Harald Haerter

Harald Haerter, a guitarist from Europe, draws comparisons between his playing and that of John McLaughlin, Sonny Sharrock, and Tony Williams, yet his approach remains distinctly personal. He honed his skills at the Berklee College of Music, where he received instruction from John Scofield between 1980 and 1984. In 1985, he assembled the electro-jazz group known as Intergalactic Maidenballet, which rapidly gained recognition across Europe through its performances. Their first recording, Square Dance, came out in 1989 on ENJA Records and featured contributions from John Zorn on alto saxophone, JoJo Mayer on drums, Thomy Jordi on bass, and Roland Philipp on tenor saxophone. By the time Gulf appeared on the same label five years later, the ensemble had expanded, replacing Zorn and Philipp with musicians including Lauren Taylor, Walter Jauslin, Michael Grassmann, Dave Liebman, and Christoph Stiefel to form a robust fusion outfit. Haerter has graced numerous jazz venues and events, among them the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival. Collaborating with Dewey Redman, a saxophonist from Texas, he released Mostly Live in 1996, infusing its jazz compositions with additional vigor and flavor.