It is sometimes assumed that there are two kinds of bass players: those who "groove" and accompany (serving mainly as a rhythmic presence) or those who - freeing themselves of the serving role - strive to explore their artistic heights as a soloist (displaying their versatility as virtuoso improvisers). Unlike many Dieter Ilg combines the two ends of this spectrum.
His versatile, individual, passionate and tasteful voice has become a valuable contribution to the international jazz arena.
At the age of six Dieter Ilg – then an experienced recorder player (in kindergarten) - learned to play the violin and the viola before deciding to play the double bass at the age of thirteen.
After four years of lessons at the music school in his home town Offenburg Ilg went on searching for new teachers. He studied with Norbert Brenner ( solo double bass player of the SWR Orchestra Baden-Baden) and later on attended Jazz courses in Burghausen, Remscheid and Tübingen, working with a wide variety of instructors and professionals.
From 1981 until 1985 Ilg refined his practical skills as well as his theoretical knowledge with Prof. Wolfgang Stert at the Musikhochschule Freiburg. Winning the Fulbright scholarship then enabled him to study at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City (1986/1987).
At this time he was already skilled enough to understand the art of musical structure as it was conveyed to him by such masters as Eddie Gomez and Miroslav Vitous. It was also then that he made his further experiences on the stage as a member of the Joe Viera Sextett (1981 - 1984) as well as with his first trio-project, co-founded with Klaus Ignatzek. Not before long he had built up a busy schedule performing with such players as Bobby Watson, Roman Schwaller or David Liebman.
It was Liebman who significantly influenced Ilg's decision to stay on in New York for a while when he invited him to join the John Coltrane Memorial Concert in NYC in January 1987. The future began to look exciting.
Seizing the moment Ilg founded his first Trio with guitarist John Schröder and drummer Wolfgang Haffner shortly after returning from New York. He also became a member of the Randy Brecker Quintet. Suddenly things were on a roll and he was awarded with the Baden-Württemberg Jazz Prize. The press said:
The brilliance and expression of his tone, the originality in the concept of his ensemble and his individual approach to harmony are fascinating.
Regular performances with the WDR Big Band, a tour of Spain with Bennie Wallace and a new line up to his own trio - this time including pianist Marc Copland - is what followed. These collaborations resulted in the production of three CD's featuring drummers Bill Stewart, Ralph Penland and Jeff Hirshfield.
The 90's were a time of musical friction as well as for making decisions.
Daily business on one hand went well:
Since 1991 Ilg had toured with Germany's renowned Jazz formation, the Mangelsdorff/Dauner Quintet. The Goethe Institute sent him round the world playing with Christof Lauer and the working relationship with Copland had resulted in evermore interesting facets of sound. Ilg ventured into jazz-rock with the French-Vietnamese guitarist Nguyên Lê and drummer Danny Gottlieb, also the list of performances as a sideman kept growing longer and longer.
The only thing missing was the kind of recognizable and characteristic project that comes straight from the heart.
In searching for music that represented his roots Ilg finally found what he had been looking for in his work on Folk Songs (1997), Fieldwork (1998) and LIVEILG (2001).
The idea was a simple and obvious one: where else - other than your own native country - would you discover your cultural origins?
Ilg began exploring and arranging old German folk songs with his musical companions Wolfgang Muthspiel on guitar, Steve Argüelles on drums and – to begin with - Benoit Delbecq on piano.
The project was a huge success and toured for four years - so much so that in the end even the musicians themselves nearly got bored with songs like Im Märzen der Bauer and Winter Ade.
At last the German press caught attention and Dieter Ilg was recognized in his home country as the instrumental master that he was.
Still - even at this point labeled as a newcomer - he already brought new talent under way teaching at the Musikhochschule Freiburg (1995 - 1997, 2001ff).
It was European cuisine amongst other things that prevented him from locating in the USA permanently.
He developed a passion for culinary pleasures of a certain standard, which now has become a personal character trade. He gained a reputation as a chef and goutier, his recommendations for restaurants were highly esteemed and a "dinner at Dieter Ilg's" achieved cult status.
When this became known to the magazine "Jazzthing" it offered him a regular column. Apart from his love for regional cuisine (Southern Germany as well as Italy) Ilg is a passionate supporter of his local soccer team in Freiburg.
Remaining faithful to his home soil Ilg organized new projects as for example with Charlie Mariano. In 1998 he had already produced the album "Savannah Samurai" with the charismatic saxophonist - this was followed by a number of tours with his band.
Out of this relationship, which is based on mutual respect and appreciation they developed their magnificent "chamber-music" duo. The lable "fullfat" was founded which allowed Ilg to release numerous albums independently - not abiding by the politics of major and minor companies. Check out: www.fullfat.de

2007 concerts and tour with Till Brönner in europe • tour in pakistan with Nguyen Le and Steve Argüelles • concerts and festivals with Ilg & Mariano  • concert at New Yorker Carnegie Hall and concerts in europe with Thomas Quasthoff • concerts with folk songs 2007 in trio with Daniel Karlsson and Patrice Heral • CD-recording for Christian Prommers Drumlesson with Roberto di Gioia, Wolfgang Haffner and Ernst Stroer • trio concerts in europe with Charlie Mariano and Quique Sinesi • concerts in europe and tour in japan with Drumlesson

2006 CD-recording "Abracadabra" with Roberto Di Gioia and Wolfgang Haffner • concerts with Nils Landgren • concerts and festival appearances with "ILG & MARIANO" • concerts of special project "Atoll:eMusik with Adrian Mears, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Jatinder Thakur and Dhafer Youssef • receiving award "Reinhold Schneider Preis" in D-Freiburg • CD-recording for Thomas Quasthoff´s "Whatch what happens" with Till Brönner, Chuck Loeb, Peter Erskine and Allan Broadbent • concerts and tour with Till Brönner "Oceana" and DSO "christmas special"

