Record Reviews

WILLEM BREUKER KOLLEKTIEF ~ LIVE AT THE DONAUESHINGEN MUSIC FESTIVAL 1975 MPS 731452908926 (Barcode: 731452908926) ~ NETHERLANDS ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1975 Released: 1995 This is a reissue / remaster of a live album by one of the most iconic European Free Jazz / Improvised Music ensembles, the Dutch Willem Breuker KollektiefFind albums by this artist, recorded live during the Donaueshingen New Music Festival in 1975. Led by clarinetist / saxophonist / composer / bandleader Willem BreukerFind albums by this artist, the undecet (eleven players) also included saxophonists Bob DriessenFind albums by this artist and Maarten van NordenFind albums by this artist, flautist Ronald SnijdersFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Boy RaaymakersFind albums by this artist, horn player Jan WolffFind albums by this artist, trombonists Willem van ManenFind albums by this artist and Bernard HunnekingFind albums by this artist, pianist Leo CuypersFind albums by this artist, bassist Arjen GorterFind albums by this artist and drummer Rob VerdurmenFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, all composed by Breuker. The album was produced by my Friend and Mentor Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist, who was the musical director of the Jazz section of the festival. He invited me to the festival that year and I witnessed the concert in flesh. The music of the Kollektief was an incredible experience, which incorporated music and theatrical / circus / vaudeville elements, which left the listener / spectator completely overwhelmed. The music was strictly composed, but included strong improvisational presence, as can be of course heard herein. It remains ones of the peaks of the early European Free Jazz / Improvised Music / Big Band experiments, which reflects the spirit of the era and the tremendous development of the genre at the time. This was one of the concerts that left an everlasting influence on my music appreciation, to this very day. Overall, this is a tremendous historical document of the development of Improvised music in Europe, reflecting the Dutch scene at its peak, which contributed immensely to this process. Sadly, often neglected and forgotten over five decades later, but definitely deserving its dues. I am pretty sure this music, when heard for the first time, is able to change the listener’s perspective of music in general, perfectly reflecting the symbiosis between composed and improvised music. 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: 05/09/2025Posted: 05/09/2025

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