Record Reviews

VOLKER KRIEGEL ~ BITON GROOVES MOOSICUS 1309 (Barcode: 885513130921) ~ GERMANY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1974 - 1982 Released: 2019 This is an archival 2CD album presenting studio recordings by the iconic German Jazz / Fusion guitarist / composer / bandleader Volker KriegelFind albums by this artist. These recordings were done at the Biton Studios in Frankfurt between 1974 and 1982 and released on five LP albums on the studio’s own label, which are all remastered and included in this reissue. These albums were released as library music for use by Radio / TV / Film industry and did not specify Kriegel’s name or any other details, since he was at the time under contact with MPSFind albums on this label Records. The album presents thirty-seven original compositions, most by Kriegel and some by his band members, which were of course the same musicians that recorded with him the albums released by MPS over the years: keyboardists Rainer BruninghausFind albums by this artist and Thomas BettermannFind albums by this artist, bassists Eberhard WeberFind albums by this artist and Hans Peter StroerFind albums by this artist, percussionist Peter GigerFind albums by this artist, and drummers Klaus WeissFind albums by this artist, Joe NayFind albums by this artist and Evert FratermanFind albums by this artist. Despite the fact that this music was never intended for commercial release and were not available to Jazz / Fusion fans at the time, it is a remarkable collection of excellent compositions, all superbly executed by Kriegel and his ensembles. The tracks are on average under three minutes in duration and the performances obviously do not feature extensive soloing, but the compositions are all first rate and Kriegel’s guitar artistry is documented here at its peak. Overall, this is wonderful European Fusion album, performed by top German Jazz musicians active in the 1970s / 1980s, as well as an important addition to the recorded legacy by Kriegel, which is carefully curated by his archive, which hopefully will be released in its entirety in time. For guitar lovers and European Fusion enthusiasts this is an absolute must!

Updated: 04/05/2022Posted: 04/05/2022

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

VOLKER KRIEGEL ~ MILD MANIAC MOOSICUS 1310 (Barcode: 885513131027) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1974 - 1977 Released: 2019 This is a reissue of the fifth album by the legendary German guitarist / composer / bandleader Volker KriegelFind albums by this artist, originally released on the MPSFind albums on this label label in 1974 (it was Kriegel’s fourth album for the label). The album was recorded by a quartet called SpectrumFind albums by this artist, same as the title of Kriegel’s debut album for MPS, which also included keyboardist Rainer BruninghausFind albums by this artist, bassist Eberhard WeberFind albums by this artist and drummer Joe NayFind albums by this artist, with percussionist Peter GigerFind albums by this artist appearing as a guest. The album presents six original compositions, five by Kriegel and one co-composed by the quartet members. This new remastered edition adds five bonus tracks recorded three years later (1977), all recorded live. One is a TV appearance and the rest are from a concert performance by the Mild Maniac OrchestraFind albums by this artist, Kriegel’s group active at that time. The music is a superb example both of Kriegel’s unique genius as a player and composer and the European Jazz-Rock Fusion, which was developing rapidly at the time, on both sides of the Iron Curtain, with Germany as one of its focal points. Kriegel found ideal partners in this wonderful team of German musicians, although his ensembles over the years included often multinational collaborations. The compositions are quite complex and multilayered, requiring very attentive listening in order to be fully appreciated. Kriegel switches between acoustic and electric guitars with ease and elegance, as expected from a true Master and his idiosyncratic stylistic is immediately recognizable to those familiar with his recordings. There is an aura of playfulness and mystique in this music, which makes it completely distinctive from everything that was being done at the time. Kriegel’s tragically premature death in 2003 put an end to his wonderful career as musician and later author and illustrator, but his archives hold some incredible unreleased treasures, like the bonus material on this album (which was previously released on LP), which is being released on the MoosicusFind albums on this label label, which brings great joy of his many followers. Overall this is a superb piece of music, which deserves to be remembered and is an immensely important document of the European Jazz-Rock Fusion legacy, which of course deserves an honorable place in any serious record collection. A must!

