Christian Rannenberg started dealing with the blues in the early 70s, as a companion on tours of the pianists Blind John Davis, Sunnyland Slim, Eddie Boyd, James Booker and Lloyd Glenn.
Deeply influenced and having gained immense acoustic experience of those people, he started to play the piano in 1976, as a founding member of the German super blues band “Blues Company” and the “Third Ear”.
With these bands he played on tours in Europe with musicians like Billy Boy Arnold, J. B. Hutto and Eddie Clearwater, before moving to Chicago in 1982. He got into the blues scene quickly, playing with John Littlejohn, Jimmy Rogers, Lefty Dizz, and Sam Myers and built a reputation as one of the most remarkable pianists of the era. Along with the saxophonist “Detroit” Gary Wiggins they created the “International Blues Duo” and toured with musicians like Charlie Musselwhite, Angela Brown, Big Jay McNeely and Torsten Zwingenberger.
In 1991 he moved to California and worked with John Heartsman and Buddy Ace and eventually returned to Germany playing and participating in recordings of Jeanne Carroll, Louisiana Red, Blues Company, First Class Blues Band and Matchbox Blues Band.
In 2013 he got the Pinetop Boogie Woogie Award, as the best blues pianist.
Christian Rannenberg absolutely dominates every tone and pianist style without feeling the need to prove anything both to himself and to the audiences.
Sure about his technique, totally focused on the expression of his emotions, glides into the rhythm, sometimes with greater intensity, sometimes melancholically, revealing the whole range of blues piano styles with the stamp of his 40 years experience.
In addition to his solo performances, today Christian Rannenberg is a sought after accompanist for international musicians and bands.
His longest musical relationship is 32 years with ANGELA BROWN.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVEdR8T8ZPE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvXVZuI9_FM
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