Record Reviews

JAZZ WERKSTATT ORCHESTER ~ AUS TEUTSCHEN LANDEN EDEL CONTENT 4029759080596 (Barcode: 4029759080596) ~ GERMANY ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1972 Released: 2012 This is a reissue (first time on CD) of the excellent album by the East German Jazz Werkstatt OrchesterFind albums by this artist, an ensemble consisting of thirteen players, which included the best Jazz musicians active at the time, like trombonist Conrad BauerFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Ernst-Ludwig PetrowskyFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Ulrich GumpertFind albums by this artist, drummer Gunter SommerFind albums by this artist and others. The orchestra performed a five-part suite based on German Folk songs, written and arranged by Gumpert. The album was originally released in 1977, five years after this music was recorded, to commemorate a series of concerts called "Jazz In Der Kammer" and to celebrate the 100th concert. The music included here was recorded during the 48th concert of that series. The music is very unique, combining the Big Band tradition, the German Brass Band tradition and folklore and Free Jazz, which was the preferred modus operandi of the ensemble members. Together the resulting music is a phenomenal expression of cross-genre beautiful weirdness. Following the opening statement, which consists of a different folk melody in each of the suite´s parts, the players perform expanded solos, which in turn evolve into spontaneous Free Jazz group improvisations, which are insanely intensive and technically dazzling. There are very few recordings of such kind in existence, which turns this album into a rara avis. The fact that this music was recorded and released in East German is truly amazing and pretty incomprehensible. But despite the political oppression and censorship East Germany managed to produce some of the most amazing early European Jazz, of the Avant-Garde and Improvising Music variety. For connoisseurs of Free Jazz this is an absolute must! Side Note: As all the East European countries under the Socialist regime, East Germany, or DDR as it was known at the time, had only one state owned and controlled Music Company, which released most of its productions on the AmigaFind albums on this label label. Among the many Amiga releases the legendary "orange J" series was dedicated to Jazz recordings, many of which were licenses from the West, but others were original productions, mostly of Jazz made in DDR. Some of these releases, like the one described above, were absolute gems. Following the unification of Germany, the Amiga albums disappeared from the face of the earth and only in 2012 a German label reissued 15 Amiga Jazz albums on CD. They are all worth checking out!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 11/06/2016

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

BARTLOMIEJ OLES / TOMASZ DABROWSKI ~ CHAPTERS FENOMMEDIA 012 (Barcode: 5907604327128) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 Trumpet / drums duo recordings are a very special chapter in Jazz history and they include some fascinating interplays recorded over time by American Jazz musicians, such as the legendary Don CherryFind albums by this artist / Ed BlackwellFind albums by this artist or Max RoachFind albums by this artist / Dizzy GillespieFind albums by this artist recordings. Some American / European trumpet / drums duos are also worth mentioning, such as the Leo SmithFind albums by this artist / Gunter SommerFind albums by this artist, Dave DouglasFind albums by this artist / Han BenninkFind albums by this artist or Bill DixonFind albums by this artist / Tony OxleyFind albums by this artist, documented on their respective recordings. On the contemporary Polish Jazz scene this relatively rare pairing of instruments seems to be quite favorable, with such excellent examples like Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist / Jacek BuhlFind albums by this artist, Artur MajewskiFind albums by this artist / Kuba SucharFind albums by this artist and others. Trumpeter / composer Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist already has one trumpet / drums album under his arm, recorded with the American drummer Tyshawn SoreyFind albums by this artist and now he joins the brilliant drummer / composer Bartlomiej OlesFind albums by this artist in a new trumpet / drums duo, captured on this album. Bartlomiej Oles is of course known to all Polish Jazz connoisseurs as half of the Oles Brothers rhythm section, which in time achieved a legendary status as one of the best modern Jazz rhythm sections around, but this album focuses on his work as composer. Of the ten pieces presented on this album, Oles composed eight, and co-composed one with Dabrowski, with the remaining piece, which closes the set, being a Thelonious MonkFind albums by this artist composition. In comparison to the trumpet / drums albums listed in the opening paragraph, this recording is definitely the most lyrical and deeply melodic of them all. Oles demonstrated his lyricism and love of melody over the years in the numerous compositions he contributed to the vast Oles Brothers recorded legacy. Additionally, his treatment of the drums as a melodic instrument has always been his particular trademark, as he almost never simply sets a rhythm but rather plays the drums in par with his musical partners in various ensembles. The intimacy of just two instruments is an ideal opportunity to place these compositional and performance qualities at the center of the listener´s attention. Dabrowski, whose meteoric rise to fame is fully justified, seems to be an ideal partner aiding Oles to achieve his goals. His virtuosic attack, combined with the intrinsic lyricism, turn his trumpet into a seemingly unlimited tool able to express an enormously diverse set of emotions, from whisper to shout, anger to joy, despair to mellow melancholy. Playing side by side with Oles, who is of course more experienced and mature, pushed Dabrowski really hard to reach and than cross his limits, which resulted in the best performance of his life so far. Oles managed to catalyze and crystallize Dabrowski´s unique style and mannerism, molding them into a perfect musical entity. There is so much music on this album that a true comprehension and appreciation of it requires several listening sessions even for the most experienced music lovers. Peeling off the layers of aesthetic and emotional essence captured herein by these two Masters is a delightful and rewarding experience. There is no doubt that this is a monumental achievement in every sense and a model of lofty, almost spiritual communication between an Artist and his audience. Personally I have a deep satisfaction from the fact that I have always considered these two musicians as representatives of what is best about Polish Culture in general and Polish Jazz in particular: honesty, consistency and a proper usage of a God given talent. Thank you both for such a wonderful gift!

