Five Blue
Five Blue is the project of the Bernese musician Christof Jaussi. He'd been hitting the drums live and in the studio for ten years with melodies piling up in his head until he sat down at the grand piano in 2004, as he used to as a child, and started writing the music to 'Moon', his first CD album - an intimate album he's since been touring since its release.
In 2011 he put together a rock band and created songs for a new album 'Wicked Ways'. The influences of his songs can be traced back to the Eighties but are inspired by various musical styles.
Christof Jaussi knew at an early age where he was heading musically. When he was seven he would play on empty detergent containers with self-made sticks. Ten years later he and his buddy Tobi Gurtner (Climbing Tree) founded their first band 'Heinz' for which Christof composed most of the songs and sang lead vocals behind the drums.
As a drummer and percussionist for bands like Simple Communication, Wurzel 5, Trummer, Zeno Tornado, Baze, Climbing Tree etc. he toured Germany, Ireland, Italy, England, the Netherlands, the USA and of course Switzerland. You may have heard him bang the drums at such Open Airs as St.Gallen, Frauenfeld, Gurtenfestival etc. Along the way he took a year-long break to study at the renowned Drummers Collective in New York. He regularly shares his experience with his students.
How come such a sought after drummer is leaving his castle of drums and cymbals to put himself in the lime light?
Jaussi: ' After all those years in various band projects I felt like creating something without compromise. As a band member you have to constantly adapt. Five Blue is my answer to that. With Five Blue I can follow my own vision which enables me to implement my thoughts in words and music.'
In his music you get the whole spectrum. He writes, produces, sings, plays the keyboards and the percussion and sits behind the drums. With his recent album he involves several musician-friends of the Bernese and the international music scene. I.e. Martin Diem (Polo Hofer, Sina), Christoph Sauer (Freundeskreis), Bruce Reynolds (Gilbert O' Sullivan, John McCoy and Mammoth), Rob Aeberhard (Electric Blanket, Trummer), Bene Wieland (Tommy Vercetti), Mago Flück (Dead Brothers, Filewile), David Brühlmann (An Lár, Little Big Men) and Sumi Sommerhalder (Smartship Friday, Climbing Tree).
Christof has played over forty concerts so far with Five Blue. The major ones are: supporting William White at Papiersaal Zürich, Alte Taverne Adelboden, Musigbistrot Bern and Parterre Basel. With 'Wicked Ways' he'll go on tour starting in autumn 2011. The CD-Release will take place at Rossstall/Kulturhof Köniz on the 22nd of October 2011.
Liveband:
Christof Jaussi (keys, vocals), Martin Diem (guitars, backing vocals), Bruce Reynolds (guitars, backing vocals), Jonas Stehli (drums), Thom Wettstein (bass), Tobi Gurtner (backing vocals, percussion)