Joo Kraus & SWR Big Band
Biography Joo Kraus & SWR Big Band
Joo Kraus
It is unimaginable to do without JOO KRAUS in the German history of music of the last two decades. So the entry of the man born in Ulm in the Jazz charts was obligatory.
2012 he won the “jazz echo” as best brass instrumentalist in germany.„Low Sky Sketches“ – Joo’s latest album is a special cooperation between Joo Kraus and Pit Baumgartner, mastermind of the legendary band DePhazz. This album is often sub-titled „the phazzination of blue notes“ or „rebirth of de-cool“.„SONGS FROM NEVERLAND“ … is the title of the new project together with the Tales in Tones Trio. And the title is a telling name: “Thriller”, “Man in the Mirror” and “Billie Jean” were reduced to their essences and in the following accented with an enchanting heart beat but also with an unexpected softness. At the same time these men let the spirit of the songs breathe and gave it space to unfold. One would almost think that the heart of the King is beating here, who had yet served his songs so differently.
“PAINTING POP” – Joo Kraus created a very special ear catcher with the Tales in Tones Trio here. Together they roamed around in the attic of pop music history and thereby discovered wonderful pearls of music, cleared them from dust and packed them right away into own exciting arrangements, stirred and shaken well and merged with influences of trance jazz, hip beat and sophisticated soul.
For his album “SUENO” (2008, edel, content record) together with the arranger/pianist Ralf Schmid he brought touching melodies and harmonies to Havana, Cuba, to give them a touch of Cuba together with high carat Cuban musicians. This way a project developed, which reveals the fine Cuban Bolero and Son. Kristiina Tuomi from Finland and the Cuban Luis Frank upgraded some songs with their voices.
For “THE RIDE”, the second solo album of Joo Kraus, his band “Public Jazz Lounge” became a “BASIC JAZZ LOUNGE” three years later: The Basic Jazz Lounge announces an easy soul jazz with a proper portion of groove, that brings the body into motion!
His first own record “PUBLIC JAZZ LOUNGE” came out 2003 at Skiprecords. On this record jazz, pop and rap combine with arrangements à la BigBand. Joe Zawinul’s “Birdland” is orchestrated, Björk’s “Venus As A Boy” is rapped, Earth Wind & Fire’s “Getaway” philharmonised, Mary J. Bliges “Love Is All We Need” jazzed.
The musician was able to make an excellent name of himself with the JazzAward winning Hip-Jazz project Tab Two. Equipped with a virtual band the duo could be heard at nearly all national and international festivals in the 90ies. The fan base of this duo was at that time in Europe, America and Asia very remarkable. Without Tab Two Acid-Jazz, but also the later Hip Hop and Drum’n’Bass would miss an enormous dimension.
After the break-up of Tab Two, Joo Kraus quickly made an own name of himself as an exceptionial trumpeter and composer. The list of those who adorned themselves with his solos and learned to appreciate Joo’s compositions for own projects, clarifies the diversity of his musical talents: Omar Sosa, BAP, Nana Mouskouri, Tina Turner, Xavier Naidoo, Laith Al Deen, Jazzkantine, DePhazz, Fury in the Slaughterhouse, Pee Wee Ellis, Mezzoforte, Klaus Doldinger and many more.
