FUSIONEN

4.5 stars. This one came out of nowhere to blow my socks off. A six piece band out of Germany they released their sole album back in 1975. Violin, cellos, folky vocals in German, bass, drums, percussion, sax, electric piano and guitar. Not a lot of guitar as the drummer provides that and it's usually picked or strummed. The singer adds cello and we have a female named Eva adding violin and cello. Sax and electric piano dominate here and they tend to jam quite a bit. The sound of this album is right up my alley. The sax player is incredible and for my money the star of this show. The bass is not that upfront unfortunately and I admit the vocals at first were a negative only because the instrumental stuff is so good. I like them now and they remind me of the SINKADUS singer actually.

Love the opener the shortest track at just over 3 minutes with the sax, electric piano, drums and strings. First spin I'm thinking this is amazing! Then 2 minutes in it all stops and these folky German vocals arrive and I'm thinking noooo! They only last a short time then back to the previous programming. Best track in my opinion is the second track clocking in at over 9 1/2 minutes. All instrumental and just a trip. Plenty of dissonant sax, incredible sounding electric piano. Best part is around 2 minutes in when we actually get a MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA vibe with the atmosphere and electric piano as sax and drums join in. Brilliant track. The third number is more about Folk with those German vocals and strings. Some picked and strummed guitar on this one.

"Schuhe I" is uptempo and catchy with sax leading then electric piano. We gat an experimental calm too then the sax gets a little crazy. So good! "Ohne Uns" has vocals that are actually passionate this time. Not sure why I'm so drawn to his singing here(a lot of character to his vocals) but this is really good. The closer is over 9 minutes and we continue with the sax and electric piano standing out but cello too here early on. Tempo shifts throughout and vocals not until around 6 1/2 minutes for less than a minute.

This album really scratches my Jazz Fusion itch even though it has it's folky elements. Kind of a Jazz/Krautrock blend not too unlike what EMBRYO were doing before this band came along.

Individualistic fusion from Germany sounding like a big band or, sometimes, chamber music ensemble treading into the world of Jazz-Rock Fusion.

1. "Nur Ein Klein Wenig" (3:12) a very classical exposition of jazz music from some musicians that sound very seasoned. The band includes both violin and cello with saxophone over a very solid drum and bass and percussion trio. Georg Eckl's electric piano becomes more prominent about half way through, just before a dramatic stops and restart in order to shift into a kind of beer-hall band tune with comic vocals reminding me of bands like Samla Mammas Manna. (8.875/10)

2. "Kurzes Hundeleben" (8:43) a well-formulated and well-executed two-part jazz exodus in which all of the proficient musicians themselves quite well. One can easily listen to each and every one of the individual musicians the entire way through this long song and be equally entertained and impressed. Plus, there is a DEODATO-like "Also Sprach Zarathustra" feel and palette to this song with electric piano, drums, and percussion creating quite an impressive foundation in and of themselves. Keyboardist Georg Eckl is quite impressive as are drummer Berndt Steiner and percussionist Bernd Funk. (19/20)

3. "Die Gute Alte Anna" (5:33) here the band explores some of their native folk traditions using both FLAIRCK- and AFTER CRYING-like classical and jazz perspectives. Warm and intimate, this more acoustic music is inviting and highly engaging--even with the German folk vocals. Halfway through there is another radical shift into a more COMUS/SPIROGYRA-like aggression and abrasive humor vocals. I love it all! (9.25/10)

4. "Schuhe 1" (6:58) Beatnik jazz-like sound with heavy emphasis on the presence of percussion, saxophone, and electric piano. It even sounds like it's been recorded in an underground cave like a Beatnik black room. (13.5/15)

5. "Ohne Uns" (4:14) what started with the uptempo Beatnik jam that began at the end of the previous song here smooths out a bit to continue with a form that revolves around Jotwin's folksy singing before falling into some more fast-moving instrumental music rife with loud drums, hand percussion, and electric piano with saxophone and cello up front and center leading the melody play. Could this music have been heard by the Norwegian youngsters that became SEVEN IMPALE? (9.125/10)

6. "Seifenblasenleiden" (9:51) opens like a piece of classical music by a small orchestral chamber ensemble--even with the rock drums--before slowly morphing into a chamber version of, and variation on, the main, opening motif of King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man." Eventually, the jazz nature of these musicians takes over and the song veers off into several interesting motifs: the first more loose and wild, the second more sedate and spacious with lots of room for improvisational inputs. At 6:25, in the middle of this slowed down section, cellist Jotwin enters with a singing voice that gives this song a feel very much like fellow German band ELOY. Violin, cello, electric piano, and tenor saxophone continue to give this song a very mellow jazz-rock feel--even when the tempo and intensity start to pick up in the eighth minute. I really love this song! It's a perfect illustration of the blend of classical, jazz, and pop that ends up becoming prog! (19.5/20)

Total Time 37:34

I normally don't like saxophone but, like that in SEVEN IMPALE's aggressive progressive rock, I like this.

A/five stars; a very impressive masterpiece of jazz-rock fusion from a group of very well-seasoned musicians all coalescing quite wonderfully.