Introduction
Harald (Harry) Sokal (born 18 March 1954 in Vienna) is an Austrian jazz saxophonist.
Biography
Sokal attended piano and clarinet lessons since he was six years old and studied clarinet and musical theory at the Vienna Conservatory.
Between 1977 and 1985, he performed with his own band "Timeless", and joined the Vienna Art Orchestra in 1977, to which he, with a four-year break, have played until he left in 2010. His most recent band project is the group Depart, an energetic saxofontrio with Jojo Mayer on drums and Heiri Känzig on bass, which was founded in 1985 and revives the alpine music tradition with the most varied Forms of contemporary jazz.
In addition to his collaboration with a variety of great European and American jazz musicians such as Art Blakey, Wolfert Brederode, Dave Holland, Terje Rypdal, Daniel Humair, Michel Portal, Mike Richmond, Mino Cinelu, Friedrich Gulda, Idris Muhammad, Joe Zawinul, Harry Pepl, Gene Jackson, Andy McKee, and his membership in the legendary Art Farmer Quintet from 1979 to 1999 Projects with national and international musicians.
Sokal has also contributed to many Austrian pop productions, including the Hallucination Company, Wolfgang Ambros, Falco s album Single album.
He also teaches saxophone and improvisation at the Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz.
Honors
- 2005: Awarded the Hans Koller Prize as Musician of the Year
- "Hans Koller Preis 2005 an Bojan Z". Jazzpages.com. 2005-09-10. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
Discography (selection)
Solo albums
- 1996: Rave the Jazz (Pao Records, SBF Records)
- 1997: Full Circle (Koch Records)
- 2001: Roots Ahead (Pao Records)
- 2014: Depart Refire (ntakt Records)
- Harry Sokal Groove
- 2013: 'Where Sparks Start to Fly (Cracked Anegg, Lotus Records)
Collaborations
- With Wolfert Brederode
- 1999: Trinity (A records)
- 2010: Stories (Tcb Records)
- With Depart
- 1988: Depart, Moers Music
- 1992: Letters From Nowhere, Plainisphare
- 2006: Reloaded (ACT Music)
- 2008: Mountain Messenger Act (ACT Music)
- 2014: Refire (Intact Records)
- With Art Farmer
- 1981: Foolish Memories (L&R Records)
- 1999: Quintet Live at Jazzland (Koch Jazz)
- With Wolfgang Puschnig
- 2002: Red-White-Red & Spangled (Universal Music)
- 2005: Voices Of Time (Universal Music)
- 2006: Things Change (Universal Music)
- With Timeless
- 1981: Dreams (Bellaphon)