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Hartmut Hillmann Band

Hartmut Hillmann is a bass player, composer, educator residing in Germany

About Me

Hartmut Hillmann is one of the most prolific German six string bass guitar players since more than twenty-five years. Initially inspired by Anthony Jackson, he started to adapt the styles of the likes as Jaco Pastorius and Marcus Miller for the six stringed fretted and fretless instrument in 1987.Besides his incredible ability to groove and playing supportive, he is an ethnomusicologist having studied African and Indian rhythms intensively.

Leaving the Europe and Africa touring odd-meter Funk band “Zabriskie Point“ after six years in 1997, he started to focus on his solo career with his project “Illicit Poetry“ as composer, arranger and leader. The results were two CDs: “Eclectic Jazz“ and “Uncivilized“. Though enthu- siastically acclaimed by many critics, there was not the major record deal Hartmut had dreamed of, and he retired in frustration from the music biz in 2002. He started teaching kids with special needs jazz and improvisation as a therapeutical means, exploring his Buddhist practice and playing drums in his German-Japanese Band “Ushi-Tora“ for five years.

He jumped back to the scene in 2007 joining several bands and projects as bass player: Dgroove, Wasserspiele, Mike Burn And Friends, Scottish singer Kate Cassidy, touring with fellow bass player Kai Eckhardt and doing some solo concerts.

Since summer of 2008 he‘s leading his own project again, named: “The Hartmut Hillmann Band“ featuring some of the finest musicians: Joe Hain on keyboards, percussionist Klaus Frölich and Indian/Tamil percussionist Warren Wunderlich and drummer Michael Penning. The bands mix of natural instruments with extensive use of loops and electronics results in some Heavy-Urban-Ethno-Funk- Crossover-Hiphop.

The Hartmut Hillmann Band can be heard as the house band at Frankfurt‘s Japanese Club „Mangetsu“ at their monthly full moon party.

Besides all that Hartmut continues to coach kids with special needs and giving bass master classes.

In 2013 Hartmut realized his dream of a two-basses setup with Ralf Bopp on bass guitar and acoustic bass.

My Jazz Story

"Jazz is the expressive cry of the soul. It awakens courage and strengthens the human spirit. It enlivens our life force. It unifies people. In that dimension, jazz profoundly resonates with the teachings of Buddhism." - Daisaku Ikeda