Thomas Heberer

Thomas Heberer (born September 24, 1965, in Schleswig, Germany) is a German trumpeter, quarter-tone trumpeter, cornetist, keyboardist and composer, primarily focused on creative improvised music, jazz, and contemporary chamber music. Based in New York, he currently works as a leader and sideman in a variety of bands in Europe and the US.

Education Heberer began playing trumpet at the age of 11. at the Cologne University of Music.

Notable projects Leader Heberer leads several projects, including past and present: Lip Lab, a trio with Carl Ludwig Hübsch on tuba and Christian Thomé on drums. The group released Lex Luna on JazzHausMusik in 2007. Clarino, a trio with clarinetist Joachim Badenhorst and bassist Pascal Niggenkemper, released two albums: Klippe in 2011 (Clean Feed) and 2012's Cookbook (Red Toucan). Pivotal to developing Heberer's own notation code, detailed in "Concepts" below. Garden, a trio with bassist Max Johnson and drummer Lou Grassi, recorded Push Play in 2013, which was released on CIMP in 2022. X Marks the Spot, a quartet with guitarist Terrence McManus, bassist Michael Bates, and drummer Jeff Davis, debuted with an eponymous album in 2019 on OutNow Recordings. A quartet, featuring saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, bassist John Hébert, and drummer Michael Sarin. Their debut album The Day That Is was released by Sunnyside Records in 2021. It received four stars in DownBeat and five stars in the German magazine Jazzthetik, where Hans-Jürgen Schaal called it "Ein Album für Gegenwart, Zukunft und Ewigkeit" ("an album for the present, future and forever").

Solo work He has recorded and performed solo. Notable recordings include: The Heroic Millipede in 1988 (ITM); "Kill Yr Darlins" in 1997 (Poise); two albums on the Poise label under the pseudonym T.O.M.: Stella in 2001 and Mouth in 2003; and a vinyl-only release called One on NoBusiness Records in 2011. The Other Side of the Spoon, released on Bandcamp in 2023, is a set of solo trumpet improvisations, dedicated to the memory of Tristan Honsinger, one of Heberer' longtime musical partners in the ICP Orchestra.

His solo work has been used for films and dance performances, including for two choreographies by Pina Bausch. Choreographer Bausch's Für die Kinder von gestern, heute and morgen (2002) uses a track from Stella called "German Measles"; Bausch's Ten Chi (2004), uses a track called "Blue" from the album Mouth.

Wim Wenders used "Blue" in Pina, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2011 for Best Documentary Feature.

"Blue" and "German Measles" were both used in Pina Bausch, a documentary directed by Anne Linsel (WDR/Arte) in 2006 and re-released by the Goethe-Institut in 2012 (IN2998).

ICP Orchestra and other ensembles He has been a member of the ICP Orchestra from 1993 to present. Founded by Misha Mengelberg, Han Bennink and Willem Breuker, ICP currently comprises Ab Baars, Han Bennink, Joost Buis, Tobias Delius, Ernst Glerum, Guus Janssen, Michael Moore, and Mary Oliver.

During Heberer's involvement, the band has recorded numerous albums for hatOLOGY and ICP, and performed extensively around the world, including tours in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Europe, Japan and the US. Notable US performances with ICP include the Library of Congress, Harvard University, and the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.

From 1987 to 2000, Heberer was a member of Alexander von Schlippenbach's Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, which at the time included Evan Parker, Kenny Wheeler, Aki Takase, Paul Lovens and others. During his involvement, the Orchestra recorded three albums for ECM, FMP and DIW, and performed in Europe and Japan.

Heberer was a member of Tome XX with saxophonist Dirk Raulf, bassist Tim Wells (1987-1989), bassist, Dieter Manderscheid (1990-1996), and drummer Fritz Wittek. From 1987 to 1996, the band recorded four albums under the JazzHausMusik label, touring across Europe, Africa and South America.

From 1988 to 1996, Heberer was a member of the European Jazz Ensemble, along with Joachim Kühn, Gerd Dudek, Konrad Bauer, Charlie Mariano, Tony Levin and others. In addition to performing across Europe, he is included on two recordings from the time: Meets the Khan Family (MA Music) and 20th Anniversary Tour (Konnex).

Heberer received significant attention The Penguin Guide to Jazz gave Chicago Breakdown four stars, the publication's highest rating, citing it "highly recommended." As a duo, Heberer and Manderscheid have performed across Europe, Asia and the US.

From 2008 to 2013, Heberer joined drummer Joe Hertenstein's band HNH with bassist Pascal Niggenkemper. The band released two records on Clean Feed: HNH (black album) and HNH (white album). With the addition of clarinetist Joachim Badenhorst, the band made an album called Polylemma on Red Toucan Records, released in 2011. That year, Polylemma won the Happy New Ears award from the Free Jazz Collective. With Pascal Niggenkemper, Thomas released Miners Pick on the British FMR label (2014), a duet album, exclusively focusing on his cornet playing.

