David Giesel
Biography David Giesel
David Giesel
is a German drummer, composer, and bandleader based in Basel, active in jazz, pop, and improvised music.
Originally from the Freiburg area, he completed his bachelor’s degree in 2023 at the Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts, studying with Eckhard Stromer, Fabian Arends, and Rainer Tempel. In 2021, he was awarded the Deutschlandstipendium for outstanding achievement. In 2026, he received a scholarship from the Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg, and won the Next Generation Competition by Jazz thing & Double Moon, which led to the release of his debut album Echoes of the Unknown on Double Moon Records. He earned his Master’s degree in Performance and Music Education in 2025 at the renowned Jazzcampus Basel, where he studied with Jeff Ballard, Jorge Rossy, Larry Grenadier, Paulo Almeida, and received composition training from Guillermo Klein.
At the center of his artistic work is the David Giesel Quartet, which serves as his main creative platform and the primary vehicle for his compositional output, including the album Echoes of the Unknown (Double Moon Records). The quartet shapes a sound world where groove and modern harmony meet openness and space—drawing on contemporary jazz aesthetics while absorbing subtle rock/indie edges.
Alongside this, Giesel is a co-initiator of the collective Larceny, an ensemble project developed as a shared artistic platform with a collective approach to musical direction. While not functioning as a sole leader, he played a key role in initiating and shaping the group’s concept and artistic identity. Larceny won the Playground Competition at JazzOpen Stuttgart 2025, performing at the Altes Schloss Stuttgart as the opening act for Gregory Porter. The collective has released the EP Shapes (2022) and the album Crosscurrent (2023) on XJAZZ!MUSIC Berlin, and performed at the jazzahead! Clubnight 2024 in Bremen as part of the "Clubnight BW" showcase.
As a sideman, he has contributed to projects including the Lukas Wögler Quartett (Alba, Plastic Jazz) and the Simon Bremen Quartett (Reflections on Predictability, Unit Records). He is also a member of the Noah Diemer Trio, showcasing his versatility in modern small group settings.
Giesel has performed at major festivals such as JazzOpen Stuttgart, Jazzweek Regensburg, Freiburg Jazz Festival, Stuttgart Winterjazz, and the Lovebird Festival in Düsseldorf, and has toured extensively in Germany and abroad (including Denmark, Switzerland, Romania, and Finland). He has appeared alongside artists like Volker Engelbert, Fola Dada, Christoph Neuhaus, Arne Huber, Stefan Karl Schmid, Achim Kaufmann, and Philip Dizack.
He continues to develop his artistic voice through lessons and masterclasses with Jochen Rueckert, John Riley, Ari Hoenig, Gregory Hutchinson, Ofri Nehemya, James Maddren, Kweku Sumbry, and Kendrick Scott.
