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

VOLKER KRIEGEL ~ TOPICAL HARVEST MPS 602527148625 (Barcode: 602527148625) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1975 Released: 2011 This is a reissue / remaster of the 6th album by German guitarist / composer / bandleader Volker KriegelFind albums by this artist, one of the Godfathers of German / European Fusion scene. It was recorded with keyboardist Rainer BruninghausFind albums by this artist, bassist Hans Peter StroerFind albums by this artist and expanded percussion section, which included American congas player Ray MantillaFind albums by this artist, percussionist Peter GigerFind albums by this artist and drummer Joe NayFind albums by this artist. Trombonist Albert MangelsdorffFind albums by this artist guests on two tracks. Two tracks are duos with Kriegel and Stroer only. The album presents ten tracks, seven of which are original compositions by Kriegel, one is co-composed with Stroer, one is by Stroer and finally one is by Brazilian composer Gilberto GilFind albums by this artist. The music offers the usual collection of beautifully melodic tunes by Kriegel, this time heavily spiced by percussive World Music elements, mostly Latin and Brazilian. The intimate and long-lasting cooperation with Bruninghaus and Stroer, who were the core of Kiegel’s ensembles, resulted in perfectly crafted sound and ambience, which characterized all the recordings by Kriegel, making the music accessible to wide audiences, without sacrificing an iota of elegance and sophistication, which is a true Art. Kriegel’s collective recording legacy, which spans no less than fifty albums, both as a leader and sideman, is a wonderful testimony of his incredible talent and each and every one of them deserves an honorable place in every serious Jazz / Fusion album collection, although their availability is often sketchy. Overall, this is a superb time capsule of mid-1970s German / European Fusion at its best, by one of the finest guitar players and composers of his generation. His unique guitar work still remains a beacon of good taste and elegance, which deserves to be remembered and cherished! 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: 25/05/2025Posted: 25/05/2025

CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ALBERT MANGELSDORFF QUINTET ~ BIRDS OF UNDERGROUND MPS 602517175945 (Barcode: 602517175945) ~ GERMANY ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1972 Released: 2008 This is a reissue / remaster of an album by German trombonist / composer / bandleader Albert MangelsdorffFind albums by this artist, recorded with his all German quintet with saxophonists Heinz SauerFind albums by this artist and Gerd DudekFind albums by this artist (who also plays flute), bassist Buschi NiebergallFind albums by this artist and drummer Peter GigerFind albums by this artist. The album presents four lengthy tracks, three of which last for over ten minutes, two composed by Mangelsdorff and two co-composed by all five musicians. The music presents some of the finest German / European Free Jazz / Improvised Music, which by the time this music was recorded, was in full bloom, expanding the American Free Jazz of the earlier decade into a coherent, fully developed and aesthetically solidified artistic expression. Despite the total Freedom, enjoyed by the musicians, the music is perfectly structured and logically developed, sometimes based on a briefly stated theme, and at other times springing into the open as if from nowhere. All five musicians are true masters of their respective instruments, which results in breathtaking performances by them all. Most of the music is in a form of group improvisations, rather than soloing accompanied by the rest of the quintet, which results in a situation when all five musicians are soloing at the same time, which of course might be more difficult to follow, but is extremely potent musically. Mangelsdorff’s performances on this album are absolutely awe striking and his early 1970s output remains his most productive and revolutionary period, including his first solo trombone recording “TrombirdsFind albums with this title”, recorded and released shortly before this album, which remains one of the most iconic trombone albums in all time. Overall, this is an absolute gem of an album which aged beautifully with time and remains as one of the finest European Free Jazz recording in all time. Very few, if any, more impressive Free Jazz albums were recorded since, and it remains a brilliant reminder of Mangelsdorff’s genius and his pivotal role in European Jazz, as well as the greatest trombone virtuoso ever. Beyond essential! 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: 15/11/2024Posted: 15/11/2024

CD 1 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend