Ó 12 Points 2008

Like so many 12 Points! artists, Urs Bollhalder started early. In his teens he was the youngest trumpet playing member of the Swiss Youth Orchestra, but the switch to piano came shortly after, and he’s clearly been a quick and enthusiastic student. Concluding his studies at Lucerne’s Musikhochschule as recently as 2006, Bollhalder already demonstrates a mature conception and a knowing embrace of the piano’s rich tradition. Fleet lines tastefully punctuated with chromaticism, a buoyant time feel, and that sensation that the chord choices are always the right ones, mark Urs Bollhalder out as a key figure in the bright future of Swiss jazz. Of similar calibre are fellow Swiss bassist Raffaele Bossard and drummer Christoph Müller, providing an open and discursive groove that brings Bollhalder's lyrical originals to life.