Kurt Albert is one of the leading European tap dance artists with more than 30 years of experience in international showbusiness. He started his career with jazz guitar (Gunter Ruit Kraus) and drum studies (Allen Blairman) and was fortunate to learn the art of American Rhythm Tap from authentic masters like Carnell Lyons/Kansas City, New York City, Berlin), Brenda Bufalino (New York City), Buster Brown (NYC) Fay Ray (NYC) and many more. The tap act Tap&Tray with his partner Klaus Bleis is Germanies best known tap duo with international appearences in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Moscow and Paris.
His enthusiasm for jazz improvisation brought him after 28 years back to his roots and to the jazztrio with Allen Blairman and Olaf Schönborn.
The legendary drumer Allen Blairman was born 1940 in Pittsburgh USA. He recently celebrated his 60th stage anniversary and he is swingin’ more than ever! The many musicans he played with sound like a “who’s who” of modern Jazz: George Benson, Charles Mingus, Slide Hampton, Dexter Gordon, Chet Baker Ron Carter, Joe Henderson, Charlie, Haden, Lee Konitz, Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler, Mal Waldron, Roland “Rahsaan” Kirk, Leslie”Bubba” Gains (Tapdance) etc.but also with European stars like Karl Berger, Birelli Lagrene und Albert Mangelsdorff. With different formationes he toured thoughout USA, Europa, South America and Japan.
Olaf Schönborn studied Jazz at the University of Mannheim and the Arizona State University (USA). His CD with the band “JazzXchange” was publiced by the legendary label BLUE NOTE RECORDS. Further CD’s were published with his band “Olaf Schönborn’s Q4”, the Fusion Band “Fridge People“, the world-music band „Deng Xiaomei International Ensemble“, the Brasil band „Cocada“ and many more. He recorded 5 CDs with Allen Blairman in different settings and 3 CDs with the “Rainer Tempel Big Band“. In the year 2000 he founded with Thomas Sifling rhe record label “Rodenstein Records“ which has published more than 60 jazz CDs since.
Performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival, the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Leibzig Jazz Festival, the German Jazz Festival Frankfurt, the Jazz Festival Toulon, the Szeged Jazz Festival Hungary and the Edinbourgh Festival Scottland.