2005 tour with Dhafer Youssef und Wolfgang Muthspiel, radio recording for BR • new double-CD "DUE" (fullfat04) of ILG & MARIANO comes out (with outstanding feedback), further intense duo concerts with Charlie Mariano • receiving award 10.09.05 in D-Essen: "Jazz Pott 2005" • in november tour in india with Charlie Mariano and Wolfgang Haffner on request of the Goethe-Institute • in december tour in Japan with Charlie Mariano Quartet & Sadao Watanabe "Boston Friends"

2004 duo performances with Charlie Mariano throughout Europe o performances with Ilg - Muthspiel all over Germany • various live appearances and tours with Dhafer Youssef • various tours and concerts with Rebekka Bakken • performing Lyrik & Jazz- Projekt ?Eine einzige Stunde frei sein? for SWR radio • touring Germany with Nils Landgren • performing with Albert Mangelsdorff / Wolfgang Dauer Quintett • CD recording with mit Omar Sosa

2003 sax with a bass / Mariano - Ilg duo performances in Europe, releasing „EISENHANS“ o performing with Ilg - Muthspiel duo in Germany ( „RuhrTriennale“-festival) o performances and tours throughout Europe with Dhafer Youssef o various tours and concerts throughout Europe as well as recording CD for Universal with Norwegian singer Rebekka Bakken o various concerts with lyric & jazz- project „Eine einzige Stunde frei sein“ for SWR radio and Grammophon / Universal o various tours and concerts throughout Europe and Africa with Swedish trombonist Nils Landgren

2002 sax with a bass / Mariano - Ilg duo performances o touring with
Lauer / Ilg / Haffner throughout Germany o various concerts, tours and recordings in Europe with Dhafer Youssef o performing live throughout Germany with Till Brönner o recording lyric & jazz- project „Eine einzige Stunde frei sein“ for SWR radio and Grammophon / Universal

2001 final fieldwork tour from 31.3. - 15.4,, presenting the CD LIVE-ILG . o from 3.5. - 6.5. on request of the Goethe-Institute : performing in Hungary with LIVE-ILG o duo - performances all over Europe throughout the year with Charlie Mariano - Dieter Ilg, Lauer / Ilg / Haffner and Dhafer Youssef

2000 fieldwork -tour: from 26.4. - 15.5. and 19.11. - 11.12. on request of the Goethe-Institute : touring West Africa o performing and touring throughout Europe with Dhafer Youssef Ensemble, Till Brönner Group, Albert Mangelsdorff / Wolfgang Dauer Quintet o various TV and radio broadcasts. o from September duo - project sax with a bass with Charlie Mariano o writing for jazz magazine JazzThing as food - expert

1999 international performances and tours with: Till Brönner Group, Albert Mangelsdorff / Wolfgang Dauer Quintet, Charlie Mariano Group ( 22.9. - 10.10. ), Dhafer Youssef as well as with fieldwork : 7. - 15.5. and 27.10. - 22.11. o appearing at various summer festivals o 8. - 16.11. touring the Far East on request of the Goethe-Institute

1998 producing the new CD for the Charlie Mariano Group o 1/98 - 2/98 touring Germany o Folk Songs-tour 4/98 - 5/98 o 31.10. - 21.11. on tour with fieldwork o on request of the Goethe-Institute : touring Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan with Christof Lauer Trio o jubilee-tour with Albert Mangelsdorff / Wolfgang Dauner Quintett

1997 trio recording Folk Songs with Wolfgang Muthspiel / Benoit Delbecq and Steve Argüelles o touring Syria/Lebanon with Christof Lauer Trio on request of the Goethe-Institute

1995 Dieter Ilg Quartet with Nguyen Le, Christof Lauer, Steve Argüelles o German tour (recorded by SWF/WDR)

1994 Dieter Ilg - Marc Copland Quintett o on tour, a.o. appearing Jazz Open Stuttgart (TV; ARTE)

1994-97 Nguyen Le - Trio featuring Dieter Ilg and
Danny Gottlieb (2 CD's)

1993-95 Ilg - Copland - Hirshfield Trio o touring Europe and the U.S. (CD release)

Since 1991 Albert Mangelsdorff -Wolfgang Dauner Quintet

1991 Christof Lauer Quartet o touring New Zealand on request of the Goethe Institute - appearing at the Genoa Jazz Festival

1989-92 Dieter Ilg Trio featuring Marc Copland
o European tour, (2 CD's)

1989 Benny Wallace Trio o touring Spain

1988-95 Appearances with WDR - Big Band o 93 Cannes MIDEM, appearing at 94 Berlin Jazz Festival (TV), a. o., 3 CDs

1987-89 Randy Brecker Quintet, New York o 10-11/87 European festival tour o 4/88 Jazzclub Fat Tuesday's, New York o touring Eastern Europe: Arts America Program - USIA o US tour (a.o. appearing at Jazzclub Sweet Basil, New York: CD) o 6/89 European tour

1988 receiving award: "Baden-Württembergischer Jazz Preis"

1987-89 Dieter Ilg Trio feat. John Schröder und Wolfgang Haffner o appearing at Theaterhaus-Jazztage, Stuttgart SDR (TV), CD

1/1987 John Coltrane Memorial Concert, New York o appearing with Dave Liebman, Ellery Eskelin, Dave Kikoski, Ben Perowski a.o.

1984-87 Klaus Ignatzek Group as bass-player and co-founder o numerous European tours o 7 CD's

1981-84 Joe Viera Sextet o touring internationally

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