Record Reviews

DAVE PIKE SET ~ AT STUDIO 2 B.FREE 6227/28 ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1971 Released: 2016 This is an archival album by American vibraphonists / composer Dave PikeFind albums by this artist and his quartet called Dave Pike SetFind albums by this artist, which also included German guitarist Volker KriegelFind albums by this artist, bassist Johann Anton RettenbacherFind albums by this artist and drummer Peter BaumeisterFind albums by this artist. The 2CD set presents a live concert recording at the German radio, which includes eleven tracks, ten of which are original compositions by the quartet members. The material includes mostly compositions included on the quartet´s albums "Noisy Silence-Gentle NoiseFind albums with this title", "Infra-RedFind albums with this title" and "AlbumFind albums with this title" and is beautifully recorded, as usual with the German radio recordings. The information about the composers of the individual tracks and other details is less than sketchy. The music is a superb example of early European Fusion, which flourished at the time. Although an American, Pike lived in Germany for years and his attitude towards Jazz was always more European than traditionally American. The Dave Pike Set, which recorded for the legendary MPSFind albums on this label label, was without a doubt one of the most unique and forward thinking early Fusion ensembles. The extraordinary combination of talents within the quartet members resulted in a series of first rate albums recorded during the quartet´s short lived career. The presence of Volker Kriegel was a major factor which turned these recordings into pure gold. He was the greatest European Fusion guitarist at the time and a sublime composer, and in retrospect every note he produced during his recording career is absolutely priceless. Listening to this music almost half a Century after it was recorded clearly shows how ahead of its time it was at the time of its recording and how relevant and still sounds today. The fact that the only composition on this album, which does not originate within the quartet, is a Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist piece, which gets here a breathtaking almost nineteen minutes long interpretation, is of course hardly surprising as Zappa was similarly way ahead of his time (at any time). The polyrhythmic layers and melodic complexity is still stunning today and the individual performances by all the quartet members are nothing short of amazing. Kriegel´s work is of course simply phenomenal. Overall this is a masterpiece and an absolute must have for all Fusion heads anywhere on this planet. For people who are not familiar with the Dave Pike Set output this is a wonderful entry point and any serious Fusion album collection would not be complete without this album in it. Beyond essential!

Updated: 30/06/2018Posted: 30/06/2018

CD 2 Digipak Essential Recommend To A Friend