Patrik Landolt: Cultural organizer, journalist, CD producer, concert organizer, editor for many years of the left-wing weekly paper WoZ. Born 1956. Has known Schweizer since 1976. Beginning in 1982, he founded, with Schweizer, various autonomous musicians’ and cultural initiatives, including Fabrikjazz, taktlos, unerhört! and, finally, Intakt. Close friend, confidant, and supporter of Schweizer. Lives in Zürich.
Joëlle Léandre: Bassist, born 1951. Has known Schweizer since 1978. Countless appearances together, including the trio Les Diaboliques with Maggie Nicols since 1991. Various recordings and releases together on Nato, FMP, and Intakt. Lives in Paris.
George E. Lewis: Trombonist, composer, professor of composition at Columbia University in New York. Born 1952. Many concerts with Schweizer in a wide variety of ensembles. Recordings together: Les Douze Sons (Joëlle Léandre, 1983), Live at taktlos (1984), and The Storming of the Winter Palace (1986). Lives in New York.
Paul Lovens: Percussionist, born 1949. Has known Schweizer since 1975, from the WG am Wasser. Played with Schweizer at the first taktlos festival in 1984; the recording appeared as the first Intakt LP, Live at taktlos. Lives in Nickelsdorf, Austria.
La Lupa: Folksinger, born 1947. Has known Schweizer since 1985, is her friend, and developed a concert program together with her. Lives in Zürich.
Rosmarie A.Meier: Sociologist, concert organizer, born 1955. Directs the Alterszentrum Pfrundhaus-Bürgerasyl elder living facility in Zürich. Has known Schweizer since 1979 as a close friend and confidante. Organized the first Swiss Women’s Jazz Festival Canaille in 1986. Has organized concerts and tours for Schweizer, and founded the Intakt label with Patrik Landolt. Lives in Zürich.
Tommy Meier: Saxophonist, born 1959. CDs with Schweizer and his band Root Down: Root Down (2007), and The Master and the Rain (2010). Lives in Jonen.
Louis Moholo: Percussionist, born 1940. Has known Schweizer since 1964; countless concerts together in a wide variety of ensembles. Recordings and releases in trio with Schweizer and Rüdiger Carl from 1975 to 1978: Messer and Tuned Boots; duo CD Irène Schweizer – Louis Moholo (Intakt, 1986). 2003 tour of South Africa with Schweizer. Lives in Cape Town.
Mani Neumeier: Percussionist, born 1940. Has known Schweizer since 1963; played in the Schweizer Trio from 1964 to 1967. Recordings together: Early Tapes (1967) and Jazz Meets India (1967). Lives near Heidelberg.
Maggie Nicols: Singer, born 1948. Has played with Schweizer in a wide variety of ensembles since 1978, first in the Feminist Improvising Group FIG, later also in the taktlos group, and since 1991 in the trio Les Diaboliques with Léandre. Various recordings and releases together. Lives in Carms, Wales.
Lucas Niggli: Percussionist, born 1968. Works as board member with Schweizer in the Intakt Records Association. Lives in Uster.
Makaya Ntshoko: Percussionist, born 1939. Has known Schweizer since 1962, countless concerts in many different groups. Recordings and releases together: Willi the Pig: Live at the Willisau Jazz Festival (1975, with John Tchicai and Buschi Niebergall) and Can Walk on Sand (Where’s Africa Trio with Omri Ziegele, 2009). Lives in Basel.
Evan Parker: Saxophonist, born 1942. Worked with Schweizer sporadically over many years, beginning in 1969 in the Pierre Favre Quartet. Recordings with Schweizer and the London Jazz Composers Orchestra: Theoria (1991) and Radio Rondo (2008). Lives in Faversham, England.
William Parker: Bassist, directs the New York Vision Festival. Born 1952. With Peter Kowald, organized the Sound Vision Festival in New York in 1984, at which Schweizer appeared. Occasional appearances together since then in New York and Zürich. Lives in New York.
Barre Phillips: Bassist, born 1934. Occasional concerts with Schweizer in various groups since 1970; recordings with her and the London Jazz Composers Orchestra: Theoria (1991) and Radio Rondo (2008). Lives in France.
