Record Reviews

ROLF KUHN ~ ROLF KUHN FEATURING KLAUS DOLDINGER (MOST PERFECT SOUND EDITION) UNIVERSAL 602527224770 (Barcode: 602527224770) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 1962 Released: 2009 This is a reissue of a fabulous album recorded by German clarinetist / composer Rolf KuhnFind albums by this artist upon his return to Germany from his stint in the US, where he achieved his international recognition. He is joined by another upcoming (at the time) German Jazz musician, saxophonist Klaus DoldingerFind albums by this artist, who like Kuhn would be playing one of the leading roles on the German Jazz scene in the years to come. The two soloists are accompanied by German organist Ingfried HoffmannFind albums by this artist and a Dutch rhythm section comprising of bassist Hermann SchoonderwaltFind albums by this artist and drummer Cees SeeFind albums by this artist. Together the quintet performs twelve tunes, one of which is an original composition by Kuhn and the rest are compositions by German Jazz composers (no American standards are used). The music is almost completely within the Swing idiom, which Kuhn perfected during the years he played in the US, but the sound is somewhat different from the American model: the improvisations are less constrained to the basic melody lines and the combined sound of the clarinet, saxophone and organ is more modern than the sound of typical American Swing combos at the time. There are traces of Bebop on one hand and Rhythm And Blues on the other, and the overall feel of the quintet is fresh and wonderfully sparkling. Although recorded well over half a Century ago, this music lost absolutely nothing of its charm and intrinsic beauty. The performances are perfect in every way and the wonderful melodies are evergreens, which withstand the passing of time effortlessly. This album is an extraordinary document of the time of its making, beautifully preserved and even enhanced by today´s remastering techniques. Overall this album is a superb piece of music, which documents the early days of German / European Jazz and enables the listeners to discover the early work of Rolf Kuhn and Klaus Doldinger, two of the brightest European Jazz stars, who made an enormous contribution to the genre over the years. This album is a must for all Kuhn fans and listeners interested in the history of European Jazz, not to mention of course Swing lovers, many if which are still among us, even if they don´t admit it.

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 10/01/2017

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