Updated: 02/01/2017Posted:

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

SYNOPSIS ~ SYNOPSIS EDEL CONTENT 4029759080480 (Barcode: 4029759080480) ~ GERMANY ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1974 Released: 2012 This is a reissue (first time on CD) of the album by the East German quartet SynopsisFind albums by this artist, which comprised of legendary pioneers of Free Jazz / Improvised Music in that country: saxophonist Ernst-Ludwig PetrowskyFind albums by this artist, trombonist Conrad BauerFind albums by this artist, pianist Ulrich GumpertFind albums by this artist and drummer Gunter SommerFind albums by this artist. The quartet performs six pieces, four of which are credited in turn to each of the quartet members, one is a group composition by all four participants and one is based on a Folk tune. A month before recording this music Synopsis recorded another session for the FMPFind albums on this label label based in West Berlin, which was released later on. The music is a stunning example of early East European Avant-Garde, which moves between Free Jazz and Improvised Music, something radically different and highly surprising and in full contrast to what one might expect was happening in Jazz behind the Iron Curtain. Although these musicians had contact with their eastern neighbors in Poland, who were already involved in creating their own Avant-Garde scene at the time, as well as meeting western musicians while performing at Warsaw´s Jazz Jamboree festival, but the fact that such adventurous music was created and than released is completely baffling, considering the fact that East Germany was the most closely censored and culturally limited of all the Eastern Block countries (see Side Note below). Even in retrospect this music sounds poignant and striking, which of course is not that surprising now, as these four musicians have all reached legendary status on the European Improvised Music scene. Each of them has a completely unique voice on a global scale and this early recording should be a revelation to all the listeners who did not hear it at the time it was created. The urgency and unlimited longing for freedom by people living under an oppressive political regime explodes here in full, driving the music to the limits known at the time and beyond. And yet underneath all that havoc there is still the typical German correctness and almost autistic separation from savoir vivre. Overall this a classic of the genre and a first class document of European Jazz history. Since this album had a very limited reach in the first place, the fact that it is available again should make hordes of Improvised Music connoisseurs extremely happy. Not to be missed! Side Note: As all the East European countries under the Socialist regime, East Germany, or DDR as it was known at the time, had only one state owned and controlled Music Company, which released most of its productions on the AmigaFind albums on this label label. Among the many Amiga releases the legendary "orange J" series was dedicated to Jazz recordings, many of which were licenses from the West, but others were original productions, mostly of Jazz made in DDR. Some of these releases, like the one described above, were absolute gems. Following the unification of Germany, the Amiga albums disappeared from the face of the earth and only in 2012 a German label reissued 15 Amiga Jazz albums on CD. They are all worth checking out!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 18/03/2016

