9th of March – be there! There´s another record in the starting blocks: Angela Maria Reisinger. As you see, I spent a lot of time recording, editing and mixing the last months and I´m very happy with the results. Big Up for Mr. Benjamin Maumus and the GMEA in France, who recorded the JazzWerkstatt Wien New Ensemble CD, I really enjoyed working with them.
I recommend having a look on my Dates page, where you´ll find many nice concerts, such as Studio Dan feat. Elliott Sharp, Valerie “Nuits Blanches” or theatre play “Du bleibst bei mir“, where I perform the music together with reeds virtuoso Gerald Preinfalk.
From Vienna with love….

got LIVE if you want it!

clemenswenger — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 22:30:24 +0000

Let´s get it on!
WIEN KOLLEKTOR is a new project I´ve recently worked on. It´s a co-operation of 4 self-organized promoters in Vienna: Viennese Soulfood, Polyamory Sound Festival, SZKIZ and JazzWerkstatt Wien. We produced a programme, here´ it is:

OK, JazzWerkstatt´s Festival VIENNA ROOMSERVICE is starting next week, and it will be great. I will perform twice: Sept. 8 with singer Angela Maria Reisinger and Sept 10 with my band nee.. We´ll feature soul singer Max Gaier and we had a lot of fun rehearsing new tunes, here´s a picture from last week:

Above all, after Peer Gynt in 2008, I´m working at Volkstheater Wien again. Saxophone and clarinet player Gerald Preinfalk inivted me to play his music for the play “Du bleibst bei mir” with him. It´s a new theatre play by famous austrian writer Felix Mitterer, director: Michael Sturminger. Get more information here! Also see my DATES when I´ll perform at Volkstheater or with my other bands.
Finally, I´d like to say that I really enjoyed teaching at Jazzseminar Schönbach. The staff was well rehearsed, 100! students participated and I had a fantastic ensemble that rocked the students concert. We played “Electro Jazz” and had a nice instrumentation: Drums, Doublebass, Guitar, E-Piano, Synthesizer, E-Violin, Flute, Trumpet, 2 singers and Electronics (2 players) – AND tatarataaaaa!!!! – for all people doing “jazz gender research”: 6 women – 5 men.
I really recommend coming to Schönbach in 2012!!!

My former piano teacher Paul Urbanek informed me about a new conservatory in Vienna. I can speak from my own experience, he´s a fantastic teacher and piano player – so if you´re interested in studying music, have a look at JAM Music Lab!

Autumn in Vienna means lot of work and many concerts for me. Don´t miss the chance to see and hear me before Christmas! I almost forgot it… here´s the new 5 Achterl in Ehr´n music clip “Siasse Tschick”, enjoy:

Soul Sweet-And-Sour

clemenswenger — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:35:06 +0000

Hello World!
Recently we had three rehearsals with the trio “nee.”. We´re preparing a show that features Austrian soul singer Max Gaier. I´m very happy with what we´ve done so far and would like to promote our concert on September 10th at Porgy&Bess!!! Here´s Max:

The nee. show will be part of the JazzWerkstatt Wien festival VIENNA ROOMSERVICE. I also spent a lot of time organizing this event and the festival line-up is very interesting - ranging from legendary Austrian performers to young lions of the Vienna music scene. HERE it is!!! Be there.
I´ve spent a lot of time in the studio. Actually I´m working on 4 different albums:
JazzWerkstatt Wien New Ensemble – recorded July ´11 in Albi, France @ GMEA
5 Achterl in Ehr´n – still recording @ Seniorenstube Klosterneuburg
Angela Maria Reisinger – recorded June ´11 @ Acoustic Art Studios
nee. – recorded June ´11 @ Klangforum Wien
Lukas König recording with Angela Maria Reisinger:
Recording setup JazzWerkstatt Wien New Ensemble:

Furthermore I made a remix for upcoming band “Kompost 3” (Release tba) and helped producing a song for “König Leopold“. Have a look at Dates and see you soon!

lately on YouTube…Simson!

clemenswenger — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:29:34 +0000

A guy named wotan667 put this on Youtube. Studio Dan plays at Inntoene Festival 2011. You´re listening to two instrumental versions of scenes from my opera “Der unbezwingbare Simson”. It starts with the Ouverture and goes into “Beim Trinkgelage”. Obviously, there are no singers, they were replaced by jazz soloists for this concert. Martin Eberle on trumpet and Phil Yaeger on trombone. Enjoy!

