Awarded early in his career with a prize for interpretative art by the city of Munich, Thomas worked with many celebrities of Jazz like Clark Terry, Al Cohn, Sam Rivers, Charly Mariano, Dusko Goykovich, Sal Nistico, Albert Mangelsdorf, Bill Frisell, Herb Geller and many others.
He frequently toured Europe, North and South America with various bands or his own groups. He participated in international festivals like Paris, Lugano, Zurich, Burghausen, Aspen/Colorado and Jakarta.
Thomas Faists spare, soulful, understated musical style projects an intimate warmth. His own music is a blend of enticing rhythms and melodies from around the world, infused with the infectious swing and the harmonies of jazz. As a player he is able to cover a wide range of musical situations.
With his Thomas Faist Quintet he plays mostly original compositions and his own arrangements.
The current lineup with Thomas on woodwinds, Filip Wisniewski on guitar, Walter Lang on piano, Thomas Stabenow on bass und drummer Rick Hollander, all of them first class players, is frequently performing at jazz venues like the well-known jazz club Unterfahrt in Munich.
Thomas Faist has released 5 Albums with his quartets/quintets, which documents his work as a composer and were highly appreciated by the jazz critics.
In 2012 BR Radio (German Radio Broadcasting System) presented Thomas Faists music in an one-hour feature with live interview.
2017 Thomas Faist recorded his fifth CD "Meantime" with Walter Lang on piano, Will Woodard on bass and Rick Hollander on drums.
He started playing piano at the age of eight, switched to trumpet and discovered saxophone as his favorite instrument at the age of twelve. After finishing school he made his diploma at the Jazz-School Munich, with the great Sal Nistico as sax-teacher. He went to Boston's Berklee College of Music for further studies. Later he graduated at the Richard Strauss Konservatorium München with the Staatliche Musikreife.
1980 he received an award for interpretative art from the city of Munich.
Born in Posen (Poland) he grew up in a family of opera-singers. He studied at the Musikhochschule Nürnberg-Augsburg and graduated 2008 with "Summa cum Laude".
As a composer he has performed his music already in different settings from trio to tentett and worked as sideman with Walter Lang, Jason Seizer, Martin Zenker, Rick Hollander, Christian Gall, Mathias Bätzel, Ralf Hesse, Heiko Jung, Steffen Schorn, Jürgen Neudert, Lutz Häfner, Klaus Graf, Carolyn Breuer, Titilayo Adedokun, Guido May, Claus Raible, Peter Tuscher, Claus Koch, Johannes Nied, Andreas Gandela, Bastian Jütte and Andreas Kurz.
He studied piano and composition at the Berklee School of Music in Boston; finished his studies at the Amsterdam School of Arts.
With his own Walter Lang Trio he released many very successful CD's that received several awards. In 2011 the trio recorded "Someone to watch over me" with the legendary Lee Konitz. Another project is his Trio ELF. Their CD Elfland from 2010 is featuring the great brazilian singer Milton Nascimento. Other collaborations are the World Percussion Ensemble, his duo Yuujou with taiko drummer Takuya Taneguchi, and a duo with saxofonist Lee Konitz.
Walter Lang played with James Moody, Chico Freeman, Don Menza, Roy Hargrove, Jenny Evans, Dusko Goykovich, Lisa Wahlandt and many others.
Studied double-bass with Prof. Ulrich Lau in Stuttgart from 1975-1980.
Mostly freelancing with musicians such as Johnny Griffin, Charlie Rouse, Clifford Jordan, Lee Konitz, Mel Lewis, Billy Cobham, Toots Thielemanns, Buddy deFranco, Don Menza, Bobby Shew, Jimmy Cobb, Mose Allison.
Recordings and concerts with Peter Herbolzheimer's Rhythm Combination and Brass, with the Al Porcino Bigband, Joe Haider Jazz Orchestra, WDR Bigband and the SDR Bigband.
Winner of the Jazz Prize Of Baden-Württemberg in 1986. Professor for double-bass at the Musikhochschule Mannheim. Editor of the 1st German Realbook. Released 3 LPs, 26 CDs on his own label Bassic Sound.
Rick Hollander began playing drums at the age of 9. He studied privately with Gene Steward and Roy Brooks and later attended Oakland Community College for courses in music theory, piano and composition.
Hollander moved to New York City in 1979 and Europe in 1987. He's gained a wealth of experience working and recording with jazz greats such as Woody Shaw, Cameron Brown, Arnett Cobb, Roy Hargrove, Bob Mover, Mark Murphy, Rufus Reid, Steve Grossman, Robin Eubanks, Tim Hagans, Walter Lang and many more. He is also leads his own group.
