I have been working as a professional drummer and drum teacher for many years, as well as a workshop leader.
My musical career began with the band “Geier Sturzflug”.
Even before the big hits I toured with the band for years for a living.
The hits “Bruttosozialprodukt”, “Besuchen sie Europa”, “Die Pure Lust am Leben” and “Karibische Gefühle” and others are still popular in Germany.
“Bruttosozialprodukt” was a number one hit in Germany and other German speaking countries (for instance in Austria). “Besuchen sie Europa” was a Top Ten Hit
Among the awards were: Golden Records, Golden Europe, Goldene Stimmgabel.
Our tours continued for several years and had numerous TV & radio appearances.
After “Geier Sturzflug” I worked on many projects, here a small selection:
Band appearances and tours with:
the French/American country/rock band “Detour” in France (one year).
the “Stefan Stoppok Band” (one year)
five years with the international line-up “Radio Ethiopia” (incl. CD productions)
four years in the international line-up cast “The Reggaelites”
Later, I turned my focus to jazz & rock´n´roll. We had countless gigs with the Bill Haley Revival Band (winner: “The Best Cover Band in Europe”) under the pseudonym “Bam Bam Cellarhope”.
After that followed tours and CD recordings with the original “Bill Haley´s New Comets” (in USA) and “Bill Haley Orchestra” (in Germany and further parts of Europe such as U.K., France, Italy, Finland, Benelux countries, Austria, Switzerland and Albania)
I toured with the original members of the Comets: Dick Richards and Joey D’Ambrosio.
The result was a show with 25 performers called “The Bill Haley Story”. There I performed as an actor and musician in a leading role as a drummer. We toured for several years and mostly performed in large theatres such as “Theater 11” in Zurich, but also in other venues such as the sold out “Tempodrom” in Berlin.
Further, I led a Big Band for two years for an ice skating revue in the “Autostadt Wolfsburg” and accompanied bands for Peter Kraus, Max Mutzke, Lucy Diakovska, Gildo Horn, Marian Gold (Alphaville), Johannes Oerding and many more, as well as international, renowned ice dancers and choreographers in various shows including “30-50 Years of Revue”.
In 2014 I was conductor and drummer for the live project of the Schauspielhaus Bochum for “Just in Time, just in Sequence” by Ari Benjamin Meyers where I organized and conducted a 20-drummer ensemble in over 8 hour session (with changing drummers).
For 12 years I have been accompanying the “Tatort Jazz Hausband” trio and the “Tatort Jazz Orchester” (some of them weekly) with changing professional guest soloists.
The series “Tatort Jazz” is organized by the singer Milli Häuser (www.milli-haeuser.de).
and is one of the most successful jazz series in Germany. Our concerts at our regular main venues (www.bahnhof-langendreer.de; www.kunstmuseumbochum.de) are regularly attended by between 200 and 300 people and our festivals by 700 to 800 people (in the Musikforum Ruhr of the Bochumer Symphoniker / Freilichtbühne Bochum Wattenscheid, Stadthalle Bochum Wattenscheid). Since 2008 I have been playing regularly with various “Tatort Jazz” formations at the “Bochumer Musiksommer” (www.bochumer-musiksommer.de).
“Tatort Jazz” has, in addition to regional and national professional guest soloists such as
Jan Klare (The Dorf), Roger Hanschel or the vibraphinist Tony Micelli (USA), also well-known guest soloists such as the “Echo Prize” winner Frederik Köster or the drummer Günter “Baby” Sommer. In October 2018 he came to “Tatort Jazz” for the second time as a guest soloist, which is for me every time a very inspiring collaboration.
Currently, my most important project is my own jazz band: “The U.K. Quartet”. The first album “Akoli” contains almost exclusively my own compositions. Of course the band plays accompanies it live.
Right now we start to work on our second CD.
My current major project is a 24-piece drum and percussion ensemble “PADI Drum & Percussion Orchestra”, funded by the Landesmusikrat NRW. The participating musicians come from seven different countries. I arrange and compose music for drums and percussion. We have already performed with “Ruhr International” in the Jahrhunderthalle, in the “Musikforum Ruhr Bochum”, “Musiksommer Bochum” – all on the main stages.
For this further appearances have been requested in 2019: three appearances for the “Odyssey Festival of Cultures” (Bochum, Mülheim and Hagen), the
“Deutsche Welle” event “Global Media Forum”, and again at the “Musiksommer” in Bochum.
My solo program “Kellerhoff Solo” had it premiere in April 11th 2019 in the “Planetarium Bochum”, it is a Show I work with an audio technician and a surround PA
I am right now working with a light & Video designer to create a Show for Halls& Theaters.
Further projects, in which I regularly perform as a drummer:
-“Milli sings Monk”: an multimedia jazz music program about the Afro-American musician Thelonious Monk, playing in theatres, cultural houses and jazz clubs.
– “Walking On The Moon”: an inclusive band & multiple prize winners (Own Pop´n´Jazz & Reggae-Soul), playing e.g. at various festivals, Landtag Düsseldorf, Domicil Dortmund.
– “The Swinging Ballroom Orchestra”: Swingband that plays at “Lindy-Hopp” parties
I regularly teach percussion and other musical instruments in private lessons and workshops (currently 16 students privat plus 3 groups).
