Born in 1969, Kai starts playing the guitar at age 8. In 1984 his family moves to New York and having found his love for jazz music with the help of his dad’s record collection he starts taking lessons with John Abercrombie.
Back in Berlin he studies at the Hochschule der Künste from 1990 to ’94. His teachers are, among others, David Friedman, Sigi Busch, Jerry Granelli and Michael Gechter. 1994 to ’95 further studies in New York with John Abercrombie, Mike Stern, Wayne Krantz, Charle Banacos and Richard Boukas.
Several tours in the US and Canada in the following years with drummer Jerry Granelli and his band UFB.
In 1999 Kai attends the International Jazzworkshop in Banff (Canada) with the help of a scholarship from the city of Berlin (teachers are: Kenny Werner, Dave Holland, Dave Douglas a.o.).
Bands and projects since then include the Kai Brückner Trio with Aaron Alexander und J. Anthony Granelli, Kai Brückner’s MicroBazaar, Yakou Tribe, Jerry Granelli’s UFB, Jacobien Vlasman Quartett, Thärichens Tentett, Lone World Trio with Christian Brückner, Tilman Dehnhard Quintett, Tanmoy Bose’s TaalTantra, Sebastian Merk’s Merkur, Jocelyn B. Smith Band, Jannis Zotos Group, Pepe Berns Network, Lisa Bassenge Band and Andreas Schnermann’s Poetry Clan, Maria Farantouri, Zülfü Livaneli, Glenn Müller, Esther Kaiser, the Big Band of the German Opera House in Berlin.
Concerts and Workshops in Germany and Europe, USA, Canada, West Africa, Kenia, Madagascar, Vietnam, China and Indonesia with different projects, extended stays and tours in India with Tanmoy Bose (Ravi Shankar).
Filmscores for German TV (ZDF and arte). Several Compositions for audiobooks and spoken word performances.
Numerous CD and video productions and radio broadcasts. Kai is currently teaching at the UdK (College for the Arts) in Berlin.