Paul Lovens 75

Born in Aachen in 1949, Paul Lovens is regarded as the doyen of European free jazz drumming. At a time of political and sonic upheaval, Lovens was already playing in the European and international context of the jazz avant-garde in his early 20s. Above all in a trio with Evan Parker and Alexander von Schlippenbach and as a drummer in his Globe Unity Orchestra, but also with Peter Brötzmann, Eugene Chadborn, Joëlle Léandre and Cecil Taylor, with whom he made the duo recording “Regalia” in 1988. He also played with Florian Schneider and Eberhard Kranemann in an early formation of the group Kraftwerk. In 1976, Lovens founded the record label Po Torch together with drummer Paul Lytton. In addition to drums, Lovens also uses percussion, singing saw and various cymbals. In 2019 he received the “Albert Mangelsdorff Prize” for his life’s work and the album “Meeting The Past” by his own trio with turntable player and saxophonist Ignaz Schick and bassist Clayton Thomas was released in 2020. Lovens lives both in Aachen and in Nickelsdorf, Austria.