Our Sunday Interview - Thomas Heberer

Thomas Heberer (https://schindelbeck.org)

1. What is your greatest joy in improvised music?

To be in the moment.

2. What quality do you most admire in the musicians you perform with?

To surprise me.

3. Which historical musician/composer do you admire the most? If you could resurrect a musician to perform with, who would it be?

I admire anybody with an original approach. If I could resurrect a musician to perform with, it would be Misha Mengelberg.

4. What would you still like to achieve musically in your life? 

To have a long shelf life of creative output (I have been at it for almost 50 years now).

5. Are you interested in popular music and - if yes - what music/artist do you particularly like

Sure! Caetano Veloso

6. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Getting my hair back.

7. Which of your albums are you most proud of? 

Always the latest. "The Other Side of the Spoon" in honor of my friend Tristan Honsinger was released on Bandcamp on August 12.

8. Once an album of yours is released, do you still listen to it? And how often?

Once after the release; then again, 10 years later.

9.Which album (from any musician) have you listened to the most in your life?

Kenny Wheeler's "Gnu High." 

10. What are you listening to at the moment?

This morning my wife and I listened to Renaissance music by Josquin des Prez.

11. What artist outside music inspires you?

Julie Mehretu, Wangechi Mutu, Ursula von Rydingsvard, Corinne Wasmuht....

Recent albums with Thomas Heberer reviewed by us: 

• Thomas Heberer, Ken Filiano & Phil Haynes - Spontaneous Composition (Self-Released, 2022) & Thomas Heberer's Garden, Max Johnson, Lou Grassi – Push Play (CIMP, 2022) 
• Instant Composers Pool Update
• Thomas Heberer - The Day That Is (Sunnyside Records, 2021)
• The Nu Band - In Memory Of Marc Whitecage - Live At The Bop Shop (Not Two, 2021)Thomas Heberer, Joe Fonda & Joe Hertenstein - Remedy (Fundacja Słuchaj, 2021) ****½
• Thomas Heberer, Yoni Kretzmer, Christian Weber – Big (OutNow Recordings, 2018) ***½
• The Nu Band - The Final Concert (NoBusiness, 2016) 
• The Nu Band - Live In Geneva (Not Two, 2017) ****
• Thomas Heberer, Achim Kaufmann & Ken Filiano - Interstices (NuScope, 2015) *****
• Yoni Kretzmer Five (Out Now, 2016) ****½
• Joe Hertenstein, Pascal Niggenkemper & Thomas Heberer - HNH (Clean Feed, 2015) ****½
• The Nu Band - The Cosmological Constant (Not Two, 2015) ****
• Thomas Heberer & Pascal Niggenkemper - Miner's Pick (FMR, 2014) ****½
• ICP Orchestra - East of the Sun (ICP Records, 2014) *****
• Thomas Heberer & Achim Kaufmann - Knoten (Red Toucan, 2013) ****½ 
• Thomas Heberer's Clarino - Cookbook (Red Toucan, 2012) *****
• Thomas Heberer's Clarino - Klippe (Clean Feed, 2011) ****½
• Joe Hertenstein, Thomas Heberer, Joachim Badenhorst, Pascal Niggenkemper - Polylemma (Red Toucan, 2011) ****½
• Thomas Heberer - Clarino (No Business, 2011) ****
• Joe Hertenstein, Pascal Niggenkemper, Thomas Heberer - HNH (Clean Feed, 2010) ****½
• Thomas Heberer - Five By Five (Self Published, 2009) ****
• Andreas Schmidt, Samuel Rohrer, Thomas Heberer - Pieces For A Husky Puzzle (Jazzwerkstatt, 2009) *****