Till Brönner Signs Exclusive International Agreement With Sony Music Masterworks

Sony Music Masterworks has announced a long-term worldwide recording agreement with star trumpeter Till Brönner. The newly signed agreement reflects Brönner's position as a leading light on the global jazz scene and comes as he performs at the White House this week for President Barack Obama as part of the International Jazz Day celebrations. Brönner is full-swing into an exceptional career that sees him play, sing, produce, compose, arrange, record and collaborate with the greatest artists from the jazz world and beyond.

The first project under the new contract, which will see Brönner's albums released globally through Sony Music Masterworks division, is titled The Good Life and is scheduled for release September 2, 2016. An intimate, pared-down, back-to-basics tour de force, the album is testimony to the unique power of jazz to amplify and enrich the most beautiful and poignant moments of our lives. Says Brönner, "This music is deep inside of me and has a feeling of where I want to be – it's my territory. I can travel the world but this kind of music is really my home. This one I wanted to record for a long time and thanks to legendary producer Ruud Jacobs we did it. The ingredients seem simple and yet so essential: Some of the best compositions and lyrics on the planet recorded with the very best musicians on it."

The album was recorded in Los Angeles and Amsterdam with Brönner on trumpet and vocals, John Clayton (bass) – who also provided most of the arrangements on the album –, Jeff Hamilton (drums), Larry Goldings (keyboards), and Anthony Wilson (guitar). Brönner will tour the album from November 2016 with dates in Germany, Switzerland, Japan, France, UK, Poland and Benelux countries with further dates to follow.

Hailing from a musical family, Brönner studied jazz trumpet at the Music Academy in Cologne with Jiggs Whigham and Jon Eardley before winning the solo trumpet player position of the renowned RIAS Big Band Berlin aged only 20. Two years later his first studio recording Generations of Jazz with Ray Brown, Jeff Hamilton, Frank Chastenier and Grégoire Peters appeared and won the German Recording Critics Award. Thus began his outstanding recording career, which has seen many of his 18-studio albums garner gold status in Germany. His varied recording projects have also won him a Grammy nomination and numerous German ECHO Awards. He has also produced albums for American jazz singer Mark Murphy and great German singer Hildegard Knef, amongst several others.

Throughout his stellar career he has worked with such musicians as Dave Brubeck, Herbie Hancock, Tony Bennett, Annie Lennox, Michael Brecker, James Last, Monty Alexander, Al Di Meola, Chaka Khan, Natalie Cole, Johnny Griffin, Nena, Ernie Watts, Michael Franks and many others. Guest appearances on his albums have included a wide range of internationally renowned artists such as Annie Lennox, Carla Bruni, Madeleine Peyroux, Melody Gardot, Arturo Sandoval, Gregory Porter, Lizzy Loeb, Joy Denalane, Aimee Mann, Sérgio Mendes, Kurt Elling, Milton Nascimento and Luciana Souza.

Brönner has been a household name in Germany since his 2010 TV engagement as a judge on the German franchise of the hit talent show X-Factor and through his regular jazz show on the national radio station Klassik Radio.

A consummate performer, Brönner tours internationally with his numerous groups, including duo (with bassist Dieter Ilg), quintet and since 2015 with his 20-piece Till Brönner Orchestra. Engagements see him perform regularly on the world's most prestigious stages, including New York's Carnegie Hall and Blue Note Jazz Club Tokyo, and at leading jazz festivals. In 2015 Brönner was invited to the International Jazz Day in Paris, initialized by the United Nations and Herbie Hancock, to perform at the UNESCO world stage with other stars of the international jazz world. He returns to perform at this year's International Jazz Day at the White House in the presence of President Barack Obama along with Herbie Hancock, Sting, Aretha Franklin, Trombone Shorty, Diana Krall, Al Jarreau, Hugh Masekela, Buddy Guy and Chick Corea amongst others.

In recent years Brönner has developed an additional artistic endeavour in the field of photography and has a special partnership with the top camera brand Leica. His first photography book Faces of Talent was published at the end of 2014 and formed the basis of a special exhibition held at the Leica Gallery Los Angeles in December 2015 and is currently being exhibited at the Leica Gallery Wetzlar in Germany.

Till Brönner said: "I couldn't be more thrilled to work with a company that completely understands my work and aspirations for the coming years. In the field of arts you more than ever need strong associates and partners such as Sony Masterworks to meet with both jazz fans and potential new audiences out there. I am happy and proud to join the Sony family!"

Bogdan Roščić, President of Sony Music Masterworks, said: "It is a privilege to have Till Brönner join the Sony Music Masterworks roster. He is the type of artist that has maybe become a bit too rare in jazz – not just an unbelievable musician, but an entertainer, a charismatic and stylish figure equally at home in fine art photography or the mainstream media. We look forward to developing many exciting projects with him in the future."

This recording deal comes in addition to Brönner's long-term live agreement with DEAG Deutsche Entertainment AG that will see his live dates exclusively handled by DEAG Classics in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the UK, with the option for expansion into other European countries.