Primitive Cool

clemenswenger — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:06:33 +0000

Daniel Riegler and me at Porgy&Bess, Vienna during Studio Dan´s performance of “THE BIG GRUNTZ!”. Soundfiles coming soon!

The first ZOOM! Nights at WUK Museum was very nice. I performed with Ben Martin one of his songs: “The Big Man Arrives”. To be continued!

Finito. – Avanti!

clemenswenger — Sat, 21 May 2011 22:37:53 +0000

Hello World!
I finished my opera “Der unbezwingbare Simson”. Yes. Furthermore I arranged two pictures of the opera for ensemble Studio Dan and we´ll premiere them in June. They´re instrumental versions, with improvising soloists instead of the singers – kind of a reminiscence of Miles Davis´and Gil Evans´great version of Porgy&Bess. Here´s the flyer, click on it for further information:

Here´s an electronic improvisation I made with NOISEPLUG, a nice program by smidernoise.com. It got a bit long, but has some nice passages in it that I´d like to share with you:

What else? This week we´re at the studio recording a new CD with 5 Achterl in Ehr´n. Also, we filmed a music video that will be released soon and I´m very curious about it.
We had a nice concert with JazzWerkstatt Wien New Ensemble in Albi, France. The GMEA programmed a fantastic festival “Journées Electriques” and we´re looking forward to coming back to Albi in July, when we will record our debut album with sound engineer Benjamin Maumus. Benjamin also helps setting up our “Vienna Roomservice” Festival, which will happen at Porgy&Bess from September 8 – 11. I can also announce that I will perform there on Sept 10th with our trio nee. , which is already pretty hyped in Vienna´s music circles, although we don´t really play many concerts. We will feature soul singer Max Gaier and this will be an epic meeting.
So, I guess you´re fed up now by my advertising.
Once again I´m completely into Gustav Mahler´s music. To put an end to this, here are some photos:

rehearsing SIMSON scenes and more…

clemenswenger — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 01:28:25 +0000

This was shot during our first rehearsals for “The big Gruntz!” program with ensemble Studio Dan. I´ll keep you updated about the concerts in June. The program will feature compositions of Daniel Riegler and myself, a.k.a. FMSB – First Microtonal Society of Brigittenau.
In “The Big Gruntz!”, we will also premiere scenes of my chamber opera “Der unbezwingbare Simson”. I´m working on instrumental versions that feature Jazz soloists instead of the singers, following the idea of Miles Davis´and Gil Evans´famous recording of “Porgy&Bess”.

Furthermore I´m rehearsing with “JazzWerkstatt Wien New Ensemble”, preparing for two nice concerts in Budapest and Albi, France. Topnotch.

I also want to share my excitemet about a concert I recently enjoyed. It took place at Theater an der Wien in Vienna and the evening was called “Aus Wien…”, the program was:
Arnold Schönberg – chamber symphony op.9
Gustav Mahler/Arnold Schönberg – Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
Alban Berg – Kammerkonzert for Piano and Violin
It was an incredible performance by Klangforum Wien and soloists Gunde Jäch-Micko and Florian Müller. Yes!

Everything Is Turning to Gold

clemenswenger — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 07:13:37 +0000

My Flickr Album “California 2011″. Best february ever.

Complete Flickr Album

Dirt & Soil

clemenswenger — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:06:20 +0000

Andy Manndorff´s new album is finished, I play piano and electronics on it and here it is:
It will be released on cracked anegg records on 4th of March and the CD-Release party and concert will be on the 9th of March at Porgy & Bess, Vienna. Here is more information about the recording on the Label´s Website, and here is Andy´s site. I also made a “medley” of some songs for you to get a picture of the music, enjoy!