Updated: 12/09/2021Posted: 12/09/2021

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

EMIL MANGELSDORFF & ALBERT MANGELSDORFF ~ EARLY DISCOVERIES SWR JAZZHAUS 459 (Barcode: 730099045957) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 1953 - 1963 Released: 2018 This is a wonderful archive album by Godfathers of German Jazz, brothers Emil MangelsdorffFind albums by this artist (saxophone) and Albert MangelsdorffFind albums by this artist (trombone). The 2CD album presents live ad studio recordings from the vaults of the German SWR broadcasting corporation, captured between 1953 and 1963 and produced by my Friend and Mentor Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist. The various combos include the who’s who of the pioneering German Jazz musicians of the post WWII era, such as saxophonists Joki FreundFind albums by this artist, Hans KollerFind albums by this artist (Austrian resident in Germany) and Heinz SauerFind albums by this artist, clarinetist Rolf KuhnFind albums by this artist, bassist Peter TrunkFind albums by this artist, drummer Joe NayFind albums by this artist and many others. The first CD presets twelve tracks recorded by the Albert Mangelsdorff quintet from 1961, which plays four original compositions by Albert Mangelsdorff and eight standards. The music offers the glimpse of how European Jazz musicians interpreted the American Jazz tradition, mostly Bebop influenced, nearing the inevitable departure towards the more advanced modern European Jazz. The second CD presents three tracks by the German All Stars twelve-piece band (with Mangelsdorff brothers as members), all composed by Freund, and one track by the Albert Mangelsdorff / Peter Trunk duo composed by Albert Mangelsdorff, all recorded in 1963. Next come four tracks by the Joki Freund sextet (with Mangelsdorff brothers as members) playing four original compositions by Freund, recorded in 1957. This is followed by a track by the 1956 version of the German All Stars band, followed by another duo track by Albert Mangelsdorff and Hungarian (resident in Germany) guitarist Attila ZollerFind albums by this artist, recorded in 1953. The last three tracks offer a super-rare appearance by the Austrian pianist Joe ZawinulFind albums by this artist recorded in 1957, before his departure to the US and world fame. All the music is excellently recorded and offers a superb glimpse at the German Jazz scene at the late 1950s / early 1960s, when the European Jazz scene was making its formative first steps towards the independence from the American tradition, after mastering its trademarks. There is a plethora of wonderful solos and ensemble performances present, as well as examples of Albert Mangelsdorff’s love of the duo format, which dominated his entire career. Overall this is a brilliant document of the era and a must to all European Jazz fans, interested in the history and the process of its development. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 29/12/2023Posted: 05/04/2021

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

MICHAEL NAURA ~ CALL MPS 4029759097365 (Barcode: 4029759097365) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1970 Released: 2014 This is a wonderful album by German pianist / composer Michael NauraFind albums by this artist recorded in a quartet setting with vibraphonist Wolfgang SchluterFind albums by this artist, bassist Eberhard WeberFind albums by this artist and drummer Joe NayFind albums by this artist. The album comprises of eight original compositions, all by Naura. This album finds Naura in a transition period between his earlier days as one of the German Jazz scene pioneers, when he played mainly Bebop and Hard Bop, moving boldly into the Jazz-Rock Fusion idiom as one of its pioneering representatives in Europe. He plays electric piano on this album, which blends wonderfully with the vibraphone, creating a very unique ambience. Supported by a superb rhythm section of Weber and Nay the two soloists are able to weave long atmospheric melody lines and contemplative phrases. In retrospect this music sounds remarkably fresh and inviting and its legendary status is fully justified. The cooperation between Naura and Schluter, which started in the 1950s, continued for several decades and produced some of the finest German Jazz music in many different settings. Their later recordings for ECMFind albums on this label are especially noteworthy, some of them in my favorite Jazz & Poetry setting. Schluter is just one of many extraordinary vibraphonists hailing from Germany, where this instrument seems to be more popular in the Jazz idiom than in any other European country. It is the beautiful blend of four individual voices that creates the charming atmosphere, which in time made this album an icon of early European Fusion and the original vinyl album into a highly sought after collectors´ item. This reissue enables new listeners to get acquainted with this important and aesthetically outstanding music, an opportunity not to be missed! Side Note The legendary German MPSFind albums on this label (Musik Produktion Schwarzwald) label, founded by Hans Georg Brunner-SchwerFind albums by this artist (HGBS) in 1963, first as SABAFind albums on this label Records and later on from 1968 as MPS Records, was the most important independent European record label, which had an enormous contribution to the development of European Jazz. For many years MPS cooperated with the legendary German producer / author Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist, my Friend and Mentor, whose visionary approach and open-mindedness brought the crème de la crème of the Jazz (in the broadest meaning of the word) musicians from all over the world to the label. Between 1963 and 1983 MPS produced about five hundred albums, many of which are among the most important Jazz recordings on this planet. In 1983 the MPS catalog was sold to UniversalFind albums on this label, which sadly resulted in all those artistic treasures to almost disappear from the face of the earth – a situation not only tragic but culturally criminal. Universal reissued a part of the MPS albums (probably 128 titles) on CD between 1999 and 2011 under the "Most Perfect Sound Edition" moniker. Since 2008 the German Promising MusicFind albums on this label label released some of the MPS recordings, but at a very slow pace. In 2014 the German company Edel AG bought the MPS catalogue from Universal and released a series of 25 MPS albums on CD with a new slipcase graphic design, which brought all those excellent albums back to life. In 2015 Edel AG started to record and release new albums under the MPS moniker. In 2016 Edel AG released a series of 10 classic MPS albums on CD, which were beautifully remastered and re-packaged, presenting the original artwork and liner notes, as well as new liner notes and photographs. An obvious labor of love, these reissues are what the MPS catalogue truly deserves. This project was continued in 2017 with another series of 10 classic MPS albums released on CD. In later years some new reissues were released sporadically. Over the years many SABA / MPS albums were reissued in Japan, which is often the only available source for these albums today, but that is a story in itself.

