Christoph Grab

Christoph Grab (born September 5, 1967, in Bern) is a Swiss jazz musician (tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone, as well as live electronics), composer, and university professor.

Career He studied saxophone, composition, and arrangement at the renowned Swiss Jazz School in Bern. During his studies, he had the opportunity to learn from major figures such as Andy Scherrer, Sal Nistico, Jerry Bergonzi, Joe Lovano, and Dave Liebman, all of whom greatly influenced his musical development.

Grab is highly active as both a performer and composer. He has written numerous compositions and arrangements for various ensembles and collaborates with the Zurich Composers Collective. His current musical projects include BLOSSOM (with Ralph Alessi, , , and Pius Baschnagel), REFLECTIONS (with , , , and Pius Baschnagel), and the soul jazz group ROOT AREA (featuring , Marcel Thomi, and ).

In addition to leading his own bands, Grab is a member of many ongoing ensembles such as Baumann/Grab/Haemmerli/Renold, Christoph Steiner’s Escape Argot, Elmar Frey Septett, Raphael Jost Group, Reto Anneler’s STILLE POST, ELLINGTONALITY, Axel Fischbacher Oktett, Spittin’ Horns, and the Herbie Kopf Quartett, among others. Throughout his career, he has also performed with numerous past groups, including RAW VISION, SCIENCE FICTION THEATER, , Neuromodulator, KOJ/Nadelöhr, Kurt Weill Vibes Revisited, ContempArabic Jazz Ensemble, Marion Denzler Group, The Blindside, Lukas Bitterlin Quartett, Blastic, and the Grab/Kopf Quartett.

Interestingly, Grab also explores experimental music—he works with live electronics and modifies toys into sound machines, which has attracted attention from the electronic and DJ scenes as well.

Besides his work as a performer, Grab is also an educator. Since 1998, he has been a professor of saxophone and improvisation at the Jazz Department of the Zurich University of the Arts.

Award Grab received first prize in the 1992 national competition for young soloists organized by the Freidel-Wald Foundation in Basel. He received the Swiss Jazz Award at the Ascona Jazz Festival (2023)

