The Café Royal Cultural Foundation NYC has awarded a 2022 Fall Music Grant to Tobias Meinhart for his upcoming album, “Sonic River.”

Tobias Meinhart is an award-winning saxophonist and composer based in Brooklyn, New York. Born in a small town in rural Bavaria, Germany, Tobias Meinhart has spent the last 15 years carving out a career in the international jazz scene.

Tobias has composed 10 new songs for “Sonic River”. The music is influenced by traditional rhythms such as the Haitian Yanvalou or Son Claves used in odd metres. The album will be recorded in NYC in the spring 2023 and is expected to be released in the fall of the same year.

Tobias performs regularly at New York’s most prestigious jazz clubs (Blue Note, Birdland, 55 Bar ao.), and tours internationally with his own band. He is an ECHO (German Grammy) nominee, winner of the Getxo Jazz Competition, and his album “Berlin People” made it to first round of the Grammys. JazzThing Magazine calls Tobias: “Germany’s biggest talent on the saxophone”. Downbeat Magazine listed his latest album “The Painter” as one of the BEST ALBUMS of 2021. Tobias has toured in Ecuador, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Spain and Germany. He has been featured at many international Jazz festivals, such as the Jarasum Jazz Festival, Elbjazz and the Blue Note Jazz Festival.

Sonic River’s 10 new songs, were composed by Tobias with some world class musicians in mind, Ingrid Jensen on trumpet, Charles Altura on guitar , Eden Ladin on piano, Matt Penman on bass and Obed Calvaire on drums.

Tobias also explores new forms of expression on the saxophone, such as multiphonics in a compositional context. While acoustic jazz and improvised music are the common playground, the band also draws from electronics and folkloric influences.

Please visit Tobias’ Facebook, Instagram and website for more information.