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Jerzy Milian |
Review: Talking European Union Jazz
[2003-12-15]
In the 1960s, jazz (but more precisely American jazz) was moving in all kinds of directions. At the beginning of the decade, there was the birth of the cool, led by Miles Davis, then again Miles with Herbie Hancock leading the jazz-rock fusion into the 70s. In the middle of it all, the universe of free jazz was led by Coltrane, Coleman, Albert Ayler and Sun Ra; there was the hard bop, and grooves of Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, and Art Blakey; and there were the funky troopers, Grant Green, Jimmy Smith and all those who at one time played back up to James Brown, like Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, etc.
In Europe, jazz in the 60s was less jubilant, and less self-assured of its place in the development and history of the genre. Excursions in the development of jazz were, however, no less noteworthy, or sublime.
Giles Peterson?s recent compilation, Impressed (2002, Universal) featuring brilliant, dark, yet swinging jazz compositions by British musicians of the 60s and 70s like Michael Garrick, Joe Harriot, Tubby Hayes, and the Don Rendall/Ian Carr Quintet showcases just a few relatively obscure names in jazz. These musicians are clear precursors to much of the current future sounds of jazz storming the dance clubs of Europe, yet not in America.
But this was (is) just in the U.K. In the middle of Europe, along the former iron curtain, the 60s and 70s also saw intriguing developments in the world of jazz; specifically, at least two East Central European countries had swinging and innovative jazz scenes: the DDR (East Germany), and Poland. A series of compilations, released by Compost Records (in Munich), showcases some of the best of the DDR and Poland from this era.
?Formation 60, modern jazz from Germany,? is a compilation of releases from 1957?69, off the defunct DDR label, Amiga. This record features remarkable players, like the Manfred-Ludwig Sextet, who combine a striding, hip, bossa nova, and swinging jazz sound like no American players were doing at the time (circa 1963?64). The Sextet was founded by saxophonist Ernest-Ludwig Petrowski who was known on both sides of the East?West border, and Manfred Sculze, who was known as ?the catcher? because of his habit of using his fists during discussions about jazz music.
Other notable tracks on ?Formation 60? are from an old Amiga recording titled ?Modern Jazz Studio 3,? released in 1969, on which the Michael Fritzen Quartet contributes ?Rien,? a sublime modern jazz waltz. Apparently, the expected contributor on this recording, German jazz legend Joachim Kuhn, was replaced at recording time by Fritzen after Joachim and his brother Rolf defected from the DDR just before the recording session. And after this, the communist-state-controlled Amiga would not release anymore of the defector?s work. Another song originally on ?Modern Jazz Studio 3? by the Volkmar Schmidt Combo is an outstanding, electrifying European equivalent to US jazz great Eddie Harris. The Theo Shumann Combo finally stands out on Formation 60, with their track Karawane (recorded 1964), with its finger-snapping, high speed arrangement that not surprisingly, fits perfectly on ?Playlist? a recent Jazzanova?Compost release (2002) which features some of the latest heroes of European nu jazz like Koop (Sweden) and Nu Spirit Helsinki (Norway), and select 60s?70s danceable jazz gems from behind the iron curtain (Theo Shumann Combo, Manfred-Ludwig Sextet, Jerzy Milian, Novi Singers, etc.) On ?Playlist,? the old and the nu, all prove to be nice dancefloor jazz material.
From the Compost release ?Modern Jazz from Poland (1963?75),? Jerzy Milian?s sound is as dark as the fine British jazz of the 60s, but it is combined with an uplifting, tight soundtrack arrangement, on the track ?Visod Pampasow.? Andrzej Kurylewicz Quintet?s ?I won?t stay with you? has an off-beat sound with an unusual rhythm, a bit like a European circus feel, pushing ahead like an over-used merry-go-round, interspersed with various, soaring horn solos. Like their East-German comrades, Polish jazz musicians also much appreciated the magical lure of Brazil, and so two bossa-jazz tracks stand out on ?Polish Jazz.? Zbigniew Namyslowski Quartet?s ?Fair Lola? (recorded in 1966) is an amazing recording not because it sounds so ?Brazilian? but on the contrary, with only a slight ?Brazilian,? or even Horace Silver bossa nova inspiration, it has a distinctive melodic line, in solid bop style with clear Polish influences. As Namyslowski himself says, explaining his inspirations, ?To be successful, it is no longer enough to play Horace Silver themes. One shouldn?t play material borrowed from records. I founded my own quartet and created my music to play what I want to and how I want to.?
The lovely ?Why Not Samba? (recorded in 1974) by Wojciech Karolak is another Brazilian-influenced nugget, this in collaboration with the a capella group Novi Singers, who seem to have been The Mama?s and The Papa?s of 60s Polish jazz. This one features a Hammond and swerving grooves, which matches many of the nu jazz or electro jazz releases today.
What is most fascinating about records like ?Modern Jazz from Poland (1963?75)?, ?Formation 60?, and ?Impressed? is their affirmation of uniqueness?they all have an individual sound unlike any of the more well-known directions American jazz was creating at the time. And because American jazz, like American culture in general, can be so solipsistic, this music never had a chance, or even now doesn?t have a chance to reach a broad American audience. But it has been at least rediscovered in its home continent; in fact in a new and expanding Europe, which is doing away with borders on all levels?both physically and psychically.
This is all integral to understand and appreciate where European jazz is today?and more importantly to know why ?European Union? jazz does have a future. If you follow jazz closely enough, you?d know that it is mostly Europeans who are pushing progressive jazz to the outer-limits. There is the visionary Norwegian musician Bugge (pronounced ?boogie?) Wesseltoft and his label Jazzland Records, with groups like Wibutee, which melds live and looped free jazz with a post punk attack, to create a very intriguing sonic jazz. There are the countless groovy, French electro-jazz outfits, most notably St. Germain, which has helped to inspire a jazz renaissance in the Parisian quarter of St. Germain itself. Marc Moulin of Belgium, and Erik Truffaz of Switzerland are other ground-breaking nu jazz musicians on European Blue Note. Koop, a duo from Sweden, redefines what a jazz band is, and Cinematic Orchestra from the UK has helped to set a whole new standard.
These directions in a new sound of jazz, however, did not appear out of a void; because of recent reissues of older European jazz recordings, it is enlightening to know that many European musicians are apparently very aware of their roots (both East & West European) and their people?s past contributions to the complex history of jazz.
Tony Ozuna
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