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Christoph Gallio

Lives in Baden, Switzerland. Self-taught. Studied saxophone with Iwan Roth at the Basel Music Conservatory and music with Steve Lacy in Paris. Master of Arts (MA) in Transdisciplinarity at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). In 1987 he won the Action Arts Price of the city of Basel, in 2009 the Berlin Atelier, in 2022 the London Atelier of the Kanton Aargau and the Buenas Aires Atelier oft the City of Baden in 2017. He has toured in and outside of Switzerland. www.gallio.ch

Gallio started his stage career as a cooperating artist with living goldfishes (documented on FISHLAND). He leads the Swiss trio DAY & TAXI (with bass player Silvan Jeger and drummer Gerry Hemingway) since 1988. Since 1977 he has played and recorded with Irene Schweizer, Irene Aebi, Peter K Frey, Urs Voerkel, Günter Müller, Mani Neumeier, Alfred Zimmerlin, Lindsay L Cooper, Mats Gustafsson, Raymond Stird, Sten Sandell, Matthew Ostrowski, Stephan Wittwer, Andy Guhl, Norbert Möslang, Peter Kowald, Dennis Charles, Bern Nix, Michael Lytle, Sylvia Nopper, Marino Pliakas, Thomas Eckert, Konstantin Sedovin, David Watson, Kalle Laar, Mart Soo, Robert Dick, Werner Lüdi, Urs Blöchlinger, Fred Frith, Phil Minton, John Russel, Chie Mukai, Takashi Kazamaki, Haco, Chie Mukai, Tetsu Saitoh, Naoki Kita, Samm Bennett, Onnyk, Keiko Higuchi, Uchihashi Kazuhisa, Kazutoki Umezu, Ellen Christi, William Parker, Rashied Ali, Roger Turner, Urs Leimgruber, Olaf Rupp, Sven Åke Johansson, Oliver Steidle, Jan Roder, Andrea Neumann, Christian Weber, Marco Käppeli, Dieter Ulrich, Julian Sartorius, Fabiana Galante, Luis Conde, Paula Shocron, Alex Elgier, Pablo Diaz, Sergio Merce, Cecilia Quinteros, Marcelo von Schultz etc. Performed solo and with dancers Tomiko Takai (butoh), Christine Brodbeck, Yvonne Meier and Franz Frautschi. Worked together with artists like Caro Niederer, Eric Hattan, Beat Streuli, Alex Silber, Claude Gaçon and with writer Kurt Aebli. Since 1986 he has been composing. Christoph Gallio played on international Jazzfestivals in Canada, China, Japan, Russia, Kasachstan, Europe , South America and the USA. www.gallio.ch

Awards

In 1987 he won the Action Arts Price of the city of Basel, in 2009 the Berlin Atelier, in 2022 the London Atelier of the Kanton Aargau and the Buenas Aires Atelier oft the City of Baden in 2017. He has toured in and outside of Switzerland. www.gallio.ch


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Album Review

Christoph Gallio, Dominic Lash, Mark Sanders: Live at Café Oto London

Read "Live at Café Oto London" reviewed by John Eyles


Swiss saxophonist Christoph Gallio has been playing with the trio DAY & TAXI for over three decades during which time he has been the only ever-present member, and the trio has released twelve albums. Early in July 2022, Gallio arrived in jny: London at the beginning of a six-month sabbatical stay at the London Atelier of the Kanton Aargau. This was not a new experience as he had previously stayed in the Berlin Atelier, in 2009, and in the Buenos ...

Album Review

Markus Eichenberger & Christoph Gallio: Unison Polyphony

Read "Unison Polyphony" reviewed by Neri Pollastri


Unison Polyphony, espressione che dà titolo a questo album, non è solo un poetico ossimoro, bensì sintetizza il programma stesso della musica che vi sviluppano i suoi autori --gli svizzeri Markus Eichenberger e Christoph Gallio. Siamo infatti di fronte a quaranta minuti di improvvisazione per ance, dal gusto tipicamente europeo e che si avvale del contrasto timbrico tra gli strumenti --raffinatissimo, visto che in scena sono quasi sempre un clarinetto e un sax soprano --, ma ha aspetti molto personali ...

4
Album Review

Day and Taxi: Live in Baden

Read "Live in Baden" reviewed by John Sharpe


With only seven releases over its 30 plus year history, the Swiss band Day & Taxi, led by saxophonist and composer Christoph Gallio, is not exactly over documented. That is a shame as it has been a consistently stimulating outfit which takes an expansive view of the free jazz tradition. Gallio has been the only constant of the group's existence, but the current incarnation since 2018 comprising bassist Silvan Jeger and celebrated American drummer, now residing in Switzerland, Gerry Hemingway ...

1
Album Review

Markus Eichenberger & Christoph Gallio: Unison Polyphony

Read "Unison Polyphony" reviewed by John Eyles


Unison Polyphony features two renowned Swiss players, Markus Eichenberger on clarinet and Christoph Gallio on saxophones. Considering that both were born in 1957 and first played together in the '80s, it is somewhat surprising that this is their first recording together. However, given the instruments they play, it is less surprising as duos of reed instruments are scarce. Yes, The International Nothing duo of Kai Fagaschinski and Michael Thieke on clarinets springs to mind as does the bass clarinet pairing ...

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DAY & TAXI, this trio remains one of Europe's best kept secrets. 2009, DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY, BRUCE LEE GALLANTER, NEW YORK CITY

... eine sehr starke, auch emotional anrührende Musik. 2017, BERT NOGLIK, LEIPZIG

I've long been a fan, and 'WAY' is a striking, beautifully-conceived album. All compositions are by the leader, and they're succinct and pellucidly-structured – as are his improvisations. ... Gallio is his own man, and a real musical thinker. Bassist Jeger and drummer Meier are simpatico partners. ***** 2017, JAZZ JOURNAL, ANDY HAMILTON, LONDON

DAY & TAXI since the early 90s is one of the most consistent and truthful of European groups. 'DEVOTION', the new DAY &TAXI record, successor to the excellent WAY, is another set of taut, well-structured sketches and miniatures...the recruitment of Gerry Hemingway seems to have opened up a whole new direction for the group, which is great to hear. 2019, JAZZ JOURNAL, BRIAN MORTON, LONDON

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Albert Ayler
saxophone, tenor
Don Cherry
trumpet
Ornette Coleman
saxophone, alto
Steve Lacy
saxophone, soprano
Sun Ra
piano
Frank Zappa
guitar, electric
Soft Machine
band / ensemble / orchestra

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Live in Baden

Clean Feed Records
2023

buy

Unison Polyphony

Ezz-thetics
2022

buy

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