Brönner has a unique jazz approach influenced by bebop and fusion jazz, but also modern pop music, movie soundtracks, and country music. His trumpet playing is primarily inspired by the listening experiences of Freddie Hubbard and Chet Baker.
Till was raised in Rome and received classical trumpet education at the Jesuit boarding school Aloisiuskolleg followed by a study of the jazz trumpet at the music academy in Cologne.
* 1989 - 1991: Member of the Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass.
* 1991 - 1998: At the age of only 20 he became solo trumpet player of the renowned RIAS Big Band Berlin under Horst Jankowski and Jiggs Whigham.
* 1993: First solo album "Generations of Jazz" (with Ray Brown, Jeff Hamilton, Frank Chastenier and Gregoire Peters) which won several awards: "Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik" and "Preis der Deutschen Plattenindustrie". Brönner worked with a lot of musicians of international fame such as Dave Brubeck, James Moody, Monty Alexander, Aki Takase, Joachim Kühn, Chaka Khan, Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett, Ray Brown, Johnny Griffin, Ernie Watts, Klaus Doldinger, Nils Landgren, Al Foster and others.
* 1998: First album on Verve ("Love") with his first appearance as a jazz singer. Concert tours in Japan and a Gold Disc Award by the Japanese "Swing Journal".
* 1999: Song writer and producer for Hildegard Knef's album "17 Milimeter".
* 2001: Movie soundtrack for "Jazz Seen" (a movie about the jazz photographer William Claxton).
* 2002: Featured on single "Don't Let 'Em" by Rosie Gaines also featuring Snoop Dogg & Bootsy Collins.
* 2003: Concert tour with the soul singer Joy Denalane.
* 2005: The album "That Summer" reached rank 17 in the German pop charts. He's now the best selling German jazz artist of all times.
Brönner also wrote the movie soundtrack for Pepe Danquart's "Höllentour" (English title: "Hell On Wheels"; a movie about the "Tour de France" bicycle race). The soundtrack was nominated for a German Movie Award in the category "Best Music Score".
* 2006: Release of his most recent album "Oceana", recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Larry Klein (former producer of Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen and Peter Gabriel). Guest stars on "Oceana" are Madeleine Peyroux, Luciana Souza and the singing top model Carla Bruni. In July he played at the famous Jazz Festival in Montreux (Switzerland). He has a guest appearance on Madeleine Peyroux's album "Half the Perfect World" and Vienna Teng's current album "Dreaming through the noise"
* 2007: He wins the "Echo Award" (equivalent to the Grammy Award) in Jazz Production (National and International). European concert tour with the band project REUNION, feat. Chuck Loeb, Eric Marienthal, Till Brönner, Jim Beard, Tim Lefebvre, Dennis Chambers and Michael Franks (special guest). In March 2007 he produced "The jazz album" for legendary classical singer Thomas Quasthoff, featuring pianist Alan Broadbent and drummer Peter Erskine. The album wins the "Echo Award" (equivalent to the Grammy Award) in the classical category and is nominated for a Grammy 2008.
* 2008: release of his new album "RIO". Produced by Grammy winner Larry Klein in Rio de Janeiro and Los Angeles, with featured guest vocalists Vanessa da Mata, Kurt Elling, Melody Gardot, Annie Lennox, Aimee Mann, Sergio Mendes, Milton Nascimento & Luciana Souza.
* 2009: nominated for a Grammy in category 47 for "Best instrumental Jazz solo" along with Terence Blanchard, James Moody, Pat Metheny, Gary Burton & Chick Corea for his Solo on the track "Seven steps to heaven" on the album "The Standard" by vocal group Take 6.
Discography:
1993 Generations of Jazz
1995 My Secret Love
1996 German Songs
1999 Love
2000 Chattin' with Chet (a tribute to Chet Baker)
2001 Jazz Seen
2002 Blue eyed Soul
2004 That Summer
2005 O.S.T. „Hoellentour“
2005 A Night In Berlin (Live-DVD)
2006 Oceana
2007 The Christmas Album
2008 Rio
2009 Midnight
River Man
Till Brönner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said she had a word to say
About things today
And fallen leaves.
