Martin Krümmling

Martin Krümmling (1984) is a Berlin-based jazz drummer and composer whose playing is characterized by an open aesthetic and a distinct multi-layered sound.

Originally from the German state Thuringia, Martin made his way into the Berlin music scene in 2004, where he studied at the Jazz Institute Berlin with John Hollenbeck and Holger Nell. He was honored with a position in the German Youth Jazz Orchestra (BuJazzO) from 2007 until 2010. In 2009, on a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), he moved to New York to pursue a Master's Degree in Jazz Performance at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music with teachers like John Riley, Dave Liebman, Phil Markowitz Jason Moran.

His first record, The Vision Behind, translates the experiences of a two year stint in the pulsating atmosphere of New York City into an artistic statement. The album, recorded in Brooklyn in early 2011, showcases Krümmling as both a drummer and a composer through six well-crafted original compositions as well as one slyly arranged standard (Pent-up House). It also features New York-based musicians Desmond White (bass), Can Olgun (piano), and Anna Webber (tenor sax and flute), plus special guest Mark Turner (tenor sax). The recording was released on March 16, 2012 on the Swiss label Unit Records.

Later that year, Martin was invited to the prestigious Monk Competition Semi Final of 2012.

In 2018, Martin released the first Album ("I go out") of his Pop project "Hey Jetman" as a singer, drummer, keyboard player, and composer.

In addition to leading his own band, Krümmling is also an in-demand sideman, playing with a diverse range of acts – from straight-ahead jazz meets Turkish poetry in Defne Sahin's quartet, to pop music in the bands of Lasse Matthiessen and Yusuf Sahilli, to the experimental sounds of Anna Webber's Percussive Septet. He has played and performed with great musicians such as Ed Partyka, Lage Lund, David Friedman, Maucha Adnet, and Bill Dobbins.