US-born Netherlands-based cellist Tristan Honsinger (1949) relocated to
the Netherlands in 1974 and recorded with
guitarist Derek Bailey, namely
Duo (february 1976), and
joined both the Instant Composers Pool Tentet that recorded
ICP Tentet (april 1977) and
German pianist Alexander Von Schlippenbach's Globe Unity Orchestra that
recorded
the four untitled Improvisations (september 1977).
Other duets include Live Performances (1977) with Maarten Altena and Lavoro (1981) with Sean Bergin.
Earmeals (may 1978) documents live solos and duets with
trombonist and double bassist Guenter Christmann.
After the duets with
pianist David Beresford of
Double Indemnity (august 1980), Honsinger joined
Beresford, guitarist David Toop and trumpeter Toshinori Kondo on
Imitation of Life (Y Records, 1981),
and then led Kondo, bassist Peter Kowald and drummer Sabu Toyozumi on
What Are You Talking About? (1983).
He and Kondo also recorded
This That and the Other (1987) with bassist
Jean-Jacques Avenel,
clarinetist Michael Moore and
drummer Steve Noble.
He assembled a sextet with trumpeter Toshinori Kondo, saxophonist Sean Bergen, bassist Jean Jacques Avenel, drummer Michael Vatcher and vocalist Tiziana Simona Vigni for Picnic (february 1985).
In 1988 he joined
Cecil Taylor's European Orchestra and later joined Taylor's Ensemble, of his
Quintet and his Quartet.
In 1991 he formed
Fields in Miniature with a violinist and a double bassist.
From The Broken World (1992) features Kondo and keyboardist Takeshi Shibuya and contains Travels With Priscilla And Tish (14:20) and China, Snakes, Wind And Ghosts (18:12).
Honsinger moved to Italy where he joined former members of Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza.
Travelogues (august 1993 to august 1995) collects live performances with
Senegalese musician Mola Sylla, accompanied by different combos.
The live Map of Moods (april 1994) featured violinists Aleksander Kolkowski and Stephano Lunardi, bassist Ernst Glerum and drummer Louis Moholo.
He played on the ICP Orchestra's Jubilee Varia (november 1997).
He reformed This That and the Other for Sketches Of Probability (1997).
A Camel's Kiss (december 1999) is a solo cello album that contains
Stopera (11:42),
A Camel's Kiss (8:48) and
Restless In Pieces (12:45).
He contributed the ten-minute Ladida on
Michael Moore's Air Street (2002).
He formed a trio with saxophonist Jean Derome and drummer John Heward for
Adventure In The Looking-Glass (2002), mainly devoted to the
22-minute Omama McGowran.
He also recorded in Japan.
I Am Bear (2006) contains a solo and a duet with
vocalist Hisako Horikawa.
Margin (2007) contains duets with pianist Yoriyuki Harada.
Dokoku (2010) added bassist to Harada and Honsinger for three lengthy
improvisations, notably the 23-minute
Tokkan = Call To Arms.
He also played in saxophonist Tobias Delius’s quartet 4Tet, e.g. on Luftlucht (2010).
Stretto (march 2010) documents duets with
guitarist Olaf Rupp.
Baboon (january 2012) documents live collaborations with
reed players Enrico Sartori and Tobias Delius.
Hanam Quintet (september 2011) documents a live collaboration with
alto saxophone (Anna Kaluza),
double bass (Horst Nonnenmacher),
piano (Niko Meinhold),
soprano saxophone (Manuel Miehte),
and
violin (Alison Blunt).
HDRS (2014) documents a quartet with Axel Dorner (trumpet), Olaf Rupp (guitar) and Olli Steidle (drums).
He played on late ICP Orchestra records such as
East Of The Sun (march 2014),
Restless In Pieces (october 2015) and
De Hondemepper (november 2018).
In The Sea (2017) was a collaboration with double bassist Nicolas Caloia and violinist Joshua Zubot.
Small Talk (2022) was recorded with several Italian musicians.
Honsinger died in 2023.
