bio | sounds | projects | photos | movie clips| schedule | poetry | teaching | links | email | album covers | forums
|
Kai Eckhardt was born on June 15, 1961 in Mainz, Germany. Being the son of a German mother and a Liberian father, he was raised in Germany and West Africa. He
began to study the bass guitar at age 15 and went on to establish
himself as a well known and respected musician. Kai left Germany in 1983 to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. While still in school, he became a member of the Bob Moses Group and Tiger’s Baku. At the same time, Boston served as a home base for the launching of various international tours. It was during this period that his special talent first received international recognition. Kai was the bassist for: Steve Smith’s Vital Information, Alphonse Mouzon, Randy Brecker and Stanley Clarke. In 1987, Kai graduated from Berklee with honors and was offered a teaching position at the college. In the same year, Gary Burton recommended him to guitarist John Mc Laughlin. Kai
joined the John Mc Laughlin Trio, which featured percussionist
Trilok Gurtu, in December of 1988. The Trio toured extensively
throughout the world and recorded two albums. The acclaimed Live
at the Royal Festival Hall, recorded 1989 in London, documented
a new direction in Mc Laughlin’s music. This recording has
been described by many as historic for its outstanding musicianship
and unique stylistic blend.
Meanwhile, Kai’s career as a recording artist and live performer has continued to develop in a multicultural direction. The Aziza Mustafa Zadeh recording project brought together the folk music of eastern Europe with jazz. This 1995 release for Sony Germany features Kai along with Al Di Meola, Bill Evans and Omar Hakim. The production was followed by a successful tour, and the album reached the #1 position in the German jazz charts . In the summer of 1995, Kai performed in Europe with the New York based band Steps Ahead and received a jazz award from Sony records. The year 1996 began with the Vibe Tribe tour of Germany, which included Patrice Rushen, Larry Williams and Teri Lynne Carrington. In the same year, Kai recorded ‘Native Dreamer’ with Brazilian percussionist Dudu Tucci. Kai is also featured on Maria Joao’s latest album entitled Fabula with the help of Ralph Towner, Mario Laginha and Manu Katche. Another 1996 project combines Spanish, Indian and North American music. The Colorado based band Curandero recorded their second album with Kai E. and Bela Fleck. In 1997 Kai conducted a series of masterclasses at Berklee College of Music in Boston, the Bass Collective in New York City and the Anton Bruckner Conservatory in Austria. At an earlier date he also held a masterclass with Journey drummer Steve Smith at the Musician’s Institute of Technology in Los Angeles. Shortly
after he joined the band ‘Glimpse’,
lead by percussionist and three time Downbeat poll winner Trilok
Gurtu. Over a period of two years he performed with this ensemble
worldwide. This formation produced two albums, one in 1998 and
one in 1999. In
November 1999 he completed the recording of his debut album for
the British Naim label. Featured
artists are Zakir Hussain and Courtney Pine. The release date
is anticipated for June 2000. The year 2000 signals a shift in Kai’s approach to art. He has begun to engage in a series of educational and performance oriented experiments, following his emerging vision. Goal of this new direction is the re-establishment of art as a tool for transformation. Kai is currently Touring with the Band Garajmahal featuring Fareed Haque, Eric Levy and Alan Hertz. In March of 2001 he played a series of concerts with Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, featuring the music of saxophonist George Brooks, joined by Mandolin player Mike Marshall. To this day, Kai has produced three works within the modern approach to education. “ESP”, the Experimental Seminar Project, “AnT,” the seminar Art in Technology, and the multimedia performance piece “A modern Fairy Tale”. More information about these projects can be made available upon request.
|
In
1994, the government of the United States granted Kai the status
of a U.S. resident, based on his extraordinary abilities as an
artist. He then went on to work with Billy Cobham’s International
Quartet, Touring the U.S. and Canada. 
 |