Record Reviews

VOLKER KRIEGEL ~ INSIDE: MISSING LINK MPS 4029759178699 (Barcode: 4029759178699) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1972 Released: 2023 This is a reissue / remaster of the iconic double album by the German guitarist / composer / bandleader Volker KriegelFind albums by this artist, which was his third album as a leader and the second release on the MPSFind albums on this label label. Although recorded during the same session, the material was split into two parts, each on one LP (and now CD). CD1 was recorded by an octet and features a brass section. It includes three prominent British Jazz musicians: saxophonist Alan SkidmoreFind albums by this artist, pianist John TaylorFind albums by this artist and drummer John MarshallFind albums by this artist. The other players are German Jazz musicians: trombonist Albert MangelsdorffFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Heinz SauerFind albums by this artist and bassist Eberhard WeberFind albums by this artist. Dutch percussionist Cees SeeFind albums by this artist completes the lineup. The CD presents four tracks, three of which are original compositions by Kriegel and one is an arrangement of a tune by Brazilian composer Edu LoboFind albums by this artist. Three of the tracks last for over ten minutes and the music is strongly Jazz oriented, including some Free Jazz accents. CD2 was recorded by a quintet, without the brass and including Taylor, Weber, See and German drummer Peter BaumeisterFind albums by this artist. This CD presents eight tracks, six of which are original compositions by Kriegel, one is by Weber and one by Brazilian composer Caetano VelosoFind albums by this artist. The music is more Fusion oriented and the tracks are much shorter, with only one crossing the ten minutes in duration. In retrospect this is definitely one of the fines examples of European Jazz-Rock Fusion, with a stellar lineup and absolutely brilliant musicianship and compositions. Kriegel was sadly underappreciated at the time, but his complete discography, including several excellent posthumous releases, definitely points out that he was a pivotal figure in European Jazz and Fusion. Overall, this an absolute must have for every Fusion connoisseur, and one of the most important albums of the genre. Combining the best players from the leading European Fusion scenes at the time: Germany and UK, the music spark with inventiveness, virtuosity and innovation, completely absent from the current Fusion scene. This long awaited reissue fills a major gap in the European Fusion discography and the recorded legacy of Volker Kriegel. 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: 18/11/2023Posted: 18/11/2023

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