Record Reviews

AXEL DONNER ~ AXEL DONNER QUARTETT EDEL CONTENT 4029759082941 (Barcode: 4029759082941) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 1987 Released: 2012 This is a reissue (first time on CD) of an album by the East German pianist / composer Axel DonnerFind albums by this artist, recorded with his quartet which also included saxophonist Thomas KlemmFind albums by this artist, bassist Wolfgang MusickFind albums by this artist and drummer Dieter EhrhardtFind albums by this artist. On three tracks the quartet is expanded to a sextet with the inclusion of trumpeter Joachim HesseFind albums by this artist and percussionist Mario WurzebesserFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all by Donner. The music is a very melodic modern Jazz, well within the mainstream idiom, and with dominant Afro-Cuban rhythmic patterns. Very well composed and perfectly executed, this album proves that East German Jazz was not only about Avant-Garde and mainstream and even traditional Jazz existed and thrived there as well. Donner is an excellent musician, who plays perfectly well in diverse stylistic situations, always fluent and interesting. Klemm is also an excellent soloist, capable of playing melody lines and fierce improvisations at the same level of professionalism. Musick pays some very hot licks on the electric fretless bass and Wurzebesser drives the music relentlessly ahead. In some respect this album is similar to Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist´s Latin Jazz period, but it presents an individual approach and great original compositions. Fans of melodic, Latin oriented modern Jazz will find this album to be one of the best one can get in that particular niche. Of course the music lost nothing of its vitality and excellence over time and sounds really very inviting today. It´s great to see it available again! 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: 16/05/2016

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