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

HANS-GUNTHER WAUER / GUNTER SOMMER ~ VERSCHRANKTE KONSTRUKTION EDEL CONTENT 4029759080633 (Barcode: 4029759080633) ~ GERMANY ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1986 Released: 2012 This is a reissue (first time on CD) of an album by a duo of East German improvisers: organist / composer Hans-Gunther WauerFind albums by this artist and drummer / composer Gunter SommerFind albums by this artist. It presents eight original compositions, three composed by Wauer, two composed by Sommer and three co-composed by the two musicians. The music was recorded in the Cathedral of Merseburg during a festival of organ music. The magnificent church organ is meant to be played solo of course, or to accompany chants sung during prayer, but it can be occasionally found also in quite different musical environments, including Jazz and Improvised Music, like the project presented here. Pairing instruments with the church organ is of course an extremely difficult and complex task, both musically and sonically, as the overwhelming sound produced by the organ often surpasses everything else in the vicinity, but this project masterfully combines the organ with a most unlikely companion – a drum set. The music, although mostly improvised, is still very much under the spell of the dominant organ sound, which brings associations of the organ music tradition going way back to the times and work of Johann Sebastian BachFind albums by this artist. Wauer creates a modern polyphonic sound not limited by fixed meters or scales, but whatever his efforts might strive to achieve the result still sounds similar to what people associate with church organ music. It is Sommer who brilliantly adopts the drum set to play along with the organ, which is probably the most successful attempt of this kind ever made. His absolute control of the unlimited possibilities of the drums present, both rhythmically and melodically, is simply extraordinary. The urge to move forward and attempt seemingly impossible amalgams is one of the key characteristics of European Jazz, and this album is just one of the numerous such attempts. In retrospect, this is still one of the most successful and interesting projects of this kind, which lost absolutely nothing of its fascination and intrinsic beauty over time, not to mention its originality. Open minded listeners, who love church organ music, should have a field day with this album, and of course Improvised Music connoisseurs will find this lost gem to be simply irresistible. Side Note: As all the East European countries under the Socialist regime, East Germany, or DDR as it was known at the time, had only one state owned and controlled Music Company, which released most of its productions on the AmigaFind albums on this label label. Among the many Amiga releases the legendary "orange J" series was dedicated to Jazz recordings, many of which were licenses from the West, but others were original productions, mostly of Jazz made in DDR. Some of these releases, like the one described above, were absolute gems. Following the unification of Germany, the Amiga albums disappeared from the face of the earth and only in 2012 a German label reissued 15 Amiga Jazz albums on CD. They are all worth checking out!

Updated: 11/05/2016Posted: 19/03/2016

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

ZUR SCHONEN AUSSICHT ~ WILLKOMMEN ZUHAUSE WHYPLAYJAZZ 031 (Barcode: 4250459990315) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the second album by the German trio Zur Schonen AussichtFind albums by this artist, comprising of guitarist Joachim WespelFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Paul BerberichFind albums by this artist and drummer Florian LauerFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded "live in the studio" and presents ten original compositions, seven by Wespel, two by Berberich and one by Lauer. These young musicians are representatives of the "Dresden School", which is developing under the supervision of the German Jazz legend Gunter SommerFind albums by this artist. The music, although highly improvised, is based on clear melodic themes and mixes modern Jazz with some Improvised Music and even Rock elements. The result is a very interesting and expressive amalgam of cross-genre explorations, which is quite accessible to the general Jazz audience. The pre-composed themes are all very solid and might have been played with a much more conservative approach, but the trio wisely takes them in unexpected directions. There is however a lot of close cooperation, including many unisono parts between the guitar and saxophone, which point out to the music being well rehearsed and planned in advance. Overall the trio plays very unique music, floating between composed and improvised planes, often swiftly changing tempi and using dramatic climaxes. The album offers a fascinating musical journey, which is absorbing from start to finish with no weak points or senseless wandering. The level of musicianship is excellent and heart worming considering the young age of the musicians. As usual with the WhyPlayJazzFind albums on this label label´s releases, the journey of the discovery of highest quality of contemporary European Jazz and Improvised music continues!

Updated: 10/09/2022Posted: 03/06/2017

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend