Carte Blanche
Patrick Sommer
Töbi Tobler & Patrick Sommer mit Reto Suhner
Global SoundsJazzNeue Schweizer Volksmusik
Carte Blanche: Patrick Sommer
Aren't you always surprised by the amazing music and musicians that little Switzerland has to offer? On Patrick Sommer's Carte Blanche, we explore the boundaries of Swiss folk music, listen to jazz with Moroccan bass lute and hot grooves.
To date, Patrick Sommer has not specialised in any particular style. However, he explains that this is precisely what makes being a bassist so special, as it allows for numerous different musical encounters. He currently has 15 active projects and many more in the pipeline, and on top of all that, he is also a father of four.Anyone who spends a little time with Patrick Sommer will notice that, as well as playing the electric bass, double bass and tuba, he has also mastered a different kind of bass instrument: a Moroccan guembri that Reto Suhner once gave him as a gift. This instrument has unleashed an astonishing amount of new creative energy. "My usual approaches didn't work with the guembri, so I had to find a different way of playing it," enthuses Patrick Sommer. "I've composed lots of pieces with it, and it has also changed the way I work with the double bass."The guembri is mainly used in the North African Gnawa tradition. One of the few female representatives of this religious music genre is Asmâa Hamzaoui, who performed at Moods in 2023:
However, Patrick Sommer argues that his aim is not merely to imitate the Gnawa tradition, but to incorporate the instrument into Western music, thus breaking new ground.Breaking new ground is a central aspiration for Sommer anyway. "If music no longer existed, I would most like to develop prototypes. I think it's great to develop something, or to be part of a creative process. I experience the most intense moments during rehearsals or on stage, when things happen that you've never experienced before and that didn't exist before."The Carte Blanche
So, what can we expect from his Carte Blanche? On the one hand, Patrick Sommer is primarily a sideman and bassist, meaning he usually follows the musical vision of other bandleaders. However, he also co-leads a few projects, such as the duo with Töbi Tobler and the band ChaChaMania with Michael Bucher. "The carte blanche gave me the impetus to create something new from scratch, something that I alone can shape – especially with the music I write for it myself." While composing, recording and producing music is one thing, bringing it to the stage requires considerable additional energy, says Sommer. At his three Carte Blanche concerts, we will therefore mainly hear music written from the perspective of bass instruments and which strongly influenced by them.
Töbi Tobler & Patrick Sommer mit Reto Suhner
Sunday, 09. November 2025, 19:00 UhrTöbi Tobler and Patrick Sommer have been performing together for several years, and their debut album, Töbi Tobler / Patrick Sommer, was released in 2020. The two met through guitarist Max Lässer, with whom they both played 'world music with a clear Alpine influence' in his Überlandorchester. This shared musical direction continued in the duo.Töbi Tobler is a well-known folk musician, despite the fact that he is not originally from that genre. His use of the hammered dulcimer and traditional pieces might suggest otherwise. He first played the melodica, then the accordion and drums, before receiving a long-awaited hammered dulcimer as a 20th birthday gift. Even then, he found his own path, playing Pink Floyd covers and performing as a duo with Ficht Tanner as Appenzeller Space Schöttl. Once you start delving into his music, you will find it hard to get enough of it. Browsing through the old recordings on Töbi Tobler's website is therefore well worth your time!
Then, in 2024, "Einfache Stücke in schwierigen Zeiten" (Simple Pieces in Difficult Times) was released. For this album, Töbi Tobler recorded traditional pieces, which Patrick Sommer then placed in a new context with his bass instruments. The guembri in particular creates a completely different atmosphere and groove. Finally, Reto Suhner joined the group, who owns and masters a veritable smorgasbord of exotic wind instruments. These timbres are used to create music with clear Swiss roots, which shines in ever-changing hues thanks to the unusual instrumentation.
Patrick Sommer Quintet – Momentum
Thursday, 13. November 2025, 20:30 UhrWith three wind instruments, drums and a bass, it's going to be a jazzy evening. However, Patrick Sommer has given this some thought. "With big bands, for example, there's a lot of structure and control: you know how long the pieces are, who plays the theme, and which role each musician takes. But, as I said earlier, I find it more intense when no one knows exactly what they're going to do or when. That's basically the concept behind this band."To this end, he deliberately composed simple pieces that gave the musicians a lot of freedom. Traditionally, the role of the rhythm section is to respond to the soloists, intensifying or contrasting what is being played, and leaving space, thereby changing the shape of the music. Now, Patrick Sommer expects the wind players to do the same. He says, "I want them to be fully engaged at all times, helping to shape and decide what happens. Do I need to be here now so that we can form a chord? Do I need to play a guideline here? Should I take over the melody here? Everyone can take up the theme."This means that all the musicians are in tune with each other. They give each other space when necessary, but also allow themselves to take up space. "When I compose something, I shut out the ideas of others to an extent," Patrick Sommer continues. "If the framework remains open, their input is added too, which advances the pieces." Given the brilliant line-up featuring Charlotte Lang, Bastien Rieser, Christoph Grab and Pius Baschnagel, it would be foolish to forego such valuable contributions.
Patrick Sommer Sextet – Rhythm Creature
Thursday, 11. Dezember 2025, 20:30 UhrThis line-up features Dave Feusi, Michael Bucher, Peter Wagner, Kaspar Rast and David Stauffacher, for good reason. As a bassist with a strong background in groove music, Patrick Sommer deliberately chose these musicians because he finds it fulfilling when the music grooves. He explains, "Groove only achieves a certain intensity when you let it grow in a trance-like manner. You need the right people who have a shared understanding of this."When asked why he named his band 'Rhythm Creature', Patrick Sommer explains: "Because I envisage this ensemble, which is all about groove and trance, growing into a rhythm creature: a pulsating organism."