In 2013, Heberer and longtime collaborator Achim Kaufmann released their first recording on Red Toucan called Knoten, followed by a second recording with Ken Filiano joining Kaufmann and Heberer, called Interstices on NuScope Recordings in 2015.

In 2014, Heberer replaced the late Roy Campbell in the Nu Band, which then comprised Heberer with Lou Grassi, Joe Fonda, and Mark Whitecage. Upon the death of Whitecage in 2021, the group was joined by Kenny Wessel. They toured Europe in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2023, and 2025. Four recordings were issued on Not Two Records: The Cosmological Constant (2015), Live in Geneva (2017), In Memory of Mark Whitecage (2021), and Renual (2022).

In 2016, Thomas became a founding member of the Angelica Sanchez Nonet. In addition to the leader, the ensemble includes Michaël Attias, Ben Goldberg, John Hébert, Sam Ospovat, Chris Speed, Omar Tamez, and Kenny Warren. The nonet's debut, Nighttime Creatures, was released on Pyroclastic Records in 2023, and ranked among the Best Albums of the Year in Downbeat.

In 2020, Heberer, bassist Joe Fonda and drummer Joe Hertenstein formed the group REMEDY. The trio toured Europe in 2024 and has released four albums on the Fundacja Słuchaj! label: REMEDY (2021), Vol. 2 (2023), Hipp Hipp Hooray–Celebrating the Centennial of Jutta Hipp (2025), REMEDY + Aki Takase (2025). Their debut and Vol. 2 were both voted among the Albums of the Year by the New York City Jazz Record. A recording from a performance in Germany, called Live at Jazzkammer, was released in 2024 on Bandcamp.

Sideman He participates as a sideman in numerous ensembles and recordings with leaders such as Muhal Richard Abrams, Karl Berger, Peter Brötzmann, Han Bennink, Eugene Chadbourne, Dave Douglas, Joe Fonda, Frank Gratkowski, Barry Guy, Christoph Haberer, Gabriele Hasler, Guus Janssen, Maria João, Paul van Kemenade, Yoni Kretzmer, Misha Mengelberg, Butch Morris, Bob Moses, Alphonse Mouzon, David Murray, Sunny Murray, Michael Riessler, Alexander von Schlippenbach, Andreas Schmidt, Frank Schulte, Elliott Sharp, Norbert Stein, Steve Swell, Aki Takase, Attila Zoller, John Zorn. He was also featured as a guest several times including for the Miles Davis episode on November 22, 2002.

From 1995 to 2003, the show aired four times a week for the German SAT1 private television channel. From 2005 to 2007, the show was performed two times per week for ARD, Germany's national television channel.

Critical reception Die Zeit critic Konrad Heidkamp called him "the master of German trumpet," The Penguin Guide to Jazz said "outstandingly gifted," the Rowohlt Jazz Lexikon credits him with having "developed a unique trumpet style,"

Teaching From 1993 to 1997, Heberer lectured at the music conservatory Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt-Main, Germany.

He has conducted numerous workshops with the ICP Orchestra (among others, the 2007 Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music in Alberta, Canada), as well as for the Goethe-Institut in South America, Asia and Africa.

He compiled a summary on trumpet techniques called "Trumpet Mechanics".

Other teaching positions include the jazz workshop at Akademie Remscheid in Germany and the Maine Jazz Camp at the University of Maine in Farmington.

Concepts In addition to using regular staff paper for his compositions, Heberer has developed a notation code that he calls "Cookbook." It is an instant composition method, which allows for a high amount of freedom on the musicians' side while allowing significant structural tools on the composer's side as well. It does so by implementing the idea of instant memory shaped according to a specific set of rules.

Awards and recognition SWR-Jazzpreis, 1990 Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Vierteljahresliste, 1990, for "Chicago Breakdown: The Music of Jelly Roll Morton" with Dieter Manderscheid for the Aki Takase Band "Plays Fats Waller" Finalist in DownBeat 58th Annual Critics Poll 2010, for Instant Composers Pool (ICP) Orchestra Winner of the Happy New Ears award 2011 for Polylemma, an album by the Joe Hertenstein Quartet on Red Toucan

