Praful
Ulrich Schröder, known under the pseudonym Praful, is an acid jazz artist who performs on several instruments including tenor and soprano saxophones, Indian bamboo flutes, pandeiros, Fender Rhodes and many electronic effects. Two of his CDs One Day Deep and Pyramid in Your Backyard have won many awards and worldwide recognition. "Sigh", included in the One Day Deep CD and as a single, had stayed in the Billboards for over 70 weeks.
Praful's songs show a wide variety of rhythm and roots. On One Day Deep, "Sonhar" features a fast Indian dance rhythm. On the same CD, "Let the Chips Fall" reveals a relaxing acid jazz rhythm. He lives near Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Biography
Early life
As a young child he learned the recorder, flute and electronic organ. Frustrated when his mother would not let him carry the electronic organ with him to gigs around town he vowed never to play the instrument again, instead switching to piano and synthesizers. He switched to the saxophone at age 18. His first bands were- AKO High School BigBand
- Main Squeeze BigBand
- Circle Five
Education & Travels
In 1987 he moved to the Netherlands to study jazz saxophone and flute at the Amsterdam School of Arts. There he was taught by Ferdinand Povel, Friederike Darius and Rob Madna.During his time as a student at the conservatory Praful was involved in several bands including:
- Good Move
- Praful & Alchemy
- and Coco, his first experiment with Jazz Fusion and Latin Music
Career
Following his travels to India, Praful spent 10 months in Brazil where his musical style took on heavy influences of Samba. Upon returning to Amsterdam in 1993, he worked mainly with Brazilian and Latin groups and artists including:- Treme Terra
- Nippy Noya
- Saoco
- Armando Peraza
- Gerardo Rosales
In 1999 Praful joined the experimental dance formation Project 2000, a drum and bass group which experience regional success in the Netherlands. That year Project 2000 won the prestigious Dutch Heineken Cross Over Music Award. 1999 also saw the release of the Project 2000 album 'It's about time' and 2 singles with Universal/Polydor.
From 1997 until 2002 he worked as reed player and composer with 'Bayuba Cante', an international group mixing Afro-Cuban Santería-roots with flamenco, rumba, Indian music, funk and jazz, with 2 albums released and tours in Europe, Cuba and Canada.
In 1999 he released his first solo album, the meditative 'Touched by Love'. In that year he also started following lessons in Bansuri with Indian Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, who continues to be his teacher and great inspiration.
In 2001 Praful signed a deal with Dutch Indie label Therapy Records, for which he released 3 albums and several singles and vinyls until 2007. The international success of 'One Day Deep' made Praful a household name for Chill-, Jazz-, Dance- and Crossover-Fans. The album was produced and recorded by Praful with the producers duo Adani&Wolf, with guests Afra Mussawisade, Ted de Jong, Adrian Elissen, Jose Lopretti and Brazilian singer Lilian Vieira.
Musical Styles and Influences
Praful was influenced by pop music from a young age. Early saxophone influences included Jazz artists like Michael Brecker, Bob Berg and Wayne Shorter. During his studies at conservatory Praful began to be affected by the musical styles of John Coltrane and Charlie Parker.He is influenced by many other non-saxophone instrumentalists. He lists Pat Metheny as one of his strongest influences saying "...he always tried to play guitar he was a reed player." Metheny's earlier works exhibited a blend of new-age music, fusion and Brazilian which would also be exhibited in Praful's own music.
Primarily a jazz musician, Praful has recorded music from many different genres including pop music, urban, smooth jazz, new age, Afro-Cuban jazz, Latin music, Santería, flamenco, rumba, Indian music, funk, bossa nova, acid jazz.
Discography
Project 2000
| Year | Album details |
| 1999 | It's about time
|
Solo
| Year | Album details |
| 1999 | Touched by Love
|
| 1999 | Touched by Love |
| 1999 | Touched by Love |
| 2001 | One Day Deep |
| 2002 | Inspiracao |
| 2002 | Naked / Corpo Suado |
| 2002 | Inspircao |
| 2002 | Corpo Suado |
| 2003 | One Day Deep |
| 2003 | One Day Deep |
| 2003 | Sigh |
| 2004 | Inspiracao |
| 2004 | Let The Chips Fall |
| 2005 | Pyramid In Your Backyard |
| 2005 | Pyramid In Your Backyard |
| 2006 | Underworld - Ant. Ocasio Remix, Original |
| 2007 | Remixed+2 |
| 2008 | Where Spirits Live |
| 2011 | Pure |
| 2013 | Mirror Of The Heart |
| 2014 | Into Being |
Collaboration Albums
| Year | Album details |
| 2015 | Quintessence
|
| 2014 | The Silent Side of Satie |
| 2010 | The Latin Touch |
| 2010 | Here I Am, Beloved |
| 2009 | Breathing Love |
Red Fulka
| Year | Album details |
| 2015 | Soul On Fire
|
| 2011 | We Are One |