“And I begin again to ask myself what it could have been, this unremembered state which brought with it no logical proof of its existence, but only the sense that it was a happy, that it was a real state in whose presence other states of consciousness melted and vanished.”
The Band
Sweet Fugitive was founded in 2018 by Veronika Studer-Kovacs (vocals), Roland Köppel (piano) and Andreas Schnyder (drums). For our first Studio Sessions, we were joined by Bänz Oester (bass). Roberto Koch (bass) joined the band in 2019.
As a culturally diverse band, with the members having different roots, we share a curiosity for language as sound and sound as language. Our music travels between the Sounds of Poetry, the Heritage of Chanson and the Streams of Progressive Jazz.
Who we Are
Roland Köppel
Piano & Arrangements
Roland’s stylistic spectrum, his vast musical interest and empathy for all he takes on make him into a multi-talented keyboarder. Aesthetic and emotional expressiveness, fabulous truth of style, elegant and technically excellent play are as much his trademarks as his entrepreneurial spirit and inspired power for innovation.
He studied piano at the Basel Jazz School with Vince Benedetti, Hans Feigenwinter and Lester Menezes among others. During his studies he received a scholarship for the Berklee College of Music in Boston / USA in 1997. He is an extremely versed musician, at home in various styles of music (Jazz, Blues, Funk, Soul, Pop, Rock, Klezmer, Salsa, Latin Jazz, Czardas, Gypsy Swing), a pianist and organ player (Hammond B3) as well as composer and band leader.
Other Projects
Andreas Schnyder
Drums
Andy is a versatile drummer who expresses himself in various styles with an extraordinarily steady hand. His style marries abroad palette of musical influencens with his unmistakably unique sound. He is a much engaged instrumetalist, live- and session musician.
He has played drums since 1983, he studied at the Drummers Collective in New York, at the Drum-School Basel and at Basel Jazz School with Alain Tissot and Norbert Pfammatter. Next to his drummer training he studied classical Guitar with Helmut Hefti and Rudolf Heid – he plays E-Bass and Electric Guitar.
He has played with a large number of outstanding musicians such as Nigel Kennedy, Neal Sugarman or Martin Lechner and is a member of many different projects.
http://www.drummers.ch/andy/
Other Projects
Veronika Studer-Kovacs
Vocals
Veronika’s delicate and incisive interpretations, her deeply felt and sharply intelligent expression make her an exceptional singer. Her openness and curiosity invite surprises and a versatility of style, while her devotion for music inspires the humility and simplicity of her delivery. Veronika’s vocal range and colours as well as her linguistic mastery allow for a wide palette of performance possibilities.
Veronika studied Hungarian and French Literature in Budapest and is finishing a PhD in Cultural Studies at the University of Luzern. She speaks four languages fluently and has an outstanding talent in literary interpretation. Next to her studies she had classical singing training and participated in various music projects. She masters a big repertoire of jazz standards and chansons.
Other Projects
Roberto Koch
Double Bass
Roberto Koch was born in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1974. At the age of six he began to play the violin. At eighteen he switched to the double bass. Still in Caracas, he studied at the "Escuela de Música Lino Gallardo" with some of the most important Venezuelan musicians of the time, such as Telésforo Naranjo and Pedro Mauricio González.
Involved with the traditional music of Venezuela, he became part of the lively national scene and performed with renowned musicians such as Aldemaro Romero, Simón Díaz, Aquiles Báez and Cecilia Todd. Recently, he graduated from the Jazzcampus of the Musik Akademie Basel (FHNW) with two Master of Arts degrees. In 2015 Performance / Producing and in 2017 Music Pedagogy.
He has played as a sideman with many outstanding international artists (Edward Simon, Steve Khan, Mike Stern, Adam Rogers, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Anat Cohen and Ksenija Sidorova, among others) and has appeared in over fifty recorded albums.
https://www.robertokoch.com
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