Biography
"Katharina Maschmeyer is an incredibly talented saxophonist with a tone some players spend a career searching for and never find. A Stan Getz sense of minimalism can be found in her approach along with the soulful bent of a Houston Person, nice combination! (...)
Neuklang continues to serve up only the finest talents Europe has to offer and the Katharina Maschmeyer Quartet is no exception!"
- Brent Black/www.criticaljazz.com
Katharina Maschmeyer born in Germany (Osnabrück) got her Master Degree in Saxophone / Composition 2010 in the Netherlands.
She graduated her Bachelor Study in Jazz-Saxophone at the “Conservatory of Arnhem” (Netherlands). She studied with Jörg Kaufmann and Frans Vermeerssen and attended workshops by Dave Liebman, Vincent Herring, Steve Swallow, Carla Bley and Kurt Rosenwinkel. Further she absolved vocal lessons by Lis Harting, Hartog Eysman and Marielle Vester.
In the course of her following Master Study in Zwolle (NL) she additively focused on composition. She had lessons (saxophone / bass clarinet / composition) from Rolf Delfos, Sjoerd Dijkhuizen, Allard Buwalda, Simon Rigter and Joan Reinders, furthermore additional vocal lessons from Adrienne West and workshops with Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas.
She concentrates on composing and realising her own music. Four records and two live Vinyl LPs of her own quartet „KaMa Quartet“ are already released. "On these albums she not only play the tenor and soprano saxophone in a very appealing and refreshing way, but also presents original music, which has much autonomy and is very multifaceted and energetic and relates from jazz, funk to rock music." - Sonic
Katharina Maschmeyer toured a lot with her own KAMA Quartet. She also played with great musicians like Frederik Köster, Nippy Noya, Anke Helfrich, a live concert at conservatory with Dave Douglas and was invited to the renown Women in Jazz Festival Halle as guest soloist.
Actually the KAMA Quartet is one of the rising stars in Germany. Their latest album enabled them to play a lot of festivals in Germany and was featured by different magazines and online platforms to be one of the best albums of the year 2016!
Renowned german magazine JAZZ PODIUM (Thorsten Hingst) said about the KaMa Quartet: „In the past I listened a several times to the KaMa Quartet and regard them as one of the most impressive live-bands in Germany!“
With its refreshingly unconentional and very groove-oriented stylistic blend, the KAMA Quartet has made a name for themselves all over Germany. To hear jazz played with such an exuberant joie de vivre, dancing ever so effortlessly between improvised music and funk-infused rock, is truly a rarity. The unpredictable mixture of soulful grooves and inspired, surprising twists and turns makes for an intriguing listening experience.
Following three regular studio albums, the KAMA Quartet released their first tribute album on 2016. It features a new interpretation of John Coltrane’s legendary suite A Love Supreme. The album also features a very special guest: legendary Indonesian percussionist Nippy Noya, one of the most renowned and sought-after conga players in Europe.
Katharina Maschmeyer is an incredibly talented saxophonist with a tone some players spend a career searching for and never find.
Brent Black / www.criticaljazz.com
"Puts her own musical mark on John Coltrane's revered suite 'A Love Supreme', interpreted through the lens of her own, individual experiences and veering far off the original's sonic world: Katharina Maschmeyer.“ - JAZZ PODIUM
"With her intricately oscillating post fusion album, Katharina Maschmeyer and her delicate, immensely agile KaMa Quartet bridge the gap between Coltrane’s time and the present in a very impressive way, thus positioning her band as a strong German jazz ensemble."
- Olaf Maikopf (Jazzthetik / Deutschlandradio Kultur)
Katharina Maschmeyer is an incredibly talented saxophonist with a tone some players spend a career searching for and never find.
Brent Black / www.criticaljazz.com
"The band leader, guitarist Nils Pollheide, keyboard player Philipp Rüttgers, drummer Jens Otto and guest percussionist Nippy Noya have rhythmized and spiced up the original quite a bit, adding some inspirational fire to it instead of watering it down." - BR (Bayerischer Rundfunk) "CD Tip in September"
“The top-class German quartet has already proven their abundant creativity and refreshingly original band sound on four impressive releases. For this reason, it is more than just okay to offer “A Tribute To John Coltrane“ , following the powerful spiritual traces of the master of masters. This undertaking was a complete success and floors us with fiery improvisations and eruptive explosions of energy.“ - CONCERTO magazine
"The saxophonist with the powerful sound is lauded as one of the best new German jazz artists, and rightly so. ...Her quartet has definitely proven it’s a winner."
- JAZZ THING
“The interaction with Nils Pollheide, g, Jens Otto, dr, and Philipp Rüttgers, Rhodes, is marked by mutual inspiration, empathy, groove and movement, harmony and intensive dialogues. The well elaborated, smart and angular profiled compositions of the leader show soul and hard bop aspects, rhythmic capers and melodic richness.”
– JAZZ PODIUM