home
new cd
gigs
bands
discography
photos
vita
links
presskit
radio jazz
kontakt
Vita Olaf Schönborn

1967 born in a Heidenheim/Brenz

I started playing the saxophone at the age of 17 with the great saxophonist and teacher Harry Berger.

1988-1995: English and Geography major at the university of Tübingen
1989-1990: studied at the jazz department at ASU in Phoenix, Arizona (led by pianist Chuck Mahronic).
1996-1996: leading the University Big Band in Tübingen in cooperation with the great trombone player Bobby Burgess.
1996-2000: jazz studies at the University of Mannheim
2000: foundation of record labels JAZZ’n’ARTS and RODENSTEIN RECORDS (www.rodensteinrecords.com)


Steady bands Olaf Schönborn’s Q 4 (melodic jazz quartett with originals)

JazzXchange (hardbop sextet, last CD was published by Blue Note Records!)

Melody, Rhythm and Tap (trio with saxophone, drums and tap dance)

Trio Variety (jazztrio feat. drummer Allen Blairman)

Fridge People (Fusion quintet)

Cocada (Brasilian Jazz)

Xiaomei Deng International Ensemble (world music ensemble with Chinese erhu, strings, percssion, vibraphone and saxophone)

Sarah Kaiser Band (German singer)

Hi Voltage Sextet (Tribute to Hank Mobley)

Changes (Modern Jazz, originals)

Acoustic Affaire (Latin/Jazz/Pop-Originals)

Kicks’n Sticks (BigBand)

Blairman / Schönborn / Simpson (organ groove trio)

Fresh&Cool (funk&soul coverband)


CDs (a.o.):

1994: Modern Walkin': Greatest Hits Vol.1
1994: Modern Walkin'
feat. Stephen Roberts:
Calm before a storm
1995: Modern Walkin' Live in Japan
1996: Rainer Tempel BigBand Vorwärts und zurück
1997: Rainer Tempel BigBand Ups And Dows
1999: Mannheim Jazz Orchestra Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival
2000: Changes Jazz Changes?
2001: Fridge People Smiling In The Dark
2002: Kostas Karagiozidis guest soloist (Greek pop- and worldmusic)
2003: Kicks’n Sticks Open Your Eyes (Bigband)
2003: Acoustic Affaire mira (Latin/Jazz/Pop-Originals)
2004: Cashma Hoody (guest soloist) come unity (Reggae / HipHop)
2004: W.O.A.K. faith-love-hope (HipHop)
2005: Blairman/ Schönborn/ Simpson Like back in the days, (organ trio) Rodenstein Records
2005: Hofmann/ Schönborn/ Wangenheim Inside (improvisations, taped INSIDE an atomic reactor!)
2006: Fridge People Road Movie (Fusion), Rodenstein Records
2008: Olaf Schönborn´s Q4 Radio Jazz, JAZZ’n’ARTS Records
2009: JazzXchange Walk Tall, Blue Note Records
2010: Sarah Kaiser Grüner, JAZZ’n’ARTS


Festival Gigs: North Sea Jazz Festival Den Haag
Montreux Jazz Festival
Edinburgh Festival
Berlin Jazz Festival
Jazzfestival Toulon (France)
Deutsches Jazzfest in Frankfurt
Jazzfestival Szeged (Hungary)
Perugia, Festival d’Estate (Italy)
Leipziger Jazztage


Gigs with a.o.: Kenny Wheeler
Maria Schneider
Joe Gallardo
Herb Geller
Emil Mangelsdorff
Ack van Royen
Carolyn Breuer
Allen Blairman
Thomas Siffling
Bobby Burgess BigBand Explosion
Russ Spiegel BigBand
Jochen Brauer
Thilo Wagner
Vitoslav Rek
Dirik Schilgen Quartett
Rainer Tempel BigBand
Kicks’n Sticks (BigBand)
Fritz Münzer Tentet (Swing / Cool Jazz)
Al Martino
SWR Symphony Orchestra


Workshops with a.o.: Lee Konitz
George Garzone
Dave Liebman
James Moody
Jimmy Cobb
Peter Erskine
Ack van Royen
Bobby Shew
Bobby Burgess
Ernie Watts
Greg Osby
Wolfgang Muthspiel
Rascher Quartett
Antonio Hart
Maria Schneider
Joe Lovano
Herb Geller
David Friesen