Record Reviews

USCHI BRUNING / ERNST-LUDWIG PETROWSKY ~ KONTRASTE EDEL CONTENT 4029759080510 (Barcode: 4029759080510) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 1987 Released: 2012 This is a reissue (first time on CD) of the phenomenal album by the Avant-Garde duet of female vocalist Uschi BruningFind albums by this artist and the iconic East German Jazz multi-instrumentalist (flute / clarinet / saxophone) / composer Ernst-Ludwig PetrowskyFind albums by this artist. Together they perform twelve tunes, eight of which were composed by Petrowsky, one by Bruning, another one by East German Jazz musician Eberhard WeiseFind albums by this artist and the remaining two are standards. Bruning, who except for one case is not singing lyrics and only uses her voice to produce wordless vocalese, is an absolute maverick, freely moving between melodic passages into screams, shouts and shrill almost operatic high tones. Connected telepathically to Petrowsky, together they produce a series of duets, which redefine the meaning of Avant-Garde Jazz vocals. Petrowsky is brilliant regardless which instrument he chooses to play on a given tune, and his diverse stylistic approaches are plainly demonstrated herein. Absurdly, he is the "more conventional" performer on this album, in contrast to his traditional position of innovator and groundbreaker. The pair manages to create a wonderful balance, which results in this highly unconventional music to be almost "easy" for the listener. Of course the label "Art of the Duo" applies without reservation to this album. Listening to this music in retrospect one can not cease to wonder how on earth such unconventional, free-spirited, Avant-Garde and plainly anti-establishment subversive music was not only recorded but also released on a State owned label in the most oppressive Socialist Country at the time, famous for its infamous Stasi secret police. But people familiar with the history of Jazz behind the Iron Curtain know of the existence of endless such absurdities. Another question of course is why the people under oppression produced such daring music whereas those living in the "free world" were at the same time recording mostly absolutely obscene garbage. 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: 11/05/2016

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

EUROPEAN JAZZ ENSEMBLE ~ MEETS THE KHAN FAMILY M.A MUSIC 807 ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 1992 Released: 1992 This is a live album by the European Jazz EnsembleFind albums by this artist, a collective of Jazz musicians led by German bassist Ali HaurandFind albums by this artist (who died in 2018), which included in its various configurations since 1976 the absolute crème de la crème of European Jazz representatives. The lineup on this album comprises, in addition to Haurand, of trumpeters Thomas HebererFind albums by this artist, Manfred SchoofFind albums by this artist and Rainer WinterschladenFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Ernst-Ludwig PetrowskyFind albums by this artist, Gerd DudekFind albums by this artist and Stan SulzmannFind albums by this artist, guitarist Philip CatherineFind albums by this artist, pianists Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist and Rob van den BroeckFind albums by this artist, vocalist Uschi BruningFind albums by this artist and drummer Tony LevinFind albums by this artist (of the twelve musicians two are British, one Belgian and one Dutch, and the rest are Germans). On this album they invited three Indian musicians, members of the extended Khan family: Ustad Zamir Ahmed KhanFind albums by this artist on sitar, Irshad Hussain KhanFind albums by this artist on tabla and Ustad Munir KhanFind albums by this artist on sarangi. The album presents four tracks, two lasing over fifteen minutes and two over twenty minutes, one each composed by Danish trumpeter Allan BotschinskyFind albums by this artist (a former member of the ensemble), Sultzmann, Kuhn and Schoof. The music is a wonderful example of Jazz-World Fusion, with the entire ensemble and the guests offer a group improvisation based on pre-composed themes, but expanding the music way beyond the original melodies, as expected. The ensemble plays some parts in a Big Band manner, but most of the time the music involves group improvisations between the ensemble members and the guests, often flying far and away from the initial source. Since all the musicians on this album are superb instrumentalists, the level of the performances is nothing short of stunning. All the albums by this ensemble are excellent documents of the diversity and complexity of the European scene, and here they are able to create new cross-genre musical explorations. Overall, this is a very interesting and rather unique Jazz-World Music album, which presents a meeting between Big Band Jazz and Indian traditional music, which usually is performed in a much more intimate lineup. These musicians prove again that music has no stylistic borders, and gifted musicians are able to communicate within any musical environment without any obstacles. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 17/08/2024Posted: 16/08/2024

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

GEORGIE FAME / USCHI BRUNING / ALAND SKIDMORE QUARTET ~ A DECLARATION OF LOVE ITM 9200020 (Barcode: 4250317473738) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2008 Released: 2015 This is an archival release of a live concert which features the British Jazz singer / keyboardist / songwriter Georgie FameFind albums by this artist and the German Jazz singer Uschi BruningFind albums by this artist accompanied by the quartet led by the legendary British Jazz saxophonist Alan SkidmoreFind albums by this artist, which also includes pianist Steve MellingFind albums by this artist, bassist Geoff GascoyneFind albums by this artist and drummer Ian PalmerFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, of which five feature Fame, three feature Bruning, one is a Fame / Bruning duet and one is an instrumental performance by the quartet. The music is mostly Jazz standards, except the title tracks which is a Fame original and one standard which has lyrics written by Fame. Recorded at the Berlin Philharmonic, the album´s sound quality is impeccable. Fame has been my favorite Jazz vocalist since I have heard him live in London in the late 1960s, and I have been fortunate to hear him perform many times over the years in very diverse circumstances ranging from intimate solo appearances to his concerts with Big Bands, always delivering the absolute top performances. Regardless if he sang Jazz, Blues, Rhythm And Blues or even Pop, his absolutely unique intonation and heartfelt articulation are simply magical. Now in his sixth decade as a performer, he is still a formidable Artist. Bruning is a German Jazz icon, who started her career in the dark days of the DDR period, which paradoxically produced some of the most interesting European Jazz. Her work with the legendary saxophonist Ernst-Ludwig PetrowskyFind albums by this artist is one of the most interesting vocal recordings made at the time behind the Iron Curtain. She is still active today on the German scene and definitely worth following. Skidmore needs no introduction of course, being one of the world top saxophonists and one of the most important Jazz musicians keeping the John ColtraneFind albums by this artist legacy alive. His enormous contribution to British / European Jazz is unprecedented. Overall this is a wonderful vocal Jazz album, full of great singing, superb instrumental work and good taste, rarely present on contemporary recordings. Great fun from start to finish and of course warmly recommended!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 21/07/2019

CD 1 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend