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You know, the old cliché. The German guy comes, the German guy fixes the problem. That’s how it is with Oli Bott, the vibraphone player, too. At least apparently. To some extent, it is true. Oli thinks of everything. Oli fixes the broken vibraphone. Oli is always prepared. Oli has a pen. Oli wrote already the score for us. But BEYOND THE SURFACE there’s a storm of feelings and a deep musical soul. You see it in all its beauty when he plays. With him the sound of Zmeitrei gained the completeness and explosion of energy they always wanted. It’s funny how it all started. When the world-leading vibraphonist Gary Burton came to Germany to give a workshop, he noticed one of the students: Oli Bott. After the workshop Mr. Burton came to Oli and said: “Tell me, do you want to be a postman?” “No. I want to be a musician.” “OK, then you come with me now to America.” Gary Burton gave Oli a scholarship at Berklee, and his trust was soon rewarded: Oli finished in just two years, summa cum laude. Since then he works as a freelance vibraphonist and composer in Berlin. He received several scholarships by the city of Berlin and composition commissions for his own jazz orchestra. Many of his concerts throughout Europe were recorded by TV and radio. He obtained awards at various international competitions such as the "NDR-Musikpreis" for big band conductors, the 1st prize at the Improvisation Competition in Leipzig, the Europ Jazz Contest and the Wayne Shorter Award, USA. Still, he doesn’t think about himself as a jazz musician. But as a free musician. |
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