Uli Hoffmeier started out with guitar, violin and banjo in the “Familienband”. Later, he studied jazz with Wolf Burbat in Berlin and at the Munich Guitar Institute, among others, led his own ensembles, made theater and film music, and has been a member of the Palast Orchester with its singer Max Raabe for over 25 years, in which he plays not only the guitar but also the banjo, violin, mandolin, ukulele, balalaika, and musical saw. He organizes international guitar workshops, coaches bands and has played with jazz legends such as Bucky Pizzarelli, Anthony Wilson, Gene Bertoncini, among others. His book was published in 2019. „Stompin‘ Guitar – Grundlagen der Rhythmusgitarre in Big Band, Combo und Orchester“.
Born into a musical family, he learned to play the guitar, banjo and violin at an early age and played in the 70s with the family band “Sally Dogs” in the legendary (West) Berlin clubs “GO-IN”, “Folk Pub” and “Steve Club”.
A little later, the band “Berliner Stadtmusikanten” developed from this, which – in keeping with the spirit of the times – was also politically active.
First studio and film recordings with the group “Ja-Ka-Scha” around the Russian violinist Jakob Lichtmann, the “devil's violinist from Odessa” who emigrated from the Soviet Union to the then “walled city” of West Berlin. Performances at home and abroad.
Formation of the group “Zigan-tzigan” with violinist Thomas Espanner.
Establishment of the guitar school “Griffbrett”.
He has worked with various big bands (including Constellation, Corporation and the BSR Big Band), orchestras (such as the orchestra of the Theater des Westens) and projects such as the children's theater Atze.
1995 Solo performance for kids “Tanderillo”.
He has been a member of the Palast Orchester and its singer Max Raabe since 1996. They have made countless CD recordings and film and television appearances, and have enjoyed great international success in cities including Vienna, Rome, Paris, Beijing and New York.
Since 2002, performances as a duo with singer Anja Sonntag, later as a double act with two singers and two seven-string guitars as “Seven Strings-Lady sings”.
The “Premier Swingtett” was founded in 2005 and enjoyed success at jazz festivals in Braunschweig, Burghausen and Kassel, as well as in France (Provence Tour). In 2007, the group won the City of Pinneberg Jazz Prize. The first CD “Ich brech die Herzen...” was released in 2009 to mark the third Provence Tour. The second CD, “Tierisch”, reflects the program of the new line-up: a miniature swing vaudeville with juggling, dance interludes and magic. The third CD, “Waltz-a-tza”, was released in 2015 and was dedicated to the German Songbook in a purely musical way. The program “Global Gypsy Swing: Berlin, Paris, Moscow, Hollywood” with international musicians is currently being expanded and is called “It must schwing”.
Since 2018, the guitar duo “Gitarresque” has been back on stage, now as a 7-string guitar duo with Malibu Gordes and the program “GUITARTALK”.
Uli Hoffmeier · Musician, Lecturer, Author
uli_hoffmeier@yahoo.de
Tel.: +49 173 207 85 63