Discography Christoph Grab's BLOSSOM Blossom (2023, Lamento Rec) – with Ralph Alessi, Lukas Traxel, Pius Baschnagel Root Area Root Area (2021, Lamento Rec) – with Nicole Johänntgen, Victoria Mozalevskaya, Marcel Thomi, Elmar Frey The RAY Session (2022, Lamento Rec) – with Nicole Johänntgen, Marcel Thomi, Elmar Frey In Pursuit Of Happiness (2025, Lamento Rec) – with Nicole Johänntgen, Marcel Thomi, Elmar Frey Christoph Grab's RAW VISION Argument (2013, Cool Island Rec) – with Silvan Jeger, Maxime Paratte RAW VISION (2014, UNIT REC) – with Frank Möbus, Ronny Graupe, Bernhard Bamert, Thomas Lüscher, Silvan Jeger, Maxime Paratte CODE TALKER (2015, UNIT REC) – with Frank Möbus, Bernhard Bamert, Thomas Lüscher, Silvan Jeger, Maxime Paratte Fool's Dance (2018, QFTF) – with Ronny Graupe, Thomas Lüscher, Raphael Walser, Maxime Paratte Hausquartett From the cadavre exquis collection (2023, Leo Rec) – with Christoph Baumann, Hämi Hämmerli, Tony Renold Science Fiction Theater PIMP TOWN (2010, Traumton Rec) – with Flo Stoffner, Christian Rösli, Flo Götte, Tobias Schramm DOLLY SHOT (2013, Traumton Rec) – with Felix Utzinger, Christian Rösli, Valentin Dietrich, Andy Wettstein Christoph Grab's REFLECTIONS Reflections (2017, Lamento Rec) – with Lukas Traxel, Pius Baschnagel Live at Haberhaus (2020, Lamento Rec) – with Lukas Traxel, Pius Baschnagel, Lukas Thoeni, Andreas Tschopp Oneness (2024, Lamento Rec) – with Bänz Oester, Pius Baschnagel, Lukas Thoeni, Andreas Tschopp Christoph Grab's TOUGH TENOR Basics (2019, Lamento Rec) – with Marcel Thomi, Elmar Frey Christoph Steiner's ESCAPE ARGOT Still Writing Letters (2017, Traumton Rec) – with Florian Favre, Christoph Steiner You.Me.Them (2019, Traumton Rec) – with Florian Favre, Christoph Steiner Reto Anneler's STILLE POST Stille Post (2018, QFTF) – with Reto Anneler, Lukas Traxel, Claudio Strüby Friedli Grab Pfammatter Spillmann Traxel Motian Mythology (2022, KLACTOVEE) Christoph Grab's CRYPTIC BLUES personal (2004, UNIT REC) – with Flo Stoffner, Christoph Sprenger, Dieter Ulrich cryptic blues (2006, UNIT REC) – with Nils Wogram, Flo Stoffner, Christoph Sprenger, Dieter Ulrich Raphael Jost Moosedays (2018, ENJA) – with Raphael Jost, Raphael Walser, Jonas Ruther, Lukas Thöni, Florian Egli, Lukas Wyss, Nils Fischer Swingin' Christmas (2020) – with Raphael Jost, Lukas Thöni, Raphael Walser, Jonas Ruther Ellingtonality Vol. 1 (2013, Private Rec) – with Alessandro D'Episcopo, Hämi Hämmerli, Elmar Frey Neuromodulator N (2008, everest records) – with Ephrem Lüchinger, Eric Hunziker, Marius 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) – with Daniel Schenker, Stefan Schlegel, Alessandro D'Episcopo, Daniel Fricker, Elmar Frey Seven Colors (2023) – with Daniel Schenker, Rodrigo Botter Maio, Stefan Schlegel, Alessandro D'Episcopo, German Kleiber, Elmar Frey Lukas Bitterlin Quartet driftwood (2008, UNIT) – with Hanspeter Pfammatter, Daniel Schläppi, Lukas Bitterlin Marion Denzler Group with every breath i take (2005, SKYVOICES) – with Marion Denzler, Chris Wiesendanger, Herbie Kopf, Tony Renold KOJ / Nadelöhr nadelöhr (1994, UNIT REC) – with Christian Strässle, Ueli Bernays, Dominik Burger charming stories (1998, UNIT REC) – with Christian Strässle, Matthias Gloor, Dominik Burger merry melodies (2002, UNIT REC) – with Christian Strässle, Matthias Gloor, Dominik Burger PIFFKANEIRO (2009, between the lines) – with Louis Sclavis, Christian Strässle, Matthias Gloor, Dominik Burger Terra Q thoughts (1994, Eigenverlag) – with Matthieu Michel, Mario Scarton, Wolfgang Zwiauer, Marcel Papaux Portenier-Grab the art of duo (1998, PLAINISPHARE) – with Markus Portenier Christoph Grab's REALITY SCAN the soul of the city (2000, EV) – with Robert Morgenthaler, Björn Meyer, Tony Renold Kurt Weil & Vibes Revisited late but not too late (1997, Columbia) – with Kurt Weil, Stefan Stahel, Kalli Gerhards, Nick Liebmann moving forward-reaching back (1999, TCB) – with Kurt Weill, Stefan Stahel, Mark Egan, Danny Gottlieb ContempArabic Jazz Ensemble welcome to egypt (1998, Musicora) nuba hsin (2000, Musicora) Switzerjazz switzerjazz (1996, TCB) – with Nat Su, Daniel Schenker, Hans Feigenwinter, Daniel Fricker, Elmar Frey Kieloor Entartet the red light fuge (1995, UNIT REC) – with Lucas Niggli, Matthias Gloor, Matthias Kielholz, u. v. m. Blastic clockwise (1990)