Christoph Irniger, born 1979, is a Swiss saxophonist, composer and bandleader.
It has been said that he is “undoubtedly one of the greatest talents of his generation.” In recent years, Christoph has made a name for himself in a range of line-ups, playing jazz, rock and related musical styles.
His work has been documented on twenty albums to date. He has played concerts and tours throughout Europe, Asia and the USA.
His latest project, a duo album with pianist Marc Perrenoud features a re-imagining the language of jazz standards through engaging compositions and improvisations.
Both Christoph and Perrenoud are established figures on the international jazz scene, known for projects that balance strong compositional identity with improvisational freedom.
Christoph is leader of the band Pilgrim and the Christoph Irniger Trio, which between them have released several albums (mostly on Intakt Records).
From 2000 to 2006 Christoph studied music education at the Zurich Jazz School, and performance at the Lucerne School of Music with Christoph Grab and Nat Su. In the following years he took lessons from Dave Liebman, Mark Turner and Ari Hoenig.
You can read his full Bio on his website.
⏯️ Watch Episode 268 now and explore practical concepts you can bring into your own playing:
⬇️ Find exactly what you’re looking for in the episode by using the timestamps below:
00:00 Musical beginning
11:30 Books that helped his playing
13:32 Artists that inspired him
26:10 Feeling rhythm and the pulse
27:36 Writing and playing his own compositions
29:59 Swiss jazz scene
36:14 Utilizing the online world in exposing his work
45:09 How he came up with the title “Dry Sensation”
46:05 Listen to “Dry Sensation”
54:31 A tip for using long tones to get into the changes
55:35 Joe Allard tone exercise
57:01 Listen and reflect to “Abandoned Eggs In a Pan”
01:09:39 Listen and reflect to Bluesetto
01:15:11 His new album “New Lines” and where to get it
🔗 Stay Connected and Explore More from Christoph Irniger:
- Website: Info and videos for Christoph and Marc Perrenoud: https://christophirniger.com/en/bands/irniger-perrenoud/
- Bandcamp site to buy New Lines: https://christophirniger.bandcamp.com
- YouTube video for The Unit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryOsTxwZmQ4&list=RDryOsTxwZmQ4&start_radio=1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christophirniger
- X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/chirniger
- Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/christophirniger
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christophirnigermusic
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