I don’t consider myself a composer

I don’t consider myself a composer, but over the years I have composed a few pieces from time to time. In 2015 I recorded one of my pieces with Jürg Wickihalder and Uli Gumpert (with whom I will play a concert later today on the occasion of his 80th birthday) for the Intakt CD A New One. Some time later Jürg recorded the same piece with Barry Guy and Lukas Niggli for his own CD without telling me. That was the first time I thought I might be able to compose something worthwhile. Without ever having studied composition, I always felt like an amateur, but sometimes I have an idea that needs to be put down on paper.
The piece is called Süßholz and is dedicated to Steve Lacy. His birth name is Lackritz, which means licorice. And the plant from which licorice is made is called “Süßholz” in German.
Simon Rummel, in whose ensemble I have been playing for a long time, liked my little composition so much that he arranged it for the ensemble, and it was a moving experience to hear my piece played by so many outstanding musicians a few months ago.