Solo Live

Out now…

Album Release: Bright Dark

I’m delighted to announce the release of my new album Bright Dark on Unit Records. It features me on piano and synthesizer, Felix Henkelhausen on double bass and Philip Dornbusch on drums. All compositions are by me. It was recorded at Blackbird Music Studio in Berlin by Sebastian Ohmert in March 2020. Mixing and mastering also by Sebastian Ohmert. Artwork is by Odelia Toder, and video by Martina Pozzan. Get in touch for CD preorders!

Photos February 2020

By Tillman Böttcher at Wilhelm13 in Oldenburg, Germany:

Solo Release

Bandcamp are waiving their revenue share again today and to coincide I've put together a new release of home recordings (in the spirit of the times) from last summer, inadvertently my first solo piano release. The music is all freely improvised, although the end result is still a collection of 'songs' to my ear. Hope you enjoy!:

NEW RELEASE

This album marks the end of two years studying around Europe between 2015 and 2017. It was a highly formative time, filled with important experiences and encounters with many extraordinary people. It went on to shape the course of my life in an unprecedented and positive way, for which I am grateful.

The project was born of a desire to bring together all my favourite musicians from each of the cities I had lived in. Jonas Engel (saxophone) from Copenhagen, Tristan Renfrow (drums) from Amsterdam, Arne Braun (guitar) and James Banner (double bass) from Berlin. Over one weekend in 2017 we met and intensively rehearsed the music, performed and recorded, mostly in single takes. This put us on our toes, and I think the music comes across the better for that. Some spontaneous reactions to unplanned musical events are my personal highlights of the album, and I listen back remembering the joy of making music with four individuals playing with such freedom, creativity and togetherness.

The compositions took inspiration from haiku poems by American author Jack Kerouac. I felt drawn to their freedom of form (they do not follow fixed syllable patterns) and the imagery they depicted. I began seeing numerous parallels between the idea of a musical sketch and a haiku, most notably an intent to communicate a meaning greater than the concise amount of material on the page. With this in mind I began writing musical sketches, coming up with seeds for composition that sometimes grew into longer forms, and othertimes stayed as minimal sketches which eventually served as jumping off points for improvisation.

Very very many thanks to: Jonas, Tristan, Arne and James for their contributions; Jesko Stüve for his time and generosity; the people who put the EUJAM programme together and the JIB for giving me the opportunity to take part in it; the people I met while doing it, many of whom remain very dear to me; and my family who support me always and unconditionally. Finally a special mention to Sölvi Kolbeinsson who should have played 2nd alto but very sadly couldn’t due to illness!

The bottoms of my shoes

are clean

From walking in the rain

Dawn wind
in the spruces
- The late moon

Walking on water wasn’t
Built in a day

There’s nothing there
because
I don’t care

It is raining -
I guess I’ll make
Some tea

released December 15, 2019

Jonas Engel - Alto Saxophone
Arne Braun - Guitar
Mark Pringle - Piano/Fender Rhodes
James Banner - Double Bass
Tristan Renfrow - Drums/Objects

Recorded and mixed in Berlin, 2017
Mastered by Jesko Stüve, 2019

All compositions by Mark Pringle
www.markpringlemusic.com

Cover art by Mark Pringle
flickr.com/photos/jazzsnappa

Pringle-Santner-Kolbeinsson-Braun

More new music, featuring:

Sölvi Kolbeinsson - Alto Saxophone | Arne Braun - Guitar | Mark Pringle - Piano/composition | Max Santner - Drums

Live in Berlin, October 2018

Mirna Bogdanovic Group

Mirna Bogdanovic - voice, compositions 
Felix Henkelhausen - bass 
Arne Braun - guitar 
Fabian Rösch - drums 
Mark Pringle - piano 
Otto Hirte - saxophone 
Dima Bondarev - trumpet, flugelhorn 

Recorded at the UDK Studios, Berlin 
Sound engineering and mixing - Johannes Gottschick 
Photo - Dovile Sermokas 

Some New Music

Featuring:

Sölvi Kolbeinsson - Alto Saxophone | Arne Braun - Guitar | Mark Pringle - Piano/composition | Max Santner - Drums

Live in Berlin, October 2018