Marianne Regard: Neuropsychologist, born 1946. Has known Schweizer since the late 1960s; they have been friends since 1975. Since then she has become one of Schweizer’s closest friends, and has accompanied her on many concert tours. Lives in Zürich.
Urs Röllin: Guitarist, founder and director of the Schaffhausen Jazz Festival, born 1959. Organized many of Schweizer’s concerts, and has presented her work since 1990 at the festival in many different ensembles. Also a member of the festival’s advisory board. Lives in Schaffhausen.
Isolde Schaad: Writer, publicist, works for the left-wing weekly paper WoZ, born 1944. In 1967, she wrote her first article about Schweizer, and in 1990 she gave the honorary address when Schweizer was awarded the Georg Fischer prize. Originally from Schaffhausen. Lives in Zürich.
Margrit Schlatter: Younger sister of Irène Schweizer, pharmacist, born 1942. Married with a son. Lives in Schaffhausen.
Alexander von Schlippenbach: Pianist, born 1938. With Schweizer, was part of the recording of European Echoes by Manfred Schoof. Lives in Berlin.
Manfred Schoof: Trumpeter, born 1936. Appeared with Schweizer in 1967 at the Donaueschingen Music Days and the Berlin Jazz Days, in the project “Jazz Meets India.” Schweizer also took part in the recording of his European Echoes in June 1969 in Bremen. This influential LP was the beginning of the FMP label. Lives near Cologne.
Günter Baby Sommer: Percussionist, born 1943. Numerous appearances and tours with Schweizer since 1984. Recordings together: Live at taktlos (1984), The Storming of the Winter Palace (1986), and Irène Schweizer – Günter Sommer (1987). Lives in Radebeul.
Bruno Spoerri: Saxophonist, born 1935. Has known Schweizer since her first appearance at the National Amateur Jazz Festival Zürich in 1958. They performed together with his band Jazz Rock Experience in 1970. Lives in Zürich.
Co Streiff: Saxophonist, born 1959. Met Schweizer at the 1986 Canaille Festival; since then has played with her in various groups. Duo CD: Twin Lines (Intakt, 2001). Lives in Jonen.
Fredy Studer: Percussionist, born 1948. Played with Schweizer in the Jazz Rock Experience. In 1972, he took over Pierre Favre’s position at Paiste, where Schweizer worked as a secretary until 1974. Lives in Lucerne.
Niklaus Troxler: Graphic artist, founded the Willisau Jazz Festival in 1975, born 1947. Organized numerous concerts for Schweizer, and presented her work continuously and comprehensively in a wide variety of ensembles between 1968 and 1992. Presented Schweizer’s first solo concert, in Willisau in 1976. Lives in Willisau and Berlin.
Nikola Weisse: Actress with the Marthaler company in Basel, born 1941. Has known Schweizer since 1985; has been her friend and neighbor since 2004. Lives in Zürich.
Jürg Wickihalder: Saxophonist, born 1973 in Glarus. Recorded the Intakt CDs Jump, by the Jürg Wickihalder European Quartet feat. Irène Schweizer, and Spring, by the Irène Schweizer – Jürg Wickihalder Duo. Lives in Zürich.
Reggie Workman: Bassist, born 1937. Concerts with Schweizer, Lake, and Cyrille in 2007, in Bern and Zürich, were released on Intakt as Berne Concert with Trio 3 + Irène Schweizer. Lives in New York.
Omri Ziegele: Saxophonist, born 1959. Numerous duo concerts with Schweizer since 1997; founded and worked with her in the musicians’ initiative OHR. With Schweizer, recorded the CDs Where’s Africa (2005) and Can Walk on Sand (2009). Lives in Zürich.
A note on references
All publications are cited to the fullest extent possible. Missing or partial citations are due to unobtainable source information (for example, newspaper clippings with no date/author/publication title, from a personal archive).
This music is the music of the hidden force of the universe
– Louis Moholo
Zürich, February 2013. A clear, cold winter’s day. Behind the city, the Alps are visible. From the main station, she’s told me, I should take tram