Select discography Ensemble/Artist Title Year Label Norbert Stein Die Fünf Tage 1987 JazzHausMusik (JHM 31) Thomas Heberer The Heroic Millipede 1988 ITM Records (ITM 1443) Tome XX Natura Morta 1988 JazzHausMusik (JHM 32) Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra 1989 ECM (ECM 1409) Thomas Heberer, Dieter Manderscheid Chicago Breakdown: The Music of Jelly Roll Morton 1990 JazzHausMusik (JHM 38) Norbert Stein Die Wilden Pferde Der Armen Leute 1990 JazzHausMusik (JHM 39) Tome XX The Red Snapper 1991 JazzHausMusik (JHM 47) European Jazz Ensemble Meets the Kahn Family 1992 MA Music (A 807-2) Sotto in Su Südamerika Sept. 90 1992 JazzHausMusik (JHM 51) David Murray Baltic Suite 1993 GOWI (CDG 05) Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra The Morlocks and Other Pieces 1994 FMP (FMP 61) Tome XX Third Degree 1994 JazzHausMusik (JHM 63) Christoph Haberer Pulsation 1994 JazzHausMusik (JHM 66) European Trumpet Summit European Trumpet Summit 1994 Konnex (KCD 5064) Frank Schulte Switchbox 1994 No Man's Land (NML 9421) Jazzensemble des Hessischen Rundfunks Atmospheric Conditions Permitting 1995 ECM (ECM 1549) Gabriele Hasler Rosenstücke 1996 Foolish Music (211 096) Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra Live in Japan '96 1996 DIW Records (DIW-922) Sotto in Su featuring Sussan Deyhim Vanitas 1997 Poise (Poise 4) Thomas Heberer Kill Yr Darlins 1997 Poise (Poise 5) European Jazz Ensemble 20th Anniversary Tour 1997 Konnex (KCD 5078) Misha Mengelberg The Root of the Problem 1997 hatOLOGY (hatOLOGY 504) Michael Riessler Honig und Asche 1998 ENJA (ENJ-9303) ICP Orchestra Jubilee Varia 1999, 2010 hatOLOGY (hatOLOGY 528, 667) Thomas Heberer's T.O.M. Stella 2001 Poise (Poise 8) ICP Orchestra Oh, My Dog! 2001 ICP (ICP 040) Thomas Heberer, Dieter Manderscheid What a Wonderful World 2002 JazzHausMusik (JHM 118) Thomas Heberer's T.O.M. Mouth 2003 Poise (Poise 9) ICP Orchestra Aan & Uit 2004 ICP (ICP 042) Aki Takase Plays Fats Waller 2004 ENJA (ENJA 9152-2) Norbert Scholly, Frank Schulte, Thomas Heberer SSH Plays Shhh 2005 Konnex (KCD 5134) Norbert Stein Code Carnival 2005 Pata Music (Pata 17) ICP Orchestra Weer Is een Dag Voorbij 2006 ICP (ICP 043) Thomas Heberer, Dieter Manderscheid Wanderlust 2006 JazzHausMusik (JHM 151) Thomas Heberer's Lip Lab Lex Luna 2007 JazzHausMusik (JHM 162) James Choice Orchestra Live at Moers 2007 Moers Music (03020) ICP Orchestra Live at the Bimhuis 2008 ICP (ICP 046) Andreas Schmidt, Samuel Rohrer, Thomas Heberer Pieces for a Husky Puzzle 2009 JazzWerkstatt (JW 075) Joe Hertenstein, Pascal Niggenkemper, Thomas Heberer HNH 2010 Clean Feed (CF205) ICP Orchestra Orchestra 2010 ICP (ICP 049) ICP Orchestra !ICP! 50 2010 ICP (ICP 50) Thomas Heberer's Clarino Klippe 2011 Clean Feed (CF226) Thomas Heberer Klippe/One 2011 NoBusiness Records (NBLP32/33) Joe Hertenstein Quartet Polylemma 2011 Red Toucan (RT 9342) Peter Brötzmann's Full Blast and Friends 2011 Trost (TR107) Getatchew Mekuria & the Ex & Friends Y'Anbessaw Tezeta 2012 Terp Records (AS 21/22) Thomas Heberer's Clarino Cookbook 2012 Red Toucan (RT 9345) ICP Orchestra ICP Complete Boxed Catalogue 2012 Challenge Records (Buzz 1275) Thomas Heberer, Achim Kaufmann Knoten 2013 Red Toucan (RT 9347) Aki Takase Plays Fats Waller in Berlin 2013 Jazzwerkstatt (JW 029) Datenverarbeiter Fleur Noire Joue Les Images 2014 Fuego (2274-2) Thomas Heberer, Pascal Niggenkemper Miner's Pick 2014 FMR (FMR 383-0714) ICP Orchestra East of the Sun 2014 ICP (ICP 051) Thomas Heberer, Achim Kaufmann, Ken Filiano Interstices 2015 NuScope Recordings (CD 1029) The Nu Band The Cosmological Constant 2015 Not Two (MW 923-2) ICP Orchestra Live at the Vortex London 2015 ICP (ICP 053) Joe Hertenstein, Pascal Niggenkemper, Thomas Heberer HNH 2 2015 Clean Feed (CF332) ICP Orchestra Restless in Pieces 2016 ICP (ICP 054) Yoni Kretzmer Five Five 2016 OutNow Recordings (ONR 026) The Nu Band Live in Geneva 2017 Not Two (MW 948-2) Thomas Heberer, Yoni Kretzmer, Christian Weber BIG 2018 OutNow Recordings (ONR 031) Thomas Heberer X Marks the Spot 2019 OutNow Recordings (ONR 037)ICP Orchestra & Nieuw Amsterdams Peil De Hondemepper 2020 ICP (ICP 062)Enrique Haneine Unaltered 2020 Elegant Walk Records (003)REMEDY (Thomas Heberer, Joe Fonda, Joe Hertenstein) REMEDY 2021 Fundacja Słuchaj! (FSR 08 2021)Thomas Heberer 2021 Sunnyside Records (SSC 1638)The Nu Band In Memory of Mark Whitecage 2021 Not Two Records (MW 1019-2)ICP Orchestra 30 Year Jubileum—Day 1, 2, 3 2022 Bandcamp (ICP205-1, ICP205-2, ICP205-3)Thomas Heberer’s Garden Push Play 2022 CIMP (423)The Nu Band Renual 2022 Not Two Records (MW 1028-2)Thomas Heberer, Ken Filiano, Phil Haynes Spontaneous Composition 2022 CornerStoreJazz (CSJ-0129)Thomas Heberer & Christof Knoche The In Side 2023 Bandcamp (420 CPW 01)Thomas Heberer The Other Side of the Spoon 2023 Bandcamp (420 CPW 02)REMEDY (Thomas Heberer, Joe Fonda, Joe Hertenstein) Vol. 2 2023 Fundacja Słuchaj! (FSR 12 2023)Steve Swell & Thomas Heberer 12 Paradoxes 2023 Bandcamp (420 CPW 03)The Angelica Sanchez Nonet Nighttime Creatures 2023 Pyroclastic Records (PR30)REMEDY (Thomas Heberer, Joe Fonda, Joe Hertenstein) Live at Jazzkammer 2024 Bandcamp (420 CPW 05)Yoni Kretzmer & Juan Pablo Carletti’s BIGGISH Live at Scholes Street Studio 2024 Bandcamp (gaucimusic)REMEDY (Thomas Heberer, Joe Fonda, Joe Hertenstein) Hipp Hipp Hooray–Celebrating the Centennial of Jutta Hipp 2025 Fundacja Słuchaj! (FSR 02 2025)Joe Fonda & Thomas Heberer West of the Moon 2025 Bandcamp (420 CPW 06)ICP Orchestra Happy Birthday -> Naar Zee Z.O.Z. 2025 Bandcamp (ICP213)Enrique Haneine Conceivable Directions 2025 Elegant Walk Records (004) REMEDY (Thomas Heberer, Joe Fonda, Joe Hertenstein) REMEDY + Aki Takase 2025 Fundacja Słuchaj! (FSR 26 2025)

