World of Percussion
Reto Weber Solo
World of Percussion
Reto Weber began playing drums at fourteen in a school band, then worked in beat, blues and jazz groups before studying contemporary percussion in Basel. His official biography dates the start of his solo career to 1973, with concerts on large drum setups. These performances marked the beginning of his development into a multi-percussionist. Today, the solo project is listed as Reto Solo — World of Percussion, alongside his duo and ensemble work.
Read the full biography →
Rhythm, melody and improvisation
In his 2018 interview with Tobias Graden, Weber describes groove as the starting point from which melody can develop. His classical training and three decades of collaboration with Albert Mangelsdorff helped shape that understanding. Improvisation means remaining open to what can happen in the moment rather than settling into familiar patterns. This outlook connects his solo work with his wider practice in jazz and improvised music.
Instruments with individual voices
In the same interview, Weber describes a collection of more than 200 instruments, with over 100 stored in his rehearsal space in Biel. He recalls the handmade mahogany drum kit from the Capelle brothers in Paris and the unique wooden Käserphon made for him by Hermann Käser. He also discusses hand drums from Thailand, the South Indian clay pot ghatam and the Hang. At that time, he was concentrating his public programmes on the Hang, ghatam and various hand drums; this is a documented point in his artistic development, not a fixed instrument list for every solo concert.
Curiosity, exchange and the sound of a room
Travel and encounters with other musicians inform Weber’s approach to instruments. In the 2018 interview, he recalls meeting ghatam player Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakram in Madras while performing with his Percussion Orchestra, followed by an afternoon of playing together. He stresses the importance of engaging deeply with another musical culture rather than merely mixing its sounds. His long-standing rehearsal space in Biel’s Zwinglikirche offered another kind of exploration: quiet early-morning practice shaped by space, resonance and acoustics.
Solo work within an international career
The official biography records performances in more than 100 countries and participation in over 45 records and CDs across Weber’s entire career. Festivals and cities such as Montreux, Willisau, New York, Mumbai, Dakar and Havana belong to that wider story, rather than a verified list of solo appearances. Alongside touring, his work includes workshops, school concerts and compositions for film and theatre. Three releases in the original discography are explicitly credited to Reto Weber Solo: Ramblin on Drums, Travasalam and Love Percussion Song.
Solo recordings
Ramblin on Drums
Soundcraft
Travasalam
Evasion
Love Percussion Song
Gold Records
Listed in the original discography; release years are not specified.
From Reto Weber’s recordings
Hang Around (Eberhard Weber)
Hang Around (Eberhard Weber) comes from the wider recording selection; it is not presented here as a solo-concert recording.