El Pais, Madrid wrote: His work beneath the solos of his fellow musicians could be a complete short course on jazz for the listener.
„Sein ausgewogen voller Sound, seine Vorliebe für Laid-Back-Phrasierungen verbinden sich mit melodiösem Feingefühl und dem subtilen Spannungsaufbau der Arrangements.“
Süddeutsche Zeitung Ralf Dombrowski
„Jazz zum Schwärmen: Musik, die einen sanft davonträgt“.
Abendzeitung Roland Spiegel
„Moderne Mainstream-Eigenkompositionen von hohem Niveau und vorgetragen von einem wundervoll ausbalancierten und geschmackvoll interagierenden Quintett.“
„...Ein ästhetisch abgerundetes, unprätentiöses Stück zeitloser Musik.“>
Jazz-Thing
„...Musterbeispiel für die Kunst wunderbar eingängiger und doch subtil-anspruchsvoller Jazz-Kompositionen...“
Abendzeitung Roland Spiegel
23.09.2017 20.30 Thomas Faist with Thomas Stabenow (History Repeating) Jazzclub Unterfahrt München
06.01.2017 20.30 Thomas Faist Quintet Jazzclub Unterfahrt München
20.05.2016 20.30 Thomas Faist with Michael Keul & The Superfocus Jazz Octet Jazzclub Unterfahrt München
16.05.2016 20.30 Thomas Faist with AL-UMNI Big Band conducted by Roger Rhodes Jazzclub Unterfahrt München
11.11.2015 20.30 Thomas Faist with Michael Keul Octet Le Pirate Rosenheim
29.05.2015 19.00 Thomas Faist Duo with Tizian Jost Hotel Bayerischer Hof - Piano Bar München
28.05.2015 18.30 Thomas Faist Duo with Helmuth Nieberle Audi Forum Ingolstadt
22.05.2015 19.00 Thomas Faist Duo mit Chris Lachotta Hotel Bayerischer Hof - Piano Bar München
15.05.2015 19.00 Thomas Faist Duo with Tizian Jost Hotel Bayerischer Hof - Piano Bar München
08.05.2015 19.00 Thomas Faist Duo with Tizian Jost Hotel Bayerischer Hof - Piano Bar München
01.05.2015 19.00 Thomas Faist Duo with Tizian Jost Hotel Bayerischer Hof - Piano Bar München
10.01.2015 21.00 Thomas Faist Quintet Jazzclub Unterfahrt München
23.01.2014 20.00 Thomas Faist Duo with Helmuth Nieberle Audi Forum Ingolstadt
04.01.2014 21.00 Thomas Faist Quintet Jazzclub Unterfahrt München
17.10.2013 20.00 Thomas Faist Quartett Lime Light Gilching
12.10.2013 20.00 Thomas Faist Quintet Saal der Raiffeisenbank Rain am Lech
29.07.2013 21.00 Al Porcino Big Band Jazzclub Unterfahrt München
20.05.2013 21.00 Al Porcino Big Band Jazzclub Unterfahrt München
28.03.2013 18.30 Thomas Faist Duo with Helmuth Nieberle Audi Forum Ingolstadt
04.03.2013 21.00 Al Porcino Big Band Jazzclub Unterfahrt München
22.12.2012 21.00 Thomas Faist Quintet Jazzclub Unterfahrt München
13.12.2012 18.30 Duo Thomas Faist/Joe Kienemann Audi Forum Ingolstadt
06.12.2012 21.00 Duo Thomas Faist/Joe Kienemann Jazzbar Vogler München
14.11.2012 21.00 Thomas Faist Quintet Import Export München
08.10.2012 21.00 Al Porcino Big Band Jazzclub Unterfahrt München
18.08.2012 21.00 Thomas Faist Quintet Cafe Schauburg München
09.07.2012 21.00 Al Porcino Big Band Jazzclub Unterfahrt München
28.05.2012 21.00 Rich Laughlin Ensemble Jazzclub Unterfahrt München
14.05.2012 21.00 Al Porcino Big Band Jazzclub Unterfahrt München
04.05.2012 21.00 Thomas Faist Quintet Jazzclub Unterfahrt München
19.03.2012 21.00 Al Porcino Big Band Jazzclub Unterfahrt München
15.03.2012 18.30 Thomas Faist Quartet Audi Forum Ingolstadt