Updated: 12/06/2018Posted: 02/02/2016

CD 1 Slipcase Remastered Recommend To A Friend

LESZEK ZADLO QUARTET ~ LIVE IN HAMBURG `75 FOR TUNE 0170 (Barcode: 5906395808847) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1975 Released: 2024 By the mid-1970s West Germany became a true Mecca of European Jazz. The great economic resurgence allowed benevolent support of Arts by the German regional and Federal governments, and Jazz became a highly popular and flourishing Artform, bursting with concert activity all around the country. The many indoor and outdoor Jazz festivals, venues ranging from newly constructed concert halls to small clubs and cellars, music schools with Jazz departments and a vast number of thriving independent record labels, like MPSFind albums on this label, ECMFind albums on this label and EnjaFind albums on this label, to mention but a few, all these created a climate, which not only enabled the local musicians to flourish, but also acted like a magnet pulling Jazz musicians from all over the world to move to Germany and take part in the celebration of creating the new European Jazz miracle. Since Europe was at the time literally split by the Iron Curtain into “West” and “East”, moving to Germany from the USA or other West European countries was a breeze. However, as far as East European Jazz musicians were concerned, such move was, more often than not, only but a dream. That did not mean, of course, that some of them would not try, and eventually also succeed to make such transition. Born in Krakow in 1945, Polish Jazz saxophonist / flautist / composer / educator Leszek ZadloFind albums by this artist was one of the first Polish Jazz musicians, who managed to make the “West” their new home. He moved first to Austria, in 1966, where he polished his education and performing skills, playing constantly with the best local and visiting international Jazz players. There he recorded his debut album “Inner SilenceFind albums with this title” in 1973. In 1975 Zadlo relocated to Germany, settling in Munich and quickly becoming an integral part of the busy local scene. This album presents a live recording by Zadlo with an international quartet, which includes American pianist Larry PorterFind albums by this artist, who was one of the many US musicians staying at the time in Germany, and a German rhythm section comprising of bassist Gunter LenzFind albums by this artist and drummer Joe NayFind albums by this artist. The concert was a part of the 1. New Jazz Festival, which took place in Hamburg in June of 1975. The festival’s concerts were presented at two legendary local venues: “Fabrik” and “Onkel Pös Carnegie Hall”, where the music on this album was recorded. The Festival’s lineup included several ensembles, led by important international Jazz artists, like Norwegian Terje RypdalFind albums by this artist, American Dave LiebmanFind albums by this artist, German Eberhard WeberFind albums by this artist and… Polish Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, another proud representative of the Eastern European Jazz scene. Parts of the performances by these artists were included on a commemorative album released by the Polydor label later that year. The fact that Leszek Zadlo was invited to take part in this important festival speaks volumes about his status as a part of the evolving European Jazz Avant-Garde. The music is, as expected, a brilliant example of European Free Jazz / Improvised Music hurricane, exploding with emotions and sublime musicianship. Zadlo’s “infatuation” with the music of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist is obvious, but Zadlo offers his very own voice and interpretation of Freedom, which is perhaps less wild and instinctive, but rather more expressive and balanced, without losing touch with the world around. There is no doubt that Zadlo was at that period of his life perhaps the most “Coltrane oriented” European Jazz musician, all the way as total as the great Master, and with complete and full control of his faculties. Watching Zadlo on stage was like facing a Force of Nature, being totally and utterly swept by flow of his energy, all of which is wonderfully captured herein. His partners in crime are completely up to the task, as expected. It would be a sin to leave this music dormant in the vault and I am extremely happy to see it out in the open. Love you my Friend, as always! Side Note The above are my liner notes included on this album's artwork. I am honored when asked by the Artists to write liner notes for their albums, always hoping that my words reflect the true spirit of the music. This is also a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship developed over the years. The same is also true when Record Labels ask me to write liner notes for their releases, mostly in the case of reissues of archival albums, which is a symbol of their appreciation of my knowledge and historical perspective and my recognition of their dedication to the preservation of the history of recorded music and the effort to keep human Culture and Aesthetics alive.

Updated: 06/12/2024Posted: 06/12/2024

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend