martin abbühl
florent kirchmeyer
marco neri
thomas dürst

SWING EXPRESS

After a few years of violin tuition at the Bern Academy of Music, Martin Abbühl immerses into the wold of folk music which is at it's height in Switzerland, in the seventies. Role models, such as Grappelli, Stuff Smith and later on Jean-Luc Ponty, lead his way to jazz music. Due to the lack of a teacher for jazz violin at the Swiss Jazz School, Martin Abbühl decides to study guitar at the named school. During these studies, he discovers the inexhaustible possibilities of the electric violin. Fascinated by the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli, Martin Abbühl and the Bernese guitarist Fere Scheidegger founded the Hot Strings. Ten years, numerous concerts and four CD productions later, Martin Abbühl strives for new ventures. At the end of 2000, his long lasting dream to establish a fusion band comes true: Sägewerk.01 was launched. In the summer of 2004, the new group Swing Express is formed, demonstrating a total dedication to the 'swing manouche'. Besides working with several formations (such as Asita Hamidi's Arco Baleno 1994 -1995; Bluespower 1990 - 1991; A tazza e cafe etc.) Martin Abbühl teaches jazz violin in Köniz and Thun, and on occasions, he acts as a guest lecturer at workshops at the Jazznights Langnau and Esta for example.

Discography:

Hot Strings: 'Douce Ambiance'1990, 'I saw Stars'1993, 'Lorraine'1996, 'Swing from Bern with Love'1998, Asita Hamidi's Arco Baleno: 'Mosaic'1994, A tazza e cafe: 'Canzoni Napoletane'2001, Sägewerk.01: 'Aliens in Paradise'2003.

At the young age of 9 years, Florent Kirchmeyer starts playing guitar. At the end of the nineties, after indulging in folk, pop, blues and rock, he discovers 'jazz manouche'. Soon, his heart throbbed for this style of music. Kirchmeyer lives and tutors in Mühlhausen. Before joining the Swing Express, he was a much-appreciated guitarist for bands such as Jad-Wio, Terno Sinto and the Gilbert Barman Ensemble.

Marco Neri, born in Geneva in 1973, he falls in love with the music of Django Reinhardt at 24 years. He goes to Paris from 1997 to 1998 and starts to play gypsy jazz. After he lives two years in Romania.
In 2002, he meets May Bittel who teach him a lot. In 2003, he creates with Dany (May's son), the Dany Bittel quartet. In 2004, he meets Bernard Dossin and starts to play more modern jazz and french songs,(creation of Swing Guitars 05).
In 2005, he plays guitar and charango with Belem, a female singer from Ecuador, in Paris. 2005, he replaces Matthieu Chatelain at the rhythm-guitar in the Trio Belleville with Florent Kirchmeyer. In August 2006, he becomes the official rythm-guitar player of Swing express.

Thomas Dürst (contrabass) Thomas Dürst was born in Basel on 7th February 1957.He is a freelance contrabass player in all the fields that jazz offers. In 1976, he began his studies at the Swiss Jazz School in Bern, from which he graduated in the year of 1981. Since 1983 he has been a teacher for contrabass and ensemble at the Swiss Jazz School in Bern (HKB).
Since 1978 Thomas Dürst performed at numerous concerts, festivals, tours, studios, with symphony orchestras and for theater and film music.
He was on stage at the jazz festivals of Willisau, Montreux, Zurich, Bern, Langnau, Schaffhausen, Berlin, Nürnberg, Leverkusen, Riga, Moskau, Bombay, La Paz, Bogota ... and in a numerous array of clubs.
Over the years, Thomas Dürst has been working with Al Grey, Hal Singer, Sammy Price, John Tchicai, Glenn Ferris, Sandy Patton, Vince Benedetti, Joe Haider, Rick Margitza, Giancarlo Nicolai, Urs Blöchlinger, Peter Schärli, Donat Fisch, Harald Haerter, Hot Strings, Nadja Stoller ... and many more.

copyright 2004 © by virtual design rigert VDR www.bulo.ch