As a saxophone player Peter Lehel is standing in the heritage of the great tenor & soprano saxophonist John Coltrane and other modern players.
With his compositions he is working on combining more advanced classical composition techniques and forms with the free spirit of modern jazz improvisation.
His work includes pieces for jazz quartet, saxophone quartet, bigband, church organ & saxophone, string quartet, jazz quartet with string orchestra, chamber music and symphony orchestra with jazz soloists.
As a arranger he has been working for Barbara Dennerlein (CD “Change of Pace”), Trio Clarone with Sabine Meyer & Paquito dRivera.
He is leader of his own groups like Peter Lehel quartet, Pipes & Phones. He is member of SaltaCello which is especially well-known in South Korea, and Hoppel Hoppel Rhythm Club – Jazz For Kids. He is regularly working with several String Orchestras like the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Artisfact String Orchestra and with Symphony Orchestras like Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz.
As a sideman he is working with jazz giants like Barbara Dennerlein, Oláh Kálmán from Hungary, Monika Herzig from USA, Ulisses Rocha from Brazil.
The Peter Legel Quartet (Jazz Award Baden -Württemberg in 1997) celebrated the 15th anniversary in autumn 2011. This means more than 500 concerts, almost 300 titles and the release of 8 CDs and one DoubleCD. This quartet is the steady working band of Peter Lehel and refers to the tradition of the great jazz quartets. The compositions especially written for the quartet procure moods and sound pictures which deliver the source for versatile possibilities of expression and much space for the soloists. Yon can hear clearly structured passages as well as more free concepts of playing. The quartet`s sound is enriched for example by Lehels lyrical bassclarinet and by the masterly bowed acoustic bass of Mini Schulz. The musicians are well aware of the jazz history and of the european classical music. This leads – in addition with joy of playing and improvising – to the unique profile of the quartet.
