Nils Wülker

Like his compatriot Till Brönner, who also enjoyed strong pop-chart success, German trumpeter Nils Wülker placed accessible jazz recordings on the charts. Yet Wülker generally favors a fusion-oriented approach that weaves his soft, clear trumpet tone together with pop, electronic music, smooth funk, and occasional sonic experiments. After issuing several well-received albums on his own Ear Treat imprint—among them the gold-certified Safely Falling (2007) and Just Here, Just Now (2012)—he moved to Warner and issued the widely noticed albums Up (2015), On (2017), and Go (2020), each featuring guest appearances by Jill Scott, Craig Armstrong, Marteria, and Theo Croker. He later pursued fresh directions on the orchestral Continuum (2022) and on the duo album Closer (2023), recorded with his longtime collaborator guitarist Arne Jansen.

Born in August 1977 in what was then the German capital of Bonn, Nils Wülker began classical piano studies at age seven and took up the trumpet at age ten. During a high-school exchange year in the United States at sixteen, he encountered US3’s hit single “Cantaloop,” which prompted him to explore the recordings of Miles Davis. After returning to Germany he joined the JugendJazzOrchester NRW, and following his graduation he enrolled at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. While still a student he performed with his mentor Nicolai Thärichen’s group Thärichens Tentett as well as with the Bundesjazzorchester, the RIAS Big Band, and the Judy Niemack Group. Prior to completing his studies in 2002, Wülker recorded his debut album High Spirits, which became Sony Music’s first release by a German jazz musician.

The resulting attention brought him a commission to create music for Space Night, the long-running German television program that pairs space imagery with atmospheric soundtracks. Although the accompanying album series leaned toward chill-out material, Wülker’s contribution, Space Night, Vol. 10 (2003), retained a stronger jazz core. Shortly afterward he established his own Ear Treat Music label and began releasing projects with his own ensemble. My Game (2005) included guest appearances by Torun Eriksen, while Safely Falling (2007) featured Silje Nergaard and Sting guitarist Dominic Miller, the latter returning for Turning the Page (2008). On his sixth album, simply titled 6 (2010), Wülker contributed guitar, bass, and occasional vocals. In 2011 he served as ensemble leader at the JazzBaltica Festival, collaborating with Michael Wollny, Dave Douglas, and Donny McCaslin. One year after the release of Just Here, Just Now (2012) he received an Echo Jazz Award as National Brass Instrumentalist of the Year.

Warner subsequently signed Wülker, and his first major-label project, Up (2015), assembled an array of guests including Jill Scott, Xavier Naidoo, Craig Armstrong, David McAlmont, and Max Mutzke; its more pop- and soul-inflected productions helped the album reach number 55 on the German charts. With On (2017), recorded alongside hip-hop production team the Krauts and German rap star Marteria, and with Go (2020), which added further electronic-fusion elements and featured Theo Croker, he attained the German Top 40. In the interim he issued his first live album, Decade Live (2018), and hosted the monthly radio program Offbeat from 2017 through 2020.

For Continuum (2022) Wülker worked with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester and adopted a broader orchestral palette. As a more intimate counterpart he recorded the duo album Closer with guitarist Arne Jansen, a longtime member of his band; released in February 2023, the set contained reinterpreted earlier material, covers such as Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt,” and several new pieces, climbing to number 15 on the German album charts. Later that year he issued the similarly restrained EP Rays of Winter Sun, recorded with pianist Tim Allhoff and, on several tracks, bassist Sven Faller.