BIO
Music has accompanied Ueli Zysett throughout his life. As a child, he played the trumpet and later the trombone in brass bands. His great love for jazz and free jazz led him to explore free improvisation for the first time in the mid-1970s. He recalls: “Ticino later became a formative place for free, intuitive playing, in Sous-Sol at that time, with Guy Bettini, experimenting and trying out new things.”
This eventually led to playing together in larger ensembles, from groups of five musicians upwards, exploring what was possible – something he found highly fascinating. He first did so with the trombone, and later, almost by chance, with the double bass. The instrument was there without any particular purpose; then I took it with me and tried it out. In a workshop with Paul Lovens, there were so many wind players and no bass player that I spontaneously switched to double bass. It worked so well that I stayed with the instrument and the group from then on.
Over the past twelve years, the trombone has increasingly moved into the background. Today, the double bass is my most important instrument. I have never played this instrument from written notes, but always by ear and freely, following intuition. Playing only works when listening becomes the decisive factor guiding the next note.
“For me, making music creatively was and remains an essential balance for my personal equilibrium during such a turbulent and challenging period.”