Home » Member Page

Christoph Grab

Saxophonist and Composer

About Me

Christoph Grab (Zurich) - Saxophonist, Composer

Studied at the Swiss Jazz School Bern (saxophone, composition and arrangement), his teachers and mentors included Andy Scherrer, Sal Nistico, Jerry Bergonzi, Joe Lovano and Dave Liebman. He has become a major force in the Swiss and European jazz scene both as a saxophonist and as a composer. He has recorded countless albums, worked for radio and television, and played numerous tours and concerts around the world. Christoph Grab is currently internationally active with his jazz projects BLOSSOM (Alessi, Grab, Favre, Traxel, Baschnagel), REFLECTIONS (Thoeni, Grab, Tschopp, Oester, Baschnagel) and his soul jazz formation ROOT AREA (Johänntgen, Grab, Thomi, Frey). He composes for various formations and is part of the Zurich Composers Collective. Besides his own bands and his work as a freelancer he belongs to many permanent formations e.g. Baumann/Grab/Haemmerli/Renold, Christoph Steiner's Escape Argot, Elmar Frey Septett, Raphael Jost Group, Reto Anneler STILLE POST, ELLINGTONALITY, Axel Fischbacher Oktett, Spittin' Horns, Herbie Kopf Quartett etc.. Earlier formations were RAW VISION (with Graupe, Lüscher, Walser, Paratte), SCIENCE FICTION THEATER, Zurich Jazz Orchestra, Neuromodulator, KOJ/Nadelöhr, Kurt Weil Vibes Revisited, ContempArabic Jazz Ensemble, Marion Denzler Group, The Blindside, Lukas Bitterlin Quartett, Blastic, Grab/Kopf Quartett, etc. His intensive involvement with live electronics and his performances with toys hacked and modified into sound machines also gained him attention in the electronic and DJ scene. In addition to his active musicianship, Christoph Grab has been a professor of saxophone and improvisation at the Jazz Faculty of the Zurich University of the Arts since 1998. He lives in Zurich with his partner and two children.

Website: www.christophgrab.com

Press comments on Christoph Grab:

- “The saxophonist Christoph Grab is considered one of the greats in Switzerland. He combines the dynamics and expressivity of the blues with the playfulness and complexity of jazz...” BaslerZeitung, 26.1.06

- “There's someone who courageously goes all out. Christoph Grab is not only one of the most exciting and busiest saxophonists in Switzerland, but is obviously an extraordinary, a visionary designer of sound structures.” Hans-Jürgen Schaal, Fidelity March'16

- “Grab plays jazz at its best, thoughtful and playful, virtuosic and lyrical, clever and accessible.” Beat Blaser, Schweiz am Sonntag, March 2014

- “He can make his saxophone sigh and complain, only to sound smoothly seductive the next moment.” Rolf Thomas, Jazzthing 112, Feb.2016

- “His music lives from the inspired exchange between concise composition and soloistic bravura.”(NZZ Nov.25,2015)

Discography:

ROOT AREA • Root Area (2021, Lamento Rec) mit Johänntgen, Mozalevskaya, Thomi, Frey • Root Area “The RAY Session” (2022, Lamento Rec) mit Johänntgen, Thomi, Frey Christoph Grab's RAW VISION • Argument (2013, Cool Island Rec) mit Jeger, Paratte • RAW VISION (2014, UNIT REC) mit Möbus, Graupe, Bamert, Lüscher, Jeger, Paratte • CODE TALKER (2015, UNIT REC) mit Möbus, Bamert, Lüscher, Jeger, Paratte • Fool's Dance (2018, QFTF, mit Graupe, Lüscher, Walser, Paratte) SCIENCE FICTION THEATER • PIMP TOWN (2010, Traumton Rec) mit Stoffner, Rösli, Götte, Schramm • DOLLY SHOT (2013, Traumton Rec) mit Utzinger, Rösli, Dietrich, Wettstein Christoph Grab's REFLECTIONS • Reflections (2017, Lamento Rec) mit Traxel, Baschnagel • Live at Haberhaus (2020, Lamento Rec) mit Traxel, Baschnagel, Thoeni, Tschopp Christoph Grab's TOUGH TENOR • Basics (2019, Lamento Rec) mit Thomi, Frey Christoph Steiner's ESCAPE ARGOT • Still Writing Letters (2017, Traumton Rec) mit Favre, Steiner • You.Me.Them (2019, Traumton Rec) mit Favre, Steiner Reto Anneler's STILLE POST • Stille Post (2018, QFTF) mit Anneler, Traxel, Strüby Friedli Grab Pfammatter Spillmann Traxel • Motian Mythology (2022, KLACTOVEE) Christoph Grab's CRYPTIC BLUES: • personal (2004, UNIT REC ) mit Stoffner, Sprenger, Ulrich • cryptic blues (UNIT, 2006) mit Wogram, Stoffner, Sprenger, Ulrich Raphael Jost: • Moosedays (2018, ENJA) mit Jost, Walser, Ruther, Thöni, Egli, Wyss, Fischer • Swingin' Christmas (2020) mit Jost, Thöni, Walser, Ruther ELLINGTONALITY • Vol.1 (2013, Privave Rec) mit D'Episcopo, Hämmerli, Frey NEUROMODULATOR • N (2008, everest records) mit Lüchinger, Hunziker, Peyer Zurich Jazz Orchestra: • Three Pictures (2018, Mons Records) • Song (2012, Jazz'n'Arts) • Beyond Swiss Tradition (2006, Universal) • New Plans (2008, Universal) Elmar Frey Sextett: • News From The Past (2005, Altrisuoni) mit Schenker, Schlegel, D'Episcopo, Fricker, Frey Lukas Bitterlin Quartet: • driftwood (2008,UNIT ) mit Pfammatter, Schläppi, Bitterlin Marion Denzler Group: • with every breath i take (2005, SKYVOICES) mit Denzler, Wiesendanger, Kopf, Renold KOJ / Nadelöhr: • nadelöhr (1994, UNIT REC) mit Strässle, Bernays, Burger • charming stories (1998, UNIT REC) mit Strässle, Gloor, Burger • merry melodies (2002, UNIT REC) mit Strässle, Gloor, Burger • PIFFKANEIRO (2009, between the lines) mit Sclavis, Strässle, Gloor, Burger Terra Q: • thoughts (1994, Eigenverlag) mit Michel, Scarton, Zwiauer, Papaux portenier-grab: • the art of duo (1998, PLAINISPHARE) Christoph Grab's REALITY SCAN: • the soul of the city (2000, EV) mit Morgenthaler, Meyer, Renold Kurt Weil & Vibes Revisited: • late but not too late (1997, COLUMBIA) mit Weil, Stahel, Gerhards, Liebmann • moving forward-reaching back (1999, TCB) mit Weill, Stahel, Egan, Gottlieb ContempArabic Jazz Ensemble: • welcome to egypt (1998, Musicora) • nuba hsin (2000, Musicora) Switzerjazz: • switzerjazz (1996, TCB) mit Su, Schenker, Feigenwinter, Fricker, Frey Kieloor Entartet: • the red light fuge (1995, UNIT REC) mit Niggli, Gloor, Kielholz, uvm. Blastic: • clockwise (1990)