Photograph copyright Philipp Hitz.

Born Lucern, 1952; saxophones, composer.

Urs Leimgruber has been active for many years in the areas of contemporary improvisation, composition, jazz and new music. One of his earliest associations was as a member of the electric jazz/free music group 'Om' with Christy Doran, Fredy Study and Bobbi Burri, and he later formed the 'Reflexionen' quartet with Don Friedman and Bobby Burri in New York. More recently, his own projects have included 'Ensemble Bleu', 'Xylem', e_a.sonata 02 with the ARTE saxophone quartet, as well as a long association with Fritz Hauser: as a duo with the ongoing Music for saxophone and percussion; in the Leimgruber/Roidinger/Hauser trio; a trio with Joëlle Léandre; and a trio with Marilyn Crispell. He later formed the 'quartet noir' with Marilyn Crispell, Joëlle Léandre and Fritz Hauser, a trio with Jacques Demierre and Barre Phillips and the group SIX with Jacques Demierre, Isabelle Duthoit, Charlotte Hug, Dorothea Schürch and Thomas Lehn. Urs Leimgruber has also performed extensively as a solo artist and has been involved in mixed media presentations, providing music for dance, radio plays and film.

Urs Leimgruber has undertaken concert tours in Western and Eastern Europe, USA, Canada, South America and Japan, and appeared at concerts and on recordings with such musicians as Steve Lacy, Fred Frith, Evan Parker, Joe McPhee, Lauren Newton, Michel Doneda, Keith Rowe, Günter Christmann, Sunny Murray and Günter Müller among many others.

Recordings

1974, Montreux live & more, Indian Records. Om

1975, Kirikuki, Japo. Om

1976, Rautionaha, Japo. Om

1976, His Master's Bones, Cuneiform Rune 89. Gary Windo. On two tracks on compilation.

1977, Om with Dom Um Romao, Japo/ECM.

1978? Solar plexus, Indian 1002. with Bobby Burri.

1979/1982, Half a lifetime, Unit Records UTR 4068. Two tracks of 'Om and guests'.

1980, Cerberus, Japo. Om

1983, Reflexionen, Timeless SJP 199.

1985, Reflexionen Live, Timeless SJP 234.

1985, Mountain hymn, Bellaphon LR CD 45002. Duo with John Wolf Brennan.

1986, An chara, Bellaphon LR CD 45007. Duo with John Wolf Brennan.

1987, Reflexionen, Enja 5057.

1987, Reflexionen, B&W 016.

1988, Statement of an antirider, HatArt 6013.

1988/1989, M.A.P., Bellapohon LR CD 45021. With John Wolf Brennan and Norma Winston.

1989, Polyphyllum, Bellapohon LR CD 45013. Duo with John Wolf Brennan.

1990, Ungleich, HatArt 6049.

1990, Linear B, HatArt 6057. Joe McPhee Po music.

1990, Old eyes and mysteries, HatArt 6047. Joe McPhee Po music.

1990, Christy Doran's Phoenix, HatArt 6074. Duo between Christy Doran and Urs Leimgruber.

1990, Lines, HatArt 6149.

1991, L'enigmatique, HatArt 6091.

1992 LSM, BW 027.

1992, Goletter, Unit UTR 4050.

1993, DuHo, Unit UTR 4062.

1994, Behind the night, B&W 049.

1996, No try no fail, hatOLOGY 509. Trio with Joëlle Léandre and Fritz Hauser.

1998, Quartet Noir, Victo cd067. With Joëlle Léandre, Marilyn Crispell and Fritz Hauser.

1998, Live, SR 2. Duo with Fritz Hauser.

1999, Xylem, stv/asm 003. With ARTE Quartet.

1999, Blue log, For 4 Ears CD 1137. Solo.

1999, Screen: festival concepts of doing 1999, concepts of doing cod005.

2000, Nach der stimme, Concepts of doing 006. With Felix Philipp Ingold.

2001, Wing vane, Victo cd079. With Jacques Demierre and Barre Phillips.

2001, Out of sound, Leo LR CD337. Newton/Léandre/Leimgruber.

2001, Timbreplus, ARBE 11. Timbre with Hauser, Léandre, Leimgruber.

2001/2002, The difference between a fish, Potlatch P 302. Doneda/Leimgruber/Rowe.

2002, e_a.sonata.02, For 4 Ears CD 1447. Urs Leimgruber/Günter Müller/Arte Quartet.

2003, ldp - cologne, psi 05.03. Urs Leimgruber/Jacques Demierre/Barre Phillips.

2004, La_fourmi, Creative Works CW 1044. Doran/Hauser/Leimgruber/Pfammatter.

2004, Lugano, Victo cd096. Quartet Noir.

2006, Oullh d'baham, Euphorium Records EUPH 010. Ember.

2006, Solo: 13 pieces for saxophone, Leo LR CD498.

2006, Lausanne, For 4 Ears CD 2072. Leimgruber/Lehn.

2008, Love letters to the President, Intakt CD 154. Schweizer Holz Trio.