Select filmography Ensemble/Artist Title Director Year Producer/Distributor New Jazz Meeting New Jazz Meeting 89 H. Werner Wunderlich 1989 SWF Tome XX D.C. Reiner Michalke 1992 RTL Aki Takase Plays Fats Waller Stephane Jourdain 2005 La Huit Pina Bausch Pina Bausch Anne Linsel 2006 WDR/Arte ICP Orchestra ICP Orchestra Guy Girard 2006 La Huit Misha Mengelberg Afijn Jellie Dekker 2006 Data Images/ICP Eugene Chadbourne The Jack & Jim Show Robert O'Haire 2007 Modern Alchemy The Ex Convoy Tour: 25 Years of the Ex The Ex 2009 EX Records Han Bennink Hazentijd Jellie Dekker 2010 Data Images/ICP ICP Orchestra Steigerpijp Barbara Hin, Martin van der Veen 2010 Sushi Film Pina Bausch Pina Wim Wenders 2011 Neue Road Movies ICP Orchestra Misha enzovoort 2013 ICP Fleur noire Dix-Neuf Werner Kiera 2015 Datenverarbeiter Lance Gries Dancers + Thomas Heberer Vision Festival No. 20 Lance Gries 2015 Arts for Arts Thomas Heberer Catch You on the Flip Side Thomas Heberer 2016 420 CPW Thomas Heberer Peel Thomas Heberer 2016 420 CPW Thomas Heberer, Christof Knoche Sequoia Thomas Heberer 2016 420 CPW Robert Dick, Thomas Heberer, Ken Filiano, Lukas Ligeti Live at the Stone NYC Don Mount 2022 Don Mount Dr. Jazz Talks Thomas Heberer Interview Samo Šalamon 2023 Samo Šalamon REMEDY Live in Rochester Dan Gross 2025 Bop Shop Records