"Pianist, composer, improviser, has been working in the wide & wild field of jazz since the late 70ies. Produced many of his compositions for german and international radio stations. A wide variety of recordings as a solo artist and with his various ensembles.
He composed music for films & plays, e.g. for Aki Kaurismäki. Toured in Italy, France, Spain, Brazil; concerts in N.Y, with Ed Ware & Hal Onserut. Project with members of the Living Theatre ("This House Is Mine", 1995).
Manages his own label since 1995. His "Inquisitorien" for prepared piano (KTMP 9805) was an international success. Due to this record the British Library (Sound Archives) bought all his works.
Director of "spielraum" (room to move): series of concerts at particularly interesting venues 2003 - 2008.
Other important recordings are "beyond" (KTMP 5306), "Madrigali 1°libro" (KTMP 2003), "Madrigali 2° & 3°libro" (KTMP 2005), "katachi" (KTMP 5307) + "beach crossing" (KTMP 5308).
Important organ-recordings include: "molten blue" (KTMP 5309) & "close range / wide range" (KTMP 5310).

Passages: musical & philosophical

Masterclass with Herbie Hancock & Tony Williams at Mozarteum Salzburg 1987 Masterclass with Barry Harris' Jazzworkshop New York 1992 Masterclass: George Crumb, Musikhochschule Wien 1994 Doing research on grants in Berlin & Paris: Ph. D. (mcl) 1984; grants from the Istituto Italiano per gli Studi Filosofici, Naples: Seminar 1988, 89, 90 with Remo Bodei (esthetics), Paul Ricoeur (hermeneutics), Leo Löwenthal (literature). Lectureship in sociology, Erlangen University, 1988-1994.

Played concerts in:

Taught masterclasses a.o. at Fortaleza Conservatory (Brazil), Tbilisi (Georgia), Livorno (Italy). New York (with Ed Ware, Hal Onserut, Chris Kelsey, Blaise Siwula) a.o. Knitting Factory, studio recording 1996 Paris (Competition Martial Solal 1989), Nimes, Rennes, Dunkerque, Venice, Mestre, Padua, Bozen (Museum of Modern Art 2005), Naples, Taormina (Prima Edizione 2000), Merano (with Lou Grassi, 2007), Krakau (SoloDuoTrio 1988), Wladimir, Eskilstuna, Barcelona, Salzburg, Berlin (Berlinale 1999), Köln (Loft 1996), Wuppertal, Essen (Folkwang Hochschule), Hamburg, Nuremberg (Jazz Ost-West 1988, K 4, with Lou Grassi 2007), Dresden (FIM-Festival 2005), Jena, Regensburg, Munich (ZKMax, with Yehlin Lee, 2005), Freiburg; Wien, Musikhochschule, 2006; Brasilia, Sao Paulo (with Livio Tragtenberg), Sao Bento do Sapucaí, Guaiùba, Fortaleza (Conservatorio, 2006, with David Krebs and Jerônimo Neta), Tbilisi ...

"Lou Grassi is internationally known for his work in both the traditional and the avant-garde jazz worlds. He has literally played from Ragtime to No-Time - he toured with Ragtime pianist Max Morath and is the leader of the Dixie Peppers. He has performed and/or recorded with a wide range of outstanding artists including Marshall Allen, Billy Bang, Borah Bergman, Rob Brown, Roy Campbell, The Copascetics, James Garrison, Charles Gayle, Burton Greene, Urbie Green, Gunter Hampel, Johnny Hartman, Fred van Hove, Joseph Jarman, Sheila Jordan, William Parker, Perry Robinson, Roswell Rudd, John Tchicai, and Mark Whitecage. Lou appears on more than 70 recordings including more than 30 as a leader or co-leader.

Lou has toured extensively, performing throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia and Central America. He has been a featured artist at numerous international festivals including The Stork Music Festival, NYC; The Vision Festival, NYC; The Texaco New York Jazz Festival, NYC; The Rochester Jazz Festival, Rochester, NY; Summer's End Music Festival, Middletown, CT; Rive de Gier International Jazz Festival, France; Festas Lisboa, Portugal; CAMP 99, Tubingen, Germany; The Guelph Jazz Festival, Canada, Festival Frei Improvisierter Music, Dresden, Germany, the WIM Festival in Antwerp, Belgium, The Hurta Codell Festival of Improvised Music, Madrid, Spain and Egdefest, Ann Arbor, MI He has also performed at Banlieues Bleues Festival, Paris, France; Luneburg Jazz Nights, Germany; The Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival, NYC and The International Dixieland Festival of Dresden, Germany."