Said she hadn't heard the news
Hadn't had the time to choose
A way to loose
Going to see the river man
Going to tell him all I can
About the plan
For lilac time.
If he tells me all he knows
About the way his river flows
And all night shows
In summertime.
Betty said she prayed today
For the sky to blow away
Or maybe stay
She wasn't sure.
For when she thought of summer rain
Calling for her mind again
She lost the pain
And stayed for more.
Going to see the river man
Going to tell him all I can
About the ban
On feeling free.
If he tells me all he knows
About the way his river flows
I don't suppose
It's meant for me.
Oh, how they come and go
Oh, how they come and go.
In Till Brönner's song River Man, the singer Betty visits the river man to share her story and gain insight into the natural world. Betty confesses that she hasn't had the time to process recent events, and is feeling lost and unsure of how to proceed. However, she has faith that the river man can provide her with guidance, as he possesses knowledge about the river and its flow that can help her make sense of her struggles.
Betty references the coming of "lilac time," a symbol of renewal and rejuvenation. She hopes that the river man can shed light on how this season will impact her life and perhaps even provide her with a glimpse into the future. Betty's thoughts turn to the unpredictability of summer storms and how they can evoke a sense of loss, but also a desire for more.
The song speaks to the power of nature and the mysteries it holds, as well as the universal human experience of searching for meaning and seeking guidance from others. The river man represents a mythical figure, someone who possesses wisdom and knowledge beyond what can be learned through personal experience. Through the lyrics, we see the importance of finding our own river man, whether that be a mentor or spiritual guide, to help navigate the trials and tribulations of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Betty came by on her way
Betty stopped by while she was passing through
Said she had a word to say
She had something to discuss
About things today
Related to the present
And fallen leaves.
And the leaves that have fallen
Said she hadn't heard the news
She hadn't heard the recent news
Hadn't had the time to choose
Didn't have the time to decide
A way to loose
A way to be free
But she believes.
But she has faith
Going to see the river man
Going to meet the man who knows the river
Going to tell him all I can
Going to share everything she knows with him
About the plan
About the idea
For lilac time.
For the lilac time of year
If he tells me all he knows
If he shares everything he knows with me
About the way his river flows
About the way the river operates
And all night shows
And what it shows during the night
In summertime.
During the summer season
Betty said she prayed today
Betty mentioned that she prayed earlier
For the sky to blow away
For the sky to clear up
Or maybe stay
Or perhaps remain the same
She wasn't sure.
She wasn't certain of the outcome
For when she thought of summer rain
When she reminisced about summer rain
Calling for her mind again
Prompting her thoughts again
She lost the pain
She stopped feeling the pain
And stayed for more.
And stayed to enjoy the moment
Going to see the river man
Going to consult the river man
Going to tell him all I can
Intending to share information
About the ban
About the prohibition
On feeling free.
On the freedom of expression
If he tells me all he knows
Assuming he shares his knowledge
About the way his river flows
Regarding the nature of the river's flow
I don't suppose
I doubt
It's meant for me.
It is intended for me to know
Oh, how they come and go
How easily people come and go
Oh, how they come and go.
How transient people's lives are
Writer(s): (gb 1) Nick Drake
Contributed by Hudson K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@BLUEPLANETJAZZ
My new favorite song-------
@mirpois10
Somptueuse version, brillante à tous points de vue, éblouissante.
@hickoryhop
So chill.
@RichardASalisbury1
I have Till's version on another CD--slightly different. Till's muted horn adds so much. Incredibly moving--to be put inside the life of a lost, mentally ill soul. If you like the song, check out Andy Bey's equally amazing version, and the original by Nick Drake (brilliant singer/song-writer, depressed, maybe schizophrenic, probable suicide).
@Nohitsound
Thanks so much for the data!!
@christianlowe2670
I like the other version